The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has highlighted how its National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students scheme enabled Dr. Anik Saha to complete his doctoral studies despite severe financial hardship following his father’s death. The fellowship demonstrates how direct financial support allows students from disadvantaged communities to pursue advanced research without interruption.
The fellowship and Dr. Saha’s experience
Dr. Saha belongs to the Sunri community, classified as Scheduled Caste, and faced acute economic difficulty after losing his father. To manage his educational costs, he took up private tuition work in the evenings while studying. The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students provided him support from 2018 to 2022 during his M.Phil. and Ph.D. studies.
The fellowship covered several direct expenses related to his research:
- Admission and educational fees
- Fieldwork costs
- Thesis printing charges
- Thesis submission fees
The financial assistance was provided at rates equal to those given to NET-JRF fellows, a standard used across central government research support schemes. This standardised rate ensured Dr. Saha could focus on his doctoral work rather than juggling multiple jobs to cover costs.
Dr. Saha has since completed his Ph.D. and now works as a Research Assistant with an Indian Council of Social Science Research project at Kazi Nazrul University in Asansol, West Bengal.
What this means for you
If you belong to a Scheduled Caste community and plan to pursue postgraduate research, the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students can cover essential academic expenses that might otherwise derail your studies. The scheme recognises that economic barriers often prevent talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds from completing higher degrees, and provides structured financial support to remove this obstacle. Dr. Saha’s example shows that with timely assistance, students can successfully complete doctoral research and move into meaningful research careers in academia and government institutions.