Hello public.

We are research scholars from different universities in Karnataka. We belong to the state OBC category list. More than 90% of us are from poor family backgrounds and most of us are children of farmers. We are aspiring for the Ph. D. degree without any central government-funded fellowships. 

The Government of Karnataka in 2015-16 started a program to support the Ph. D. students who are doing full-time research in various universities across Karnataka as part of the birth centenary of D. Devaraj Arasu, to assist in higher education/research by giving an incentive of Rs. 5000/- per month for a tenure of three years. In 2018-19 the fellowship amount was hiked to Rs. 10000/- by considering the cost of living and fee changes in the universities.

About, 750 aspirants are enrolled for the fellowship program from 2017-19 and  the Government is ignoring OBC students by not paying the fellowship for 18 months since December 2019. Every other department's fellowships are sanctioned from time to time even if there is any delay it's not more than 6 months.

There is no notification for freshers who joined the Ph. D. for the 2020-2021 academic year. They are still waiting for support from the Government. Some of them discontinued their research even before starting.

The present-day cost of living and the expenditure needed for scientific research is not less than what it was in 2018 and Some students are leaving their research activities due to financial problems. The Government needs to understand these kinds of issues immediately. 

We seek public support to take action regarding the issue by the Government of Karnataka. The government needs to stop discriminating against OBC students.