The All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) is urgently demanding an update on the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship for Single Girl Child (SJSGC) 2023-24. This fellowship also encountered problems in the 2022-2023 session. "The fellowship was introduced to promote 30% female inclusion in research, but if they continue to be this unresponsive, the fellowship is at risk of failure," warns Mandeep Singh, Vice-President of AIRSA.

The AIRSA yesterday, October 30, took to Twitter and wrote in protest: “Aspiring scholars await the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship for Single Girl Child 2023-24.Their academic journeys hang in the balance. We must demand answers and support them!”

According to the students, last year the fellowship started off with challenges, and it took most girls months to navigate the process. "Students were rushing to obtain their IDs," stated an anonymous student. She also noted that UGC employees appeared indifferent to their struggles and often lacked awareness of the fellowship updates. "Sometimes they would mock us, and other times they were completely clueless about what was happening," she explained.

Students also expressed frustration with the helpline, where it seemed that the representatives were either vague or contradictory. "It felt like they were only there to answer calls, and nothing else mattered. They would promise to forward our issues but couldn't provide any answers when questioned where they would forward it," said the student.