The National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes (NFSC) is currently under review. This revision includes adjustments to its income criteria and financial components. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) informed Parliament of the ongoing changes.
Fellowship Under Revision
The Ministry of Education relayed this update to the Rajya Sabha. The fellowship scheme is being revised for the 16th Finance Commission cycle. This process encompasses changes to financial elements. It also includes updates to income eligibility requirements.
Fellowship Details
MSJE currently offers NFSC fellowships. These are awarded to eligible students based on approved intake numbers. The program supports MPhil and PhD students. Awards are for those studying Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Universities must be UGC-recognized.
The scheme provides 2,000 NFSC fellowships annually. A reservation policy allocates 3% of these to SC students. The government mandates this reservation.
Financial Elements
Fellowships cover monthly stipends and house rent allowance (HRA). The monthly amount ranges from ₹25,000 to ₹28,000. This is for Junior Research Fellow (JRF) and Senior Research Fellow (SRF) positions. The fellowship duration is five years. Continuation depends on satisfactory performance each year. This requires recommendation from competent authorities.
The current intake numbers align with Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) approval. This approval covers the financial cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26. Claims for fellowships can be submitted between the 1st and 15th of each month. Disbursements follow case processing.
Revision Process
The revision will incorporate recommendations from evaluation reports. Procedures will be established in consultation with relevant ministries and departments. The ministry stated this in its parliamentary reply.