MUMBAI: On Thursday, to show solidarity, students from well-known institutes around the city will be beginning their own campaign for the "occupy UGC" movement which is taking place across the country. Students from various institutions such as Mumbai University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), IIT-Bombay and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) plan on sending a rupee coin each sealed in an envelope as a mark of their protest to the University Grants Commission (UGC)/ ministry of human resources and development (MHRD).
Ajmal Khan, a PH.D student from TISS says, "We extend our support to the national movement. We expect almost around 250 students from all over the city to participate in the protest on Thursday." As part of the Thursday protest, students have created songs, slogans plays at the university's campus. The movement started in the country after the UGC decided to remove the non-NET fellowship grants which were given to M.Phil and Ph.D students across the country. Furthermore, following the protest the ministry decided to roll back the circular, announcing the discontinuation of the fellowship. One of the many protesting students said, "Nonetheless, it then chose to constitute a review committee for investigating the fellowship with the condition that merit and economic criteria' will be utilized to benefit it. This is against the rule of a fellowship being given to every enrolled student in central, state and deemed colleges."
It is said, that under the fellowship, an award of Rs.5, 000 every month for year and a half is given to M Phil students and Rs.8, 000 every month for four years to PhD students, who don't get other UGC grants.The protesting students are requesting that the fellowship ought to be restored, expanded and stretched out to all students in higher education enrolled in central, state and deemed colleges without the state of merit, increase in the quantity of fellowship for existing plans, including higher education as a fundamental right, and broadened the action policies paying little heed to the administration of the colleges. Students from individual institutes like IIT-Bombay, TISS and Mumbai University also have their own set of demands.