Stories
Ambedkar University Revises PhD Fellowship Guidelines After Student Protests
- •Ambedkar University Delhi revised its PhD fellowship guidelines, superseding a July 31 order that sparked student protests over attendance requirements.
- •The new September 30 order offers greater flexibility while still requiring coursework, seminars, and maintaining academic engagement and research progress.
- •Attendance records will be maintained by supervisors and verified by deans, with supervisors ensuring satisfactory academic engagement and research progress.
- •The university stated the guidelines are academic, align with UGC regulations, and aim to strengthen the research ecosystem and scholar participation.
- •The revision follows a week-long protest by AISA students concerning attendance, campus restrictions, and access to facilities, with the university appealing for dialogue and against misinformation.
Key Questions Answered
Ambedkar University revised its fellowship guidelines to supersede a July 31 office order that had sparked student protests over attendance rules. The new September 30 order offers greater flexibility while ensuring academic engagement, coursework attendance, and research progress in line with UGC regulations.
Under the updated guidelines, attendance records are maintained by the research supervisor and programme coordinator, and verified by the dean of the concerned school. The research supervisor also ensures the scholar makes satisfactory research progress under the dean's overall guidance.
Students associated with AISA protested against attendance restrictions, campus rules, and facility access. Tensions escalated after protesters alleged that security restricted food and water, medical evacuation for a collapsed student was delayed, and students were denied campus entry. The university countered that its medical team monitored health, closures were for maintenance, and protesters manhandled security guards.
