Fri May 23 22:10:00 UTC 2025: **Headline: Indian Science Scholars Face Severe Scholarship Delays, Sparking Concerns for Future of Research**

**NEW DELHI (May 24, 2025) –** Hundreds of research scholars across India are facing severe delays in receiving their research stipends from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), with some waiting as long as 13 months for promised funds. The crisis has triggered widespread frustration and raised concerns about the future of scientific research in the country.

Scholars from various Central and State universities are taking to social media platforms like X and LinkedIn to voice their distress over the financial hardship and lack of responsiveness from the DST. Many express regret at choosing research careers in India, citing the mental agony of being penniless and the demeaning experience of pleading for their rightfully owed stipends.

“Timely disbursal is a dream,” said Sanket Jagale, an INSPIRE-Fellowship scholar. “Is this how we treat our country’s researchers? Is this the encouragement we give to our brightest minds?”

The delays, which were previously a manageable three to four months, have worsened significantly since 2022 due to changes in fund disbursement procedures mandated by the Finance Ministry. These changes involved the opening of ‘zero-balance accounts’ first with the Bank of Maharashtra and then with the Union Bank of India under the ‘Hybrid-TSA’ initiative. This effectively duplicated accounting processes and placed scholarship disbursements under the same scrutiny as funds for equipment and research, leading to extended processing times.

The INSPIRE fellowships, designed to incentivize talented students to pursue careers in basic sciences, are now jeopardized by these systemic issues. Scholars fear that the delays will deter future generations from choosing research over more lucrative professions.

While DST Secretary Abhay Karandikar acknowledged the problem, he offered no explanation for the procedural changes and promised that all scholars would receive their money on time starting in June 2025. “All problems have been addressed. I don’t foresee any issue in future,” he stated.

However, with the DST failing to provide a detailed explanation of the situation, many scholars remain skeptical, fearing the long-term impact of these delays on India’s scientific community.

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