Education, Movements, Right watch

Statement From Teachers And Researchers In Support Of ‘Occupy UGC’ in Delhi

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Statement in support of students protesting against the UGC’s proposal to scrap the Non-NET fellowship for research scholars, and in condemnation of the police crackdown on agitating students in Delhi on October 23, 2015

This is to express our complete solidarity with, and extend our full support to, students from universities across Delhi as well as other locations in the country who are protesting against the UGC’s decision to scrap Non-NET Fellowships for MPhil and PhD research scholars, and demanding an increase in the fellowship amounts. In particular, we condemn strongly the violent police action upon the peacefully protesting students on October 23, 2015, after the students had spent close to 48 hours in a sit-in at the UGC office in New Delhi protesting the failure of  the UGC authorities to extend a hearing to their grievances. We are shocked by the rapid escalation in aggression demonstrated by the UGC authorities against the students. At 6 am on Friday, 23rd October, about a hundred protesting students were forcefully evicted from the UGC premises and taken across the city to be detained for one whole day in the police station at C block, Rajiv Nagar, Bhalaswa Dairy.

As pressure from students and the public mounted, the police were obliged to let the students go at the end of the day. Meanwhile at the UGC a police lathi-charge grievously injured students who had gathered again to protest there, and from reports at least two students needed to be hospitalized.

As we know, the Non-NET Fellowship provides stipends of Rs 5000 and Rs 8000 per month respectively to MPhil and PhD research scholars who have not cleared the NET or do not have any other scholarships or fellowships, at select universities deemed as centres of research. The NET provides a minority of research students with the JRF, and the scrapping of the Non-NET fellowship will virtually mean the paralyzing of basic research support for a majority of students.This will prove disastrous for all students whose families are in no economic position to provide for them while they pursue their research. Research scholars are integral to the university as workers, and stipends are due to them as minimum wages, not as dole to be distributed or scrapped at will. Instead of scrapping these Non-NET fellowships, it is necessary that their monetary denominations be increased and the fellowships be extended to all universities in the country.

We are aware of the politics of a decision to discontinue this imperative support from the UGC, since it will affect scholars from underprivileged and marginalized communities the most. We also recognize it as foreshadowing the developments anticipated in the GATS-WTO pact that the Indian government proposes to sign in December this year, by which only students who can afford high fees will be eligible to receive for higher education. We strongly condemn such a move from the UGC, and stand in solidarity with all students who are protesting and resisting this attempt to further destroy the life of the university across the country. We are appalled at the physical violence, threats and intimidation unleashed on students by police and paramilitary forces whenever they gather to protest against the government’s policies and decisions, clearly in violation of their basic rights as citizens.

We offer our support to them in any way they may need.

