Government hikes emoluments of research scholars

By Sunderarajan Padmanabhan

New Delhi: The Department of Science and Technology on 30th January issued the much awaited order hiking the emoluments of Research Fellows and Research Associates. The hikes range from 24 per cent to 35 per cent.

The emoluments of Junior Research Fellows has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 31,000, that of Senior Research Fellows from Rs. 28,000 to Rs. 35,000, Research Associate -I from Rs 36,000 to Rs 47,000, Research Associate –II from Rs 38,000 to Rs 49,000, and Research Associate -III from Rs 40,000 to Rs 54,000.

The rise comes in the wake of demands from research scholars that the emoluments were not adequate to meet increasing costs of living. The last hike was made on October 21, 2014.

The new emoluments will come into effect from January 1, 2019. Departments will be required to meet the additional expenditure on account of the hike from their existing Budget through matching savings in other schemes. This may be reviewed at the time of the Budget for 2019-20 to be presented on Friday.

The order also noted that the government has agreed to give incentives for research outputs like publications and patents with a view to enhance value, quality and experience in doctoral research.  An inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee will evolve the modalities of implementation. It will periodically examine all fellowship matters including disbursement and quantum of fellowship, it said.

Junior Research Fellows are selected either through National Eligibility Tests conducted by CSIR-UGC NET including lectureship (Assistant Professorship) and GATE or through national level examinations conducted by central government departments and their agencies and institutions. The basic qualification for the test is post-graduate degree in basic science or graduate or post-graduate degree in professional courses.

The senior research fellows should have two years of research experience besides the qualifications for junior research fellows, while research associates need to be a Ph.D/ MD/MS/MDS or equivalent degree or have three years of research, teaching and design and development experience after post graduation with at least one research paper in science citation indexed journal.

(India Science Wire)