A growing crisis is unfolding in India’s higher education sector as a large majority of UGC-NET qualified PhD scholars are struggling without fellowship support, raising concerns about the future of research culture in West Bengal and the rest of the country.
According to recent education data, while over 1.28 lakh candidates qualified for PhD admissions through the UGC-NET 2025 cycle, only around 5,269 secured the coveted Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) — barely 4 percent of total qualifiers. This stark gap highlights a major funding shortfall that leaves most doctoral researchers without assured financial support. The Times of India
Experts warn the imbalance between PhD eligibility and fellowship awards could blunt India’s research growth, especially in critical fields like social sciences, environmental studies, and humanities. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aimed to boost research outputs, but with fellowship support lagging, many scholars are being forced to take up part-time jobs or abandon full-time research altogether.
West Bengal Shows Early Impact
In West Bengal, multiple universities report steep declines in PhD applications as prospective scholars hesitate to enrol without guaranteed funding. Faculty members in institutions like the University of Calcutta note that enquiries about research programmes increasingly centre on funding rather than academic interest a shift that is alarming for academic planners.
Administrative delays compound the problem. Some doctoral candidates in West Bengal have reported waiting months after qualification for enrolment and stipend disbursement, effectively losing crucial funded research time.
Nationwide Fellowship Delays Add to Distress
Across India, researchers are reporting long delays in fellowship disbursements and bureaucratic barriers to accessing funds meant for living expenses, travel, and research costs. From Tamil Nadu to Bihar, scholars are spending personal savings to continue their work often to no avail.
Advocates for research scholars say urgent policy changes are needed. Proposed solutions include expanding the JRF cap beyond the current rigid percentage, increasing government budgetary allocation for doctoral fellowships, and streamlining administrative processes to ensure timely support for PhD students.
The crisis signals a tipping point for India’s academic ecosystem one where talent meets opportunity only if funding follows.