  1. Aakriti Mandhwani, SOAS, London
  2. Aarti Wani, Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune
  3. Aastha Mishra, JNU, New Delhi
  4. Abdullah Abdul Hameed, Delhi University
  5. Abha Bhaiya, Jagori Rural, Dharamshala, HP
  6. Abhijit Gupta, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  7. Abhisek Das, Jhargram Raj College, WB
  8. Abu Saleh, University of Hyderabad
  9. Aditi Angiras, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
  10. Aditi Ghosh, Calcutta University
  11. Aditi Saxena, Delhi School of Economics
  12. Aditi Singhal, Delhi School of Economics
  13. Ahamed Musfar PM, Central University of Rajasthan
  14. Ajith Cherian, JNU
  15. Ameet Parameswaran, JNU
  16. Amishi Panwar, Graduate Institute, Geneva
  17. Amlan Baishya, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
  18. Amrita Anand, JNU
  19. Amrita Bhattacharyya Banerjee, Viswa Bharati, Santiniketan
  20. Anamitra Roychowdhury, Delhi University
  21. Ananya Chakraborty, Jadavpur University
  22. Ananya Saha, JNU, New Delhi
  23. Angelie Multani, IIT-D
  24. Anil Joshi, Kumaon University
  25. Anil Menon, Editor and novelist
  26. Anirban Kar, Delhi School of Economics
  27. Anita Ghai, Delhi University
  28. Anish Koshy, EFLU, Hyderabad
  29. Anju Christine, King’s College, London
  30. Anju Parvathy, Delhi University
  31. Anjumon Sahin, Delhi University
  32. Ankit Agarwal
  33. Ankita Pandey, Delhi University
  34. Anmol Ratan, JNU and AISA
  35. Anubha Mukherjee Sen, Delhi University
  36. Anuj Gupta, JNU
  37. Anup Sharma, Central University of Sikkim
  38. Anupama Roy, JNU
  39. Anushka Sen, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  40. Anwesha Kundu, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  41. Anwesha Maiti, University of Hyderabad
  42. Anwita Ghosh, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  43. Apoorva Hasija, Delhi University
  44. Arathi PM, Wissensehaftszentrum Berlin
  45. Aratrika Choudhury, Jadavpur University
  46. Archana Dang, Delhi School of Economics
  47. Arpita Chakraborty, Dublin City University, Ireland
  48. Arpita Ghosh, Sidho Kanho Birso University, WB
  49. Arpita Jaya, University of Hyderabad
  50. Arundhati Ghosh, India Foundation for the Arts
  51. Ashley NP, Delhi University
  52. Ashwati CK, JNU
  53. Ashwini Despande, Delhi School of Economics
  54. Asmita Kundu, JNU
  55. Aswathy Senan, Delhi University
  56. AUDFA, Ambedkar University Faculty Association
  57. Avinash K Jha, Delhi University
  58. Avishek Mookherjee, JNU
  59. Ayesha Kidwai, JNU, New Delhi
  60. Azam Sikandar, Pondicherry University
  61. Barnali Oinam, JNU
  62. Bhagya Somashekhar, JNU
  63. Bhuvi Gupta, JNU
  64. Bidyarani Sapam, Delhi University
  65. Bijoya Goswami, Jadavpur University
  66. Bianca Daw, University of Hyderabad
  67. Binayak Bhattacharya, Amity University
  68. Bindu Menon, Delhi University
  69. Brandt D’Mello, IGNOU
  70. Brinda Bose, JNU, New Delhi
  71. Chaman Lal, JNU (retd.)
  72. Chandan Kumar, JNU
  73. Chandralekha Singh, JNU
  74. Chandrima Das, Durgapur Women’s College, WB
  75. Chanpreet Kaur, Delhi University
  76. Chayanika Priyam, JNU
  77. Chayanika Shah, TISS, Mumbai
  78. Chinchu C, Periyar University, Salem
  79. Chirashree Das Gupta, JNU
  80. Citizens’ Collective Against Sexual Assault, Delhi-NCR
  81. Gabriele, Madurai
  82. Dasarathi Pradhan, University of Hyderabad
  83. Debapriya Ganguly, University of Hyderabad
  84. Debjani Dutta, University of Southern California
