The Hindu : New Delhi News : Protest against UGC ruling

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Thursday, Dec 06, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Protest against UGC ruling

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union had organised a demonstration last week outside the University Grants Commission office in protest against its recent circular stating that any fresh disbursals of the Rs.3,000/5,000 fellowships have been stalled for “formulating guidelines”. A number of students from many Central universities like Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Allahabad University, Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu Unive rsity took part in the demonstration.Apart from this, some other matters were also raised at a meeting between the JNUSU-led delegation and the UGC team. “With regard to delays in the disbursal of the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes research scholars, the UGC stated that since the fund for this fellowship is provided by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Ministry of Tribal Affairs, it would write to them immediately. It assured us that all the problems in this matter would be resolved within three weeks,” claimed JNUSU president Sandeep Singh. On the demand that the cut-off date for disbursal of these fellowships be fixed for July 2005, the UGC “failed to give any response”. “However, it agreed that the new Vice-Chancellors’ committee headed by JNU Vice-Chancellor B. B. Bhattacharya can come up with a coherent suggestion in this matter,” said Sandeep

The JNUSU also raised the issue of increasing the Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, demanding that parity be established between the UGC and the CSIR scholarships. “The UGC said it accepts the demand in principle, but since the CSIR is a different body, it would use its working relationship with the CSIR to pursue the matter,” claimed the JNUSU president.

The Department of Social Work at Jamia Millia Islamia has announced admission for a post-graduate diploma in child rights that is being supported by a Swedish development agency. The course will be transacted through classroom lectures, simulations, presentations, case studies and extension lectures by experts in the field. The course is divided into two semesters comprising four papers each. The classes for the course that offers 40 seats will start in February. The last date for submitting application forms is December 31. The forms can be downloaded from www.jmi.nic.inCandidates seeking admission should possess a graduate degree in any discipline with at least 45 per cent marks.

The president and chief executive of Malaspina University College, Vancouver, Ralph Anderson Nilson, along with the Acting Dean of International Education, Brock Dykeman, visited its India office in Noida recently. He outlined the university’s sound academic credit line from the angle of excellent teaching environment and facilities available for students coming from Asian countries.

He also pointed out that after completion of an MBA at the university bright Indian students would get suitable placements in reputed multi-national companies. They would also be encouraged to settle down in Canada.The director of the university’s India operations, Prashant Srivastava, spoke about the encouraging students’ enrolment to the institution from different parts of India.

The Ansal Institute of Technology, Gurgaon, with support from the Indian National Science Academy and the Department of Science and Technology in the Union Science and Technology Ministry is organising a five-day international conference-cum-workshop on “Nano-science and Nano-technology” on its campus from December 17.

The conference will be co-sponsored by North Dakota State University in the US. Leading scientists and researchers from many reputed academic institutions and laboratories across the world will provide an insight into a whole gamut of technologies associated with nano-technology.

Parul Sharma