An appeal by Association of Basic Medical Scientists (ABMS) PGIMER, Chandigarh.

There are thousands of research scholars who are working day and night in various labs across the country for the welfare of the society. They mainly work for improving disease diagnostics approaches, and understanding the etiology behind the disease progression. Also other than medical research, scholars of other science stream work constantly irrespective of government working hours for the research and development of Agricultural, physical, chemical and environmental sciences and technology. Their contribution to developing India is essential and without them, the development will stall in no time.

The Junior Research Fellows are currently receiving a monthly stipend of 25,000 plus HRA which was last increased from 16,000 on 1st October 2014. Not only the stipend has not been increased since 2014, scholars even wait for a whole year to receive their fellowship amount due to complex paperwork in the funding agency as well as the research institutes where the candidate has enrolled for Ph.D. In spite of these difficulties, scholars still thrive to complete their research work, publish papers and patents followed by completion of their Ph.D. thesis.

Since 2014, there has been no increment in the fellowship amount but other government employees are getting regular yearly increment in accordance with the 7th pay commission. This disparity has led the research scholars of India to write this petition, where we appeal the government of India to look into this matter and increase the fellowship amount at the earliest for a dignified life of the struggling researchers of India.     

Association of Basic Medical Scientists (ABMS) of PGIMER Chandigarh requests you, on behalf of all those who believe in the power of science, so please act promptly on the documents and sign this petition that we would submit to the Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Government of India, with our demands which are as follows:-

1.      Increase in fellowship considering inflation and qualification in comparison to Research assistant or lecturer or scientist B.

2.      Annual increment including inflation and 1/10th of pay commission.

3.      A factor for increment from JRF-SRF and a factor for SRF-Research Associate fellowship hike.

4.      The hike should be in effect from 1 April 2018.

5.      Monthly disbursal of fellowships across the institutes and funding agencies.

This will also attract more students to pursue scientific research and at the same time also stem the outflow of huge scientific talent which India losses to better paying destinations abroad.

Hoping for the best.

Scientifically yours,

ABMS, PGIMER Chandigarh.