www.scholarships.net.in

Organization : Ministry of Minority Affairs
Fellowship Name : Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students Scheme
Country: India

Website : https://minorityaffairs.gov.in/
Scheme Details : https://www.scholarships.net.in/uploads/1337-Guideline.pdf

Related :
Ministry of Minority Affairs Maulana Azad National Fellowship MANF FAQ :
www.scholarships.net.in/6170.html

Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students Scheme:

Objective:

The objective of the Fellowship is to provide integrated five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified by the Central Government to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph.D.

The fellowship under Fellowships awarded to research students pursuing regular and full time M. Phil and Ph.D courses.

The Fellowship will cover all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) and section 3 of the UGC Act and will be implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs through UGC for students belonging to the minority communities. The fellowship holders under this Fellowship will be known as Ministry of Minority Affairs scholars.

Scope:

The Fellowship will cater to the requirements of the minority community students pursuing research studies leading to regular and full time M.Phil and Ph.D courses only and equivalent research degree in universities, research institutions and scientific institutions within India. This will enable them to be eligible for employment to the posts with M.Phil and Ph.D as pre-requisites, including the posts of lecturers in various academic institutions.

Implementing Agency:
UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing the Fellowship. UGC will notify the Fellowship by releasing suitable advertisement in the newspapers, internet, webpage and other media.

Eligibility:

A candidate has to fulfill the following conditions to be eligible for award of this fellowship:-
(i) He/she should belong to one of the minority communities notified under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
(ii) He/she should get admission and registration for regular and full time M.Phil/Ph.D courses in University/Academic Institution by fulfilling conditions of admission of that University/Institution, subject to provisions of the Fellowship as per advertisement of UGC.
(iii) The minority community students once considered eligible for the fellowship shall not be entitled to benefits under any other source, Central or State Government or any other body like UGC for the same study.
(iv) Prior clearance of NET/SLET examination will not be a prerequisite for award of Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students for M.Phil/Ph.D.
(v) In order to qualify for the award of JRF/ SRF the UGC norms would be applicable at pre-M.Phil and pre-Ph.D stage, respectively, including the minimum score of 50% at post graduate level.

Distribution of Fellowships:

(i) The total number of fellowships each year will be 756 (state wise distribution is at annexure). In case of non-availability of adequate number of candidates, the number of fellowships not availed during a year will be carried forward to the next academic session.
(ii) 30% of the fellowship shall be earmarked for women students; remaining 70% will be general. In case there are shortage of women candidates, the fellowship can be passed on to male students of the same minority community.
(iii) In case the numbers of candidates exceed the number of available awards, UGC will select the candidates for the fellowships based on the percentage of marks obtained by them in their qualifying Post Graduation examination.
(iv) The reservation for differently abled students shall be made as per UGC norms and in a horizontal manner.
(v) Scholars will be selected under the Scheme in all domains of knowledge.
(vi) Community wise selection of scholars at the national level will be done on the basis of their pro-rata population.
(vii) The State/UT wise selection of Research Scholars would be ensured to the extent possible.
(viii) Un-utilized Fellowship of any community in a State/ UT will be transferred to eligible Scholars of the same community at national level. Thereafter, un-utilized Fellowship; if any; will be transferred to eligible Scholars of other Notified Minority Communities purely on merit basis at the national level.

Duration of Fellowship:

These are integrated five year fellowships for M.Phil & Ph.D subject to academic criteria in force for selection to Ph.D programme. The duration of fellowship is as under:

Rate of Fellowship:
The rate of fellowship for JRF and SRF will be at par with the UGC fellowship as amended from time to time.

