Suman Kumar

#STIP2020withYoungScholars : Respected Sir/Madam
There are mainly five-steps or level in carrying out the research :
1. Research scholar
2. Guide/mentor
3. Facilities for carrying out research
4. University/institute rule mainly for Finance section
5. Funding agency and their guideline: no call receive
There is no any bridge to exchange dialogues between all five.

Research scholar:
He is bound to do research work, clear the csir/ ugc net, gate etc for fellowship. He/she is not supposed to run after the fellowship. You can understand how much it is disturbing to come from the remote area to Delhi to track his/her fellowship. Also, research scholar do not joins research for making Utilisation certificate, etc, these things are supposedly to be done by the finance section of the university. I do not find this kind of thing in IIT, here fellowship and contingent are timely transferred into student account, even the fund from the funding agency has released or not.

Guide:
The guide is supposed to discuss the student about his interest, his work and try to facilitate them with different project. Many guides exploit their PhD student and delay their PhD degree for different reason. They treat scholars as school going student. We all must understand that doing research and doing PhD are different things. Research is endless while PhD has a definite timeline. What is the use of that research which ultimately does not turns into PhD degree, and not make eligible to apply for the different vacancy?

Facilities for carrying out research:
basic instrument facilities are not available, technical staff makes delays and they think they are VC themselves. PhD students are not allowed to touch the instrument. Professors are given in charge of instruments. Most of the time I found the lack of provision of purchasing the AMC of the instrument. Also, many times professor do not allow or do not repair the instrument so that the others research scholar could suffer. Their rivalry makes ultimately makes suffering to PhD scholars only.

University/institute rule mainly for Finance section:
These finances departments are main villain to make student suffer. They are not even afraid of VC. They ask student to do all the paperwork regarding their fellowships. Research scholars have to run table to table, from their lab to finance, from finance to csir, ugc , UGC to fellowship releasing bank, then inform all thing back to finance section of the university. And what they reply back is that we did not get any notice regarding this so we cannot do what you have informed. They keep on working with older guidelines.
Currently DU has passed a guideline to purchase thing through online portal of gems for claiming contingent. There are many things which are not covered in the portal. For example if you have to carry a field work, you will not purchase the ticket, field shoes, and many other things. When funding agency has not any problem then why the university has problem in releasing the contingent