  85. Debolina Dey, Delhi University
  86. Debopriyo Sanyal, University of Calcutta
  87. Deeksha Suri, Delhi
  88. Deep Ghosh, Visva Bharati
  89. Deepa Kurup, Oxford University
  90. Deepak Alok, Rutgers University
  91. Deepak Kumar Upadhyay, Central University of Sikkim
  92. Deepan Basu, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig
  93. Deeptangshu Das, Delhi University
  94. Deeptesh Sen, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  95. Deepti Goel, Delhi School of Economics
  96. Devanshi, Delhi University
  97. Dharma Barui, Research Scholar
  98. Diksha Narang, JNU
  99. Dipti Lahiri, teacher (retd.), Kolkata
  100. Disha Maheshwari, Delhi University
  101. Dishari Chattoraj, JNU
  102. Divya Dureja, Delhi University
  103. Divya Gupta, Delhi School of Economics
  104. Epsita Halder, Jadavpur University
  105. Farah Ishtiyaque, JNU
  106. Farha Noor, JNU
  107. Firdous Mir, University of Kashmir, Leh
  108. Franson Manjali, JNU
  109. G Arunima, JNU, New Delhi
  110. Garima Yadav, Delhi University
  111. Geeti Das, New School for Social Research, New York
  112. Girija Suri, JNU
  113. Greeshma Mohan, JNU
  114. Gurmeet Kaur, IIT-Delhi
  115. Gurpreet Kaur, Ambedkar University
  116. Hara Mohan Nayak, Central University of Gujarat
  117. Harjinder Laltu Singh, Hyderabad
  118. Heena Goswami, JNU
  119. Hemanshu Kumar, Delhi School of Economics
  120. Himanshi Sharma, Delhi University
  121. Hirni Bhowmick, Jadavpur University
  122. Ilyas Hussain
  123. Imtiyaz Alam, AMU, Aligarh
  124. Indraneel Mukherjee, Delhi University
  125. Indrani Mukherjee, JNU
  126. Ipshita Pradhan, Hyderabad Central University
  127. Ira Bhaskar, JNU
  128. Isha Pungaliya, Pune University
  129. Jaami Rehman, Central University, Jammu
  130. Janaki Abraham, Delhi School of Economics
  131. Jatisankar Mondal, Sidho-Kano-Birsha University, WB
  132. Jayati Ghosh, JNU
  133. Judhajit Sarkar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  134. K Vishnuprasad, JNU
  135. Kalpana Prasad, Salesian College, Siliguri
  136. Kamna K Singh, JNU
  137. Kangkana Roy, Delhi University
  138. Kanthi Khrishnamurthy, CSCS, Bangalore
  139. Karthik Bittu, University of Hyderabad
  140. Kavita Panjabi, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  141. Kavitha N, Kerala University
  142. Kewal Arora, Delhi University
  143. Khalid Anis Ansari, Glocal University, Saharanpur, UP
  144. Kirti Budhiraja, University of Minnesota
  145. Koonal Duggal, EFLU, Hyderabad
  146. Kritika Chopra, AUD
  147. Kumam Davidson, JNU
  148. Kumar Sundaram, IndiaResists.com
  149. Kumkum Roy, JNU
  150. Kunal Chattopadhyay, Jadavpur University
  151. Kunwat Suryansh Khrub, Delhi University
  152. Lalit Rajkumar, JNU
  153. Lata Singh, JNU
  154. Lisa Lomdak, Rajiv Gandhi University
  155. Lubaib Mohammed Basheer, Pondicherry University
  156. Madhava Prasad, EFLU, Hyderabad
  157. Madhu Sahni, JNU
  158. Madhura Chakraborty, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  159. Madhurima Bakshi, University of Calcutta
  160. Mahaprajna Nayak, CSSSC, Kolkata
  161. Mallarika Sinha Roy, JNU
  162. Manisha Ganguly, Eye Art Collective
  163. Manisha Majumdar, JNU
  164. Manoj K Chahil
  165. Mary John, CSDS, New Delhi
  166. Meenu Maya Rajendran, University of Hyderabad
  167. Menka Ahlawat, JNU
  168. Meraj Alam, AMU, Aligarh
  169. Michelle Maxon, Delhi School of Economics
  170. Mitaja Chakraborty, University of Hyderabad
  171. Mitarik Barma, Jadavpur University
