Patna, Feb. 1: Junior research fellows (JRFs), who take undergraduate class- es at Patna University, will soon get scholarship money pending for more than three years.

Sanjay Kumar Sinha, the development officer of Patna University, said: “The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released Rs 40 lakh for paying JRFs the scholarship pending for more than three years.”

UGC had stopped the release of scholarship funds to Patna University as the varsity had failed to submit the utilisation certificates.

JRFs have welcomed the decision but they claim the amount of funds released is inadequate.

“We have not received our scholarship for more than three years. Each student is supposed to get dues of more than Rs 3 lakh. UGC should have released more than Rs 3 crore to clear all the dues,” said a junior reserch fellow, on the condition of anonymity.

There are around 40 JRFs at the university who take classes and are entitled to a monthly scholarship of Rs 13,000 as financial support for their research.

Sinha said: “JRFs will be given scholarship for six months based on various criteria, including their date of joining.”

JRFs alleged that apart from irregular payment of scholarship, students face other problems such as lack of basic infrastructure for research and non-avai- lability of books, journals and periodicals in the university.

A source said JRFs are considered to be the backbone of Patna University, it is facing a severe crunch of teachers.

There are many departments in various colleges under the university that are entirely dependent on JRFs.

In Patna University, 547 out of 957 teachers’ posts are vacant.

A number of departments in BN College, Arts and Crafts College, Patna, Law College, Women’s Training College, Patna Training College and Patna Science College are functioning with just one or two teachers.

At other universities in the state, around 40 per cent of the posts are vacant, with many departments operating with only one teacher since 2003, as the- re has been no regular appointment.