RU scholars left high and dry

RANCHI: UGC-NET fellowship research scholars in Ranchi University (RU) have been left high and dry as the university has adopted a lethargic approach in releasing the monthly stipend to them.
As a result, the scholars are paying from their own pocket to carry out the necessary research work.
Sunil (name changed) joined fellowship programme in 1999 and would complete his thesis this year.Sunil should have received Rs 5,000 per month during the first two years and Rs 5,600 per month during the third, fourth and fifth year besides house rent allowance and medical allowance. However, he has received only Rs 30,634 till date in two instalments. Sunil says the university authorities told him that he would not get any money from RU and he would have to contact the UGC for payment.
According to university sources, the UGC sends stipend for fellowship scholars only after the university makes claim for it. It is necessary for the university to submit utilisation certificate for the funds previously released by the UGC to make the claim. However, the university delays in submitting utilisation certificate.
Sources say the UGC sent Rs 2.50 lakh twice for payment to scholars on August 1998 and July 2000. Though the university cleared the payment by December 2000, the utilisation certificate was sent only in October 2002.
This too was not in the prescribed format and the UGC asked the university to re-submit the certificate in prescribed format.
Meanwhile, the UGC sent Rs 1 lakh to the university in March 2003 on sympathetic grounds. When the university re-submitted its claim it did not include this Rs 1 lakh. The UGC again returned the claim saying to submit the claim of the whole Rs 6 lakh. But as the university again took 13 months to distribute this money and send the utilisation certificate.
As of now the university has to make arrear payments to 11 fellowship scholars and the claim has been built upto Rs 25 lakh. This if added to the new bill for Rs 2003-04 would come to around Rs 35 lakh. Even if the university sends the claim of this amount not all the money would come in one go. This lethargic approach has even compelled some scholars to leave the programme and join some other university, say sources.