  172. Mitu Khurana, Delhi
  173. Mobin John Thomas
  174. Mohammad Azam Khan, AMU, Aligarh
  175. Mohammad Farhan, AMU, Aligarh
  176. Mohan Rao, JNU
  177. Mollica Dastider, JNU
  178. Molly Thomas, Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar
  179. Monami Basu, Delhi University
  180. Monika Banerjee, JNU
  181. MP Dhaneesh, JNU
  182. Mrinalini Jha, Delhi School of Economics
  183. Mukesh Jha, IIM, Raipur
  184. Najmunnisa Najma
  185. Nalini Taneja, Delhi University
  186. Nandini Chandra, Delhi University
  187. Nandini Dutta, Delhi University
  188. Nandini Manjrekar, Mumbai
  189. Nandini Rao, Delhi
  190. Nandini Saha, Jadavpur University
  191. Nandita Narrain, Delhi University
  192. Nargis Yasmin, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  193. Nasir Butt, Central University of Jammu
  194. Navaneetha Mokkil, JNU
  195. Naveen Gaur, Delhi University
  196. Neeladri Bhattacharya, JNU
  197. Neelu Tiwari, JNU
  198. Neeraj Malik, academic
  199. Neha Kamrani, JNU
  200. Niamkoi Lam, JNU
  201. Nijeesh N., JNU
  202. Nilim Dutta, Unified People’s Movement
  203. Nimisha, Olakh, Vadodara
  204. Nina Sud, Delhi University
  205. Nipun Kalia, Chandigarh University
  206. Niraja Gopal Jayal, JNU
  207. Nirmalya Biswas, Government General Degree College-Hindi Medium, Banarhat
  208. Nivedita Menon, JNU
  209. Nizara Hazarika, Sonapur College, Assam
  210. Ojaswi Bhalla, JNU
  211. Padmabati Achom, Delhi University
  212. Padmaja Shaw, Osmania University (retd)
  213. Palak Jain
  214. Pallavi Arya, Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra
  215. Pallavi Brara, JNU
  216. Papori Bora, JNU
  217. Parichay Patra, Monash University, Australia
  218. Paridhi Gupta, JNU
  219. Parjanya Sen, Sonada Degree College, Darjeeling, WB
  220. Parnal Chirmuley, JNU
  221. Partha Pratim Barua, IIT-D
  222. Payal Khullar, IIT-Delhi
  223. Piya Chakraborty, Shiv Nadar University
  224. Pompi Basumatary, EFLU, Hyderabad
  225. Pooja Banerjee, Jadavpur University
  226. Poonam Kakoti Borah, JNU
  227. Poushali Bhadury, University of Florida
  228. Prabhakar Palaka, Delhi University
  229. Pramantha N Tagore, Jadavpur University
  230. Pranay Krishna, University of Hyderabad
  231. Pranay Rupani, University of Hyderabad
  232. Pranay Sood, Delhi University
  233. Pratiksha Baxi, JNU
  234. Pratyush Prashant, JNU
  235. Praveen Jha, JNU
  236. Preeti Singh, JNU
  237. Pritha Chakrabarti, EFLU, Hyderabad
  238. Priyam Goswami Choudhury, Freie Universität, Berlin
  239. Priyanka Basu, SOAS, London
  240. Priyanka Jindal, Delhi University
  241. Projita Giri, Jadavpur University
  242. Pujita Guha, JNU
  243. Purnojit Haldar, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  244. Pushpendra Singh, FTII, Pune
  245. Rachit Anand, Delhi University
  246. Rafia Peer, JNU
  247. Rahul Roy, ISI, New Delhi
  248. Rahul Sen, Delhi University
  249. Rajamathangi S, JNU
  250. Rajanya Ganguly, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
  251. Rajeev Saxena, EFLU
  252. Rajeev Velicheti, University of Hyderabad
  253. Rajendra Parihar, Delhi University
  254. Rakesh Kumar Meena, Central University of Haryana
  255. Rakesh Sengupta, Jamia Millia Islamia
  256. Ram Pratap, Jamia Millia Islamia
  257. Ram Singh, Delhi School of Economics
  258. Rama Naga, JNU?JNUSU
  259. Ramila Bisht, JNU
  260. Ranjani Mazumdar, JNU
  261. Rashi Randev, JNU
  262. Rashmi Kumari, TISS, Mumbai
  263. Rashmi Sawhney, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
