Srinagar: The Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) of Government of India has dropped Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora from the list of institutions provided grants under the TEQIP-III programme.
The move has made research scholars of the university apprehensive of losing their research assistance under TEQIP-III as the university is unlikely to receive any grants from the Government of India under TEQIP-III.
“We are surprised to know that IUST has been dropped from the list of institutes that will be receiving research assistantship from TEQIP III. The University was receiving the research assistantship for the last two and a half years under the program,” an aggrieved scholar said.
The Government of India has extended the TEQIP-III project by six months till September ending.
“We contacted IUST about the issue and we were told that the university has submitted the necessary details required for release of research assistantship before the deadline issued by the State Plan implementation unit (SPIU),” the scholar said.
However, the university claims were contradicted by the National Plan Implementation Unit (NPIU) who, according to the university scholars, has denied having received the details from the university.
“The NPIU has out rightly stated that the IUST has missed the deadline. There is miscommunication between SPIU, NPIU and IUST,” the scholar said.
The move has left the research scholars in a state of distress as denial of fellowship to the IUST would prove dearly for them as well.
“Our research has come to a halt. Why should the scholars suffer when there is no mistake from our end? We feel that it will be impossible to continue our research without the fellowship,” the scholars said.
They said most of the research scholars are either engaged or married and research assistantship was their only source of sustenance.
“If the research assistance is stopped for us, we may end up leaving our PhD degrees midway despite giving our precious years to it,” they said.
They said the research assistantship for other institutes under TEQIP-III was already sanctioned including the institutions from the J&K which include NIT Srinagar and SMVDU Katra, Jammu.
Registrar IUST, Prof NisarIqbal said the TEQIP-III project ended on March 31 this year and was given extension for six months.
“The last date for submission of data was May 28 which was submitted by the coordinator on time. But the TEQIP management claims that they did not receive it on time,” Registrar IUST said.
He said the university was following it seriously to get the grants under the project so that the research scholars will also get their fellowships under the programme.
“We are hopeful that the issue will get resolved,” he said.