The director of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata told research scholars on Tuesday that the institute was in touch with the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation to ensure that they get fellowship at the updated rates.
The director met the scholars four days after they held a protest on the campus against the institute’s alleged failure to implement the updated fellowship rates.
Director Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, who was not present on the campus during the protest last Thursday, met representatives of the research scholars at her office on Tuesday.
She told the scholars that the institute had in January sent an application to the ministry of statistics and programme implementation about the updated fellowship rates, said a scholar. The institute functions under the ministry.
Calls and text messages from this newspaper to the director failed to elicit any response.
Some of the scholars who attended the meeting said the director could not commit when the fellowship at the revised rates would be given.
One of the scholars said an order from the Centre’s department of science and technology spelt out the hike in the fellowship rates, that came into effect in January 2023.
The Telegraph reported on March 22 that the revised pay for the junior research fellow, senior research fellow, research associate-I, research associate-II and research associate-III had been raised to Rs 37,000 (from Rs 31,000), Rs 42,000 (from Rs 35,000), Rs 58,000 (from Rs 47,000), Rs 61,000 (from Rs 49,000) and Rs 67,000 (from Rs 54,000), respectively.
“We sought to know from the director why it is taking so long for the ISI to pay at the revised rates when other institutes, such as IISc Bangalore and the NITs, have implemented the hike. The institute owes a junior research scholar, senior research scholar, research associate-I, research associate-II and research associate-III Rs 1,14,000, Rs 1,33,350, Rs 2,09,550, Rs 2,28,600 and Rs 2,47,650, respectively, in dues,” the scholar said.
“Hearing this, the director told us that she is pursuing the matter with the ministry concerned.”
Another scholar said they had been told earlier, too, that the institute was pursuing the matter with the ministry concerned.
“When the director called us for a meeting we expected that the institute would tell us beyond what has already been said. But the director did not say anything new. How long can we be denied of what is due to us?” said the scholar.
Sources on the campus said the application, which was sent to the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, had been sent to the finance ministry for approval.
Until the finance ministry gives its approval, the institute cannot give any specific dates from when the hiked fellowship would be approved, said as source.