  264. Rashmi Singh, JNU
  265. Ratul Das Chaudhury, University of Calcutta
  266. Ravinder Goel, Delhi University
  267. Rawoof Zargar, Jammu
  268. Reena Ashem, IIT Delhi
  269. Renny Tomas, Delhi University
  270. Rezaul Karim, University of Health Sciences
  271. Rhejhony Borang, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh
  272. Ritesh Kumar, Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra
  273. Ritoo M Jerath, JNU
  274. Rituparna Mondal, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
  275. Rohan Kumar Soni, JNU
  276. Rohan Munshi, Delhi University
  277. Rohini Hensman, independent scholar
  278. Rohit Bhatia
  279. Rohit K Dasgupta, University of Southampton, UK
  280. Rohitashwa Sarkar, Jadavpur University
  281. Ronny Sen, Kolkata
  282. Ruchi Singh, Delhi University
  283. Ruchika Joshi, AUD
  284. Rukmini Sen, Hillele.Org
  285. Sabina Kidwai, Jamia Millia Islami
  286. Sachin Ketkar, MS University of Baroda
  287. Sadhna Arya, Delhi University
  288. Sadique PK Mampad, EFLU
  289. Saeed Ahmad, Delhi University
  290. Sagnik Sinha, Jadavpur University
  291. Saheli Biswas, JNU
  292. Saheli Roy Choudhury, Visva Bharati
  293. Sajni Mukherji, Jadavpur University, Kolkata (retd.)
  294. Sakkariya Ibrahim
  295. Sakshi Manu
  296. Sameer Chopra, Ashoka University
  297. Sameera Mehta, Delhi University
  298. Samiksha Goyal
  299. Samim Ahmed, Belur RKM VM, University of Calcutta
  300. Samrat Sengupta, Kharagpur College, WB, and CSSSC, Kolkata
  301. Sanam Khanna, Delhi University
  302. Sandeep Singh
  303. Sanghita Sen, University of St Andrews, Edinburgh
  304. Sangita Saha, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  305. Sangita Yadav, JNU
  306. Sangya Dubey, Jamia Millia Islamia
  307. Sania Hashmi, JNU
  308. Santosh Kumar
  309. Sarah Niyazi, JNU
  310. Sarulakshmi, JNU
  311. Saswati Ghosh, Calcutta University
  312. Satveer S Barhwal
  313. Saurav Ghosh, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  314. Sayamala Kallury
  315. Sayan Chaudhuri, JNU
  316. Seema Khanwalkar, Ahmedabad
  317. Sejal Dave, Anandi
  318. Semeen Ali, Delhi University
  319. Settu Dhanapal, JNU
  320. Shabir Magami
  321. Shabnam Rathee, University of Hyderabad
  322. Shaheen Ahmed, JNU
  323. Shaifta Ayoub, Jamia Millia Islamia
  324. Shalini Yadav, JNU
  325. Shambhavi Prakash, JNU
  326. Shamik Ghoshal, Jadavpur University
  327. Shampita Das, University of Calcutta
  328. Shankari, JNU
  329. Shanoo Narayan, National Law University, Assam
  330. Sharad Baviskar, JNU
  331. Shashi Prakash Narayan, AISA
  332. Shefali Jha, JNU
  333. Shehla Rashid, JNU and AISA/JUNSU
  334. Shenjuti Dutta, St Xaviers College, Kolkata
  335. Shewli Kumar, TISS
  336. Shilpa Panigrahi, JNU
  337. Shilpi Mukherjee, University of Kolkata
  338. Shireen Irani, EFLU
  339. Shivani Mutneja, Delhi University
  340. Shreyasree Dasgupta, University of Hyderabad
  341. Shruti Sareen, Delhi University
  342. Shubhra Dubey, JNU
  343. Shuchi Bharti, JNU
  344. Sinjan Goswami, Delhi University
  345. Sinjini Bhattacharya, University of Hyderabad
  346. Smriti Singh, JNU
  347. Sneha Banerjee, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
  348. Sneha Banerjee, JNU
  349. Sneha Chowdhury, JNU
  350. Snigdha Kumar, Delhi School of Economics
  351. Sohini Dutta, CSSSC, Kolkata
  352. Soma Marik, RKSM Vivekananda Vidyabhavan, Kolkata
  353. Sonal Dua, Delhi School of Economics
  354. Sonali Duttaroy, Delhi University
