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For Rahul (name changed), a student from the Scheduled Tribes category, who got an unconditional offer for a PhD in the United Kingdom (UK) to conduct research in the field of social sciences, the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) was his only hope to be able to afford the education.
This exclusionary notification has drawn criticism from the Opposition as well as from the academic community, who say that it is aimed at curtailing voices and ideas of those from marginalised communities in academia.
The new guidelines released by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 19 February further added that the final decision as to which topic will be covered under such categories will rest with a selection-cum-screening committee of the NOS.
The scholarship, which was open to aspirants of all subjects prior to this order, was designed to facilitate higher education for low-income students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, de-notified nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisans categories.
Many like Rahul are not able to afford the full fee at the institutions abroad. Rahul, who has received an offer from a university, would have to pay approximately Rs 1.2 crore for four years in the UK. His plan rested on the possibility of availing the NOS, which would cover his tuition fee and give him a monthly stipend.
After the notification left him helpless, Rahul reached out to a senior, an NOS scholar who is now conducting research on a topic that pertains to the culture of his caste. Rahul wanted to conduct research on a topic relating to caste discrimination. On condition of anonymity, he told The Quint,
Students can apply for the scholarship till 31 March.
“Such scholarships carve out new routes for marginalised sections and open up new possibilities,” he added.
And there is data to back his claim.
N Sukumar, a professor in the Department of Political Science, DU, said that his research has revealed that a majority of Dalit students pursue humanities subjects. He said that in the last few years, many NOS scholars have researched on topics related to caste, specifically on caste discrimination. The move makes it clear that research on caste and inequality will not be encouraged, he added.
Professors said that this move is also linked to the ongoing discussion of caste outside India, which was brewed by the California State University (CSU) decision to add caste as a protected category.
When the CSU, a top university system in the United States with 23 campuses and eight off-campus centres, took the decision, it was hailed as a ‘watershed moment’ by the Dalit community.
Previously, there was not much authorities could do if an instance of caste-discrimination was reported as it did not come under the university’s non-discrimination policy. “Recently, after the California State University highlighted the issue of caste discrimination, people all over the world are discussing it – and India wants it to be hidden,” Jitendra Meena said.
Ravikant Kisana, an academician who has researched in the field of caste, said that the move needs to be viewed from a historical lens. "This is a much larger pattern and the core issue is that higher education is among the few spaces where there is no scrutiny with regards to caste discrimination,” he said.
Because of the lack of opportunities and access, very few from marginalised backgrounds are hired as professors in renowned universities within India, he added.
The lack of diversity is among the reasons for caste-based discrimination in universities.
This cycle can only be broken if students are given the opportunity of studying abroad, and then hired as professors in Indian universities. In the last few years, this was starting to change, he said. Even then, only 100 students got the NOS scholarships each year.
With more scholars conducting research in the field, the Ambedkarite discourse has come to the fore in the last few years.
But if students do not get opportunities like the NOS, they will not have a voice, and thereby not be hired in higher education institutes, he added.
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