The research fellowship will be given for a period of five years. (Photo from PTI)

It’s a big good news for PhD scholars! In a major development, Union higher education secretary Kewal Kumar Sharma has announced that as part of the research fellowship scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre will provide Rs 70,000 as a monthly fellowship to PhD scholars. But, this has a condition – Centre will provide Rs 70,000 as monthly fellowship ONLY to those researchers who are doing their PhDs in IITs or IISc. As of now, researcher-students get Rs 25,000 as monthly scholarship at IITs.

“As part of the research fellowship scheme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we wish the meritorious students who are being forced to leave the country for purely financial reasons stay within the country,” Union higher education secretary Kewal Kumar Sharma.

Kewal Kumar Sharma made this big announcement at the 67th Foundation Day of IIT Kharagpur at its Kharagpur campus in West Midnapore district, according to news agency PTI.

The research fellowship will be given for a period of five years. However, the scholarship recipients can’t do any other job, the senior official said.

Kewal Kumar Sharma says, “This will also enable meritorious researchers, keen to further their research but forced to opt for corporate jobs for higher pay, to pursue their goal.”

Cabinet nod yet to come

“The Cabinet nod for the proposal should come soon. We are hopeful to start it from the next session,” he said.

IIT-KGP director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti later said, “This is a very good proposal.”