At the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), one of the country’s most storied academic institutions and a crucible of the Green Revolution, time may have quietly run out for a group of students who followed the rules, but now find themselves in the dark.
For months, dozens of PhD scholars — particularly those from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Physically Challenged (PC) categories — have waited for official confirmation that their institutional fellowships would be extended, as per a policy codified in IARI’s own Green Book, its official postgraduate academic handbook that outlines institutional policies on scholarships, academic progress, and student conduct.
That confirmation, according to students, has not come. And with the 2024–25 financial year now closed, many fear it never will.
According to the Green Book, students pursuing PhDs are eligible for a three-year fellowship. For those from SC, ST, and PC categories, the fellowship is explicitly extendable by one year. For OBC and General category scholars, an extension of six months may be granted under “exceptional” circumstances.
The document also affirms that fellowships during the extension period are contingent upon students maintaining a minimum OGPA to remain eligible. For those who meet the criteria and do not hold any central government fellowships like the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University Grants Commission (UGC), or Department of Biotechnology (DBT), this extension has long been a lifeline.
Until now.
Most affected students say they submitted their extension applications by late December 2024, after receiving official reminders from IARI’s administrative wing, TG School. These were submitted to PG-II, their financial section.
In multiple messages on the ICAR-IARI Student Forum Telegram channel, student union representatives from the Post Graduate School Students’ Union (PGSSU) relayed updates that the delay stemmed from a “severe crunch of funds.”
They said that the Director, along with other senior officials, would meet with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Ministry of Agriculture officials to request additional funding.
But the clock was ticking.
By March 10 of this year, students were warned by PGSSU members that if the approval didn’t come through within the next 7–8 days, the entire process risked missing the window for disbursal under the 2024-2025 financial year.
According to students, the file had passed through internal scrutiny and reached the Director’s office. But as of mid-April, no approval had been formally issued. “If the list had just been approved, even without funds, we might still have been eligible,” said one fourth-year PhD scholar who requested anonymity.
For many students, this delay is less a bureaucratic hiccup and more a rupture in fragile lives.
“I’ve not received any fellowship since December,” said a fourth-year OBC PhD scholar. “My father is dead. My mother is a farmer. My younger brother is preparing for exams, and I’ve been funding his education too.”
He admits that he still hasn’t told his family. “I said I’ll get the fellowship till June, just to keep them from worrying. They don’t know I’m taking loans to cover food and registration fees.”
Like many others, his OGPA — 8.7 out of 10 — exceeds the minimum requirement of 6.0 out of 10, and his application was submitted on time.
“I’m trying for UGC-JRF now,” he said. “Because if nothing changes, I don’t know how I’ll finish my PhD.”
Another student told EdexLive he believes the issue is “not just lack of funds but lack of will.” He questions why the administration did not at least approve the list before the end of the financial year, even if funds couldn’t be disbursed right away.
“The Green Book rule is clear. The applications were submitted. The list was ready. What were they waiting for?” he asks.
The issue comes into focus at a particularly bitter moment, around the 135th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, a reminder of India’s long and unfinished struggle for educational equity.
It could be argued: the fact that the majority of students affected by the delay belong to marginalised communities is not incidental. For many of them, the fellowship is not just a stipend, it’s the reason they can stay in school.
“We’re not asking for charity,” said another fourth-year PhD scholar. “We’re asking for what is already written in the rules. What is already owed.”