  355. Sonali Mehta, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  356. Soumya Datta, South Asian University
  357. Souradeep Roy, Delhi University
  358. Souradip Bhattacharya, National University of Singapore
  359. Sreejith Murali, TISS, Mumbai
  360. Srila Roy, WITS, South Africa
  361. Srinjoyee Dutta, JNU
  362. Srinwanti Das, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  363. Subhadeep Chowdhury, AUD
  364. Subhajit Chatterjee, Jadavpur University
  365. Subham Dutta, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
  366. Subramaniam Sinha
  367. Sucheta De, AISA
  368. Suchetana Chatopadhyay, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  369. Suchetana Mukherjee, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  370. Sudev Pratim Basu, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
  371. Sudipta Mondal, Visva Bharati
  372. Sudipto Chatterjee, CSSSC, Kolkata
  373. Sugata Bag, Delhi School of Economics
  374. Sujaan Mukherjee, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  375. Sujata Chandra, Jamia Millia Islamia
  376. Sujoy Sarkar, JNU
  377. Sukhmandar Singh
  378. Sumallya Mukhopadhyay, Kolkata
  379. Suman Meena, JNU
  380. Sumanta Gangopadhyay, Visva Bharati
  381. Sunitaa Saikya, JNU
  382. Surabhi Gupta, JNU
  383. Surbhi Badhwar, Delhi University
  384. Surinder Kumar, Delhi School of Economics
  385. Suroopa Mukherjee, Delhi University
  386. Susan Paul Viswanathan, JNU
  387. Sushma Rai, JNU
  388. Susie Tharu, EFLU, Hyderabad
  389. Sutanaya, Institute of Development Studies, Kolkata
  390. Swastee Ranjan, JNU
  391. Swastika Hore, Jadavpur University
  392. Swati Moitra, JNU
  393. Syed Hasan Mahmood,
  394. Syed Ilyas Hussain,
  395. Syed Mujeeb Ahmad, Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga
  396. Tamoghna Halder, University of California, Davis
  397. Tanwi Shreepatra, JNU
  398. Tarannum Khan, RIE Bhopal
  399. Tariq Iqbal, AMU, Aligarh
  400. Tathagata Sengupta, University of Hyderabad
  401. Tawhid Nabi, Karnataka University, Dharwad
  402. Thomas Roeper, (Visiting), JNU
  403. Tina Servaia, University of Calcutta
  404. Tomba Asem, JNU
  405. Trina Mukhopadhyay, Jadavpur University
  406. Trina Nileena Banerjee, CSSSC, Kolkata
  407. Udaya Kumar, JNU, New Delhi
  408. UHTA, University of Hyderabad Teachers Association
  409. Uma Bhrugubanda, EFLU, Hyderabad
  410. Uma Chakravarti
  411. Urmimala Sarkar, JNU
  412. Ushmayo Dutta, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
  413. Vebhuti Duggal, Delhi University
  414. Vidya Das Arora, Delhi University
  415. Vinay Sarawagi, New Delhi
  416. Vinay Subba, University of North Bengal
  417. Vinita Tiwari, Jadavpur University
  418. Women Against State Repression and Sexual Violence (WSS)
  419. Yamini CR, CDS Trivandrum
  420. Yamini Krishna, EFLU
  421. Yasser Arafat Turk, Aligarh Muslim Univerity, Aligarh
  422. Yozna Gurung, EFLU
  423. Zain Sulaiman, AMU, Aligarh
  424. Zakir Hussain, AMU, Aligarh

2 thoughts on “Statement From Teachers And Researchers In Support Of ‘Occupy UGC’ in Delhi”

  1. Research is the backbone of any education system in a country and adequate financial support to scholars indicates healthy atmosphere. Unfotunatrly, the government has resources aplenty in sprnfing on unimportant issues but it prunes its resources when requires for scholarships to students. This should be derided in no uncertain terms.

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