Selection Under MANF Fellowship Through NET Examinations: Ministry

The Minister Informed the Rajya Sabha that 1,000 candidates have been selected in the year 2018-19 for the award of MANF.

As per the MANF 2020 Revised Guidelines the list of candidates for award of fellowships under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scheme in 2019-20 and thereafter is to be drawn by the University Grants Commission (UGC) from the merit lists of UGC-NET and Joint CSIR-UGC-NET examinations. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minority Affairs Minister said the revision of the guidelines have been finalized and sent to the UGC for making the selection of candidates under the MANF Scheme for 2019-20.

“The National Eligibility Test (NET) Examinations are conducted by the National Testing Agency”.

The Minister informed the Rajya Sabha that 1,000 candidates have been selected in the year 2018-19 for the award of MANF.

Mr Naqvi was responding to questions asked by Rajya Sabha member Abdul Wahab on the delay in notifying MANF fellowships causing financial stress and undue pressure on research scholars from minority communities.

“MANF Scheme is implemented through UGC which is implementing various fellowship schemes with varying eligibility criteria. The candidates, who are eligible for more than one scheme, apply accordingly,” the minister said.

“Some of these candidates are selected for more than one scheme provided they make it to the cut-off. However, it is ensured at UGC level that when a candidate joins, s/he is provided fellowship under one scheme only,” he replied to Mr Wahab’s question “whether the candidates selected in MANF are also being selected in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) fellowship thereby reducing the possibility of giving the fellowship to more eligible candidates”.

“As the selections under MANF scheme for the year 2019-20 onwards are to be made through UGC-NET and Joint CSIR-UGC-NET examinations conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA), no separate notification is required,” the minister said.

Scheme Details

Objective: The objective of the Fellowship is to provide integrated five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified by the Central Government to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph.D. The Fellowship will cover all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) and section 3 of the UGC Act and will be implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs through UGC for students belonging to the minority communities. The fellowship under Fellowships awarded to research students pursuing regular and full time M. Phil and Ph.D courses. The fellowship holders under this Fellowship will be known as Ministry of Minority Affairs scholars.

Scope: The Fellowship will cater to the requirements of the minority community students pursuing research studies leading to regular and full time M.Phil and Ph.D courses only and equivalent research degree in universities, research institutions and scientific institutions within India. This will enable them to be eligible for employment to the posts with M.Phil and Ph.D as pre-requisites, including the posts of lecturers in various academic institutions.

Implementing Agency: UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing the Fellowship. UGC will notify the Fellowship by releasing suitable advertisement in the newspapers, internet, webpage and other media.

Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme Guidelines (w.e.f. 18.02.2020)Download (74 KB)
Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme Guidelines (Old)Download

Source – NDTV