Govt’s decision is an attack on inclusivity, democracy: JNUTA

Students during an open lecture at JNU, in Delhi. File pic/AFP

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) has expressed dismay over discontinuation of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for minority students, and called it an attack on the values of "inclusivity and democracy" integral to the higher education system required in India.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani last week said, "Since the MANF (Maulana Azad National Fellowship) scheme overlaps with various other fellowship schemes for higher education being implemented by the government and minority students are already covered under such schemes, the government has decided to discontinue the MANF scheme from 2022-23."

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In a statement, the JNUTA demanded an immediate reversal of the "anti-minority policy" evident in the withdrawal of the fellowship. The five-year fellowship in the form of financial assistance is provided to six notified minority communities - Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Parsis and Sikhs to pursue PhDs, the JNUTA said.

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