Fellowship: @ Rs.16,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF) @ Rs.18,000/- p.m. for remaining tenure (SRF)
Contingency for Arts & Commerce: @ Rs.10, 000/- p.a. for initial two years @ Rs.20, 500/- p.a. for remaining three years.
Contingency for Sciences & Engineering: @ Rs.12, 000/- p.a. for initial two years @ Rs.25, 000/- p.a. for remaining three years.
Departmental assistance: @ Rs.3,000/- p.a. per student to the host institution for providing infrastructure
Escorts/Reader Assistance: @Rs.2,000/- p.m. in cases of physically and visually challenged candidate

*In addition, for physically /visually handicapped candidates escorts/reader assistance will be given @ Rs. 2,000 p.m. HRA and other incidentals will be paid as per the UGC pattern.

Implementation of Scheme:

(i) UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students, as defined by Government of India from time to time.
(ii) UGC will notify the fellowship by inserting suitable advertisement in the Press and other media.
(iii) Clearing NET/SLET shall not be insisted upon by UGC for the award of Maulana Abul National Fellowship for minority students.. UGC will give adequate time to the candidates for applying for the fellowship.
(iv) UGC will select the candidates for award of Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students in a transparent manner.
(v) In case the numbers of candidates exceed the number of available awards, the UGC will select the candidates based on the percentage of marks obtained by the candidates in their Post Graduation Examination.
(vi) The distribution of fellowship among different States/UTs would be in proportion to minority population in respective States/UTs as per 2001 census. However, all States/UTs shall have at least 4 fellowships by suitably reducing the targets of states having higher allocations. There will be no community-wise distribution in States/UTs with four fellowships. All applications will be pooled together and decided on the basis of merit.
(vii) In case the number of fellowship so allocated to a State/UT are not fully utilised, due to non-availability of eligible candidates, UGC will reallocate the slots amongst other States/UTs where the number of eligible candidates is more than the slots allocated to that State/UT. This decision will be taken by a Committee consisting of the representatives of UGC and Joint Secretary in- charge of the scholarship in Ministry of Minority Affairs.
(viii) UGC shall disburse the fellowship amount to the candidates through Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) wherever feasible.
(ix) UGC will also issue a booklet containing all the details about the fellowship for the benefit of prospective candidates, and upload the details of the Fellowship in its webpage with appropriate reference to Ministry of Minority Affairs. To the extent possible e-application will be actively promoted by UGC.
(x) UGC will evolve its own mechanism for verifying the genuineness of the minority community certificates furnished by the candidates in order to eliminate the possibility of students availing of the fellowship on the basis of fake certificates.
(xi) The decision of UGC in regard to awarding the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students shall be final and no appeal would lie against any decision by UGC in regard thereof, except as provided under law in force.
(xii) The income ceiling of the parents/guardian of the candidate for Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students will be Rs.2.5 Lakh per annum.
(xiii) Selection of candidates, within the prescribed annual income limit will be based on inter-se merit, as under Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Fellowship.
(xiv) In case any candidate obtaining a Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students fraudulently, the cancellation should be automatic and the amount disbursed shall be recovered with interest at prevailing State Bank of India rate for student loans.

Administrative Expenses:
Administrative charges will be paid by Ministry of Minority Affairs to UGC for implementation of the fellowship at the rate decided by M/o Human Resource Development in consultation with M/o Finance.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

(i) UGC shall assess the work on completion of two years’ period of the JRF and two years’ period of SRF. The research work being done by the students shall be monitored as provided under UGC Rules.
(ii) UGC will send a quarterly physical and financial progress report to Ministry of Minority Affairs and provide a list of Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students, university, minority community & State/UT-wise, for Ministry’s information and follow-up actions, if any, apart from displaying the same in its website.
(iii) Fellows who cannot complete M.Phil in 2 years time or are found ineligible to register in the Ph.D programme during the 3rd year will be discontinued forthwith.
(iv) Income certificates will be issued by the competent authority as notified by the State/UT Governments.
(v) The Minority Community certificate, until issued by designated authorities in the States and UTs, should be based on an actionable and legally valid affidavit so that no candidate avails a scholarship through falsification of one’s community status.

Modification of the Fellowship:
Ministry of Minority Affairs, if it comes across developments that necessitate some changes while implementing the Scheme and in the interest of smooth implementation, will make minor modifications in the Scheme with no financial implication.