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India has a ₹1 lakh crore research fund, but young scientists face challenges
Sentiment: NegativeHigh Priority
What Happened?
Despite a ₹1 lakh crore research fund, young scientists in India struggle with delayed fellowships and inadequate funding. Issues in the research ecosystem hinder their progress.
Key points
- Young scientists face delays in receiving fellowships and funding.
- The non-NET fellowship for PhD scholars remains at ₹8,000 per month since 2009.
- The Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) has seen increases but remains inadequate for living costs.
- The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) aptitude test was discontinued in 2022.
- Only 5,108 out of 735,614 candidates qualified for the JRF and Assistant Professor category in December 2025.
- The Prime Minister's Research Fellowship (PMRF) spent only ₹200 crore of its ₹600 crore budget in 2025-26.
Key insights
- Delayed funding could discourage young talent from pursuing research careers.
- The funding discrepancies may lead to a decline in India's scientific output.
- Inadequate fellowships may push researchers to seek opportunities abroad.
Why it matters
The struggles of young scientists highlight systemic issues in India's research funding and support mechanisms.
Source
India Today
