CSIR has instructed all host institutions, research laboratories, universities, and colleges to upload the mandatory fellowship details for smooth disbursement of the stipend at the earliest. 

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) plans to clear most of the pending Research Fellowship Stipends by the end of June.

In an official notification issued on Monday, CSIR has instructed all host institutions, research laboratories, universities, and colleges to upload the mandatory fellowship details for smooth disbursement of the stipend at the earliest.

CSIR officials admitted that there was a significant amount of unpaid stipends, after processing of bills was temporarily stalled due to the nationwide lockdown.

In March and April, many fellows had raised concerns about their unpaid stipends, some of them claiming they had not received their dues since January 2020. A few students even complained of unsettled dues dating back to September 2019.

After the lockdown was imposed in the last week of March, as the bills remained unprocessed, there was no disbursement of fellowship stipends to hundreds of Junior Research Fellows (JRFs), Senior Research Fellows (SRFs), doctoral students, post-doctoral students and Scientific Assistants (SA). A JRF receives Rs 31,000 per month whereas a SRF receives Rs 35,000 a month.

In addition, research scholars, whose stipends are directly credited into their bank accounts, need to send all details to the CSIR’s Redressal Portal. “The release of the pending fellowship has been taken up on war footing after the lockdown. All concerned are requested to send their unpaid fellowship bills to the Grievance Redressal Portal,” read the notification.

Source – Indian Express