Ajit Pawar’s assembly remark on PhDs triggers academic backlash

Manisha Patil, PhD guide and professor at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, told Hindustan Times, “The statement by the deputy chief minister is very shameful

Coming amid growing unrest among PhD scholars over fellowships received through government institutions such as BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, TRTI and AMRUT, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s statement in the assembly that “Five to six members from the same family are pursuing PhDs only because they receive a ₹42,000 monthly fellowship”, has drawn sharp criticism from academics, research guides and PhD scholars across the state. Educationists have termed the remark as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘ignorant’, arguing that it diverts attention from the real crisis of chronic delays in fellowship payments, lack of clear policy, and absence of effective monitoring mechanisms.

As a PhD guide, based on my experience, I have never seen any family where five to six people are PhD holders. (FILE)

Manisha Patil, PhD guide and professor at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, told Hindustan Times, “The statement by the deputy chief minister is very shameful. As a PhD guide, based on my experience, I have never seen any family where five to six people are PhD holders. The main issue is that students who are supposed to receive their PhD fellowship every month do not get it on time from the government. Because of this, candidates cannot work smoothly or with a peaceful mind. This is the real problem. Half of their time is wasted in protests just to get their fellowship money. This is the current situation.”

“SARTHI, BARTI and MAHAJYOTI are institutions that should function smoothly. If a candidate is pursuing a PhD in science subjects like chemistry, the expenditure is very high. Instead of talking about a ₹42,000 fellowship, which is very less if someone is doing a PhD seriously, the government should increase the fellowship amount,” Patil said.

Patil rejected the notion that arts and humanities research is less deserving of support. Regarding BARTI where scheduled caste (SC) students receive fellowships to pursue PhDs, reaching the PhD level itself is a major achievement for SC candidates, she said, adding that they should be financially supported by the government.

Rahul Sasane, a PhD research scholar, said, “For the past four to five years, there has been continuous confusion and injustice regarding PhD fellowships provided through institutions such as BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, TRTI and AMRUT, as there is no regularity in their advertisements. Fellowships should be granted from the date of registration and the so-called uniform policy must be scrapped. The deputy CM made highly irresponsible remarks which reflect ignorance and are unacceptable. If members of the same family can participate in politics, there should be no objection to them pursuing higher education. Diverting funds meant for students and depriving them of their educational rights is condemnable. Higher education and fellowships are constitutional rights of deserving research scholars, and comparing BARTI with other institutions or imposing a uniform policy is against the Constitution.”

Another senior professor from the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), said, “There is no relation between fellowship and how many people in one family are pursuing a PhD. Receiving a fellowship depends entirely on the candidate’s quality and calibre. The only criterion should be whether the candidate is capable of qualifying at that level.”

At the same time, the senior professor acknowledged systemic problems in research quality and called for strict monitoring. “It is also true that some students do not do their work properly. They receive fellowships, but their research lacks quality. Therefore, proper monitoring is essential. If a candidate is not conducting quality or genuine research, they should be mandated to refund the fellowship amount. This would help stop malpractices,” he said. “If we consider 100 PhD students, nearly 80 produce poor or bogus research. The situation is very serious. Additionally, teachers have extremely high workloads. They are doing everything except teaching and research. This is the current situation, and it is directly impacting research quality,” he added.

Between 2021 and 2025, BARTI spent ₹326 crore on 2,185 PhD scholars; SARTHI ₹327 crore on 2,581 students; and MAHAJYOTI ₹236 crore on 2,779 scholars; as per figures shared in the assembly. However, arrears of nearly ₹400 crore across these institutions are still pending with MAHAJYOTI alone having unpaid dues of ₹126 crore and SARTHI having unpaid dues of ₹195 crore. The state government has acknowledged complaints that in some cases, more than one student from the same family has received fellowship benefits. According to Pawar, more than half of the funds of the aforementioned institutions are currently being spent on fellowships, raising concerns about the availability of resources for other welfare schemes.

Meanwhile, a meeting chaired by the chief secretary has been convened. The higher and technical education department has been directed to frame strict eligibility norms in line with UGC guidelines, including scrutiny of students’ annual progress reports before releasing further grants. The government has also indicated that a policy decision will be taken to cap the number of beneficiaries under each scheme, and to clearly define how many students should receive support at different academic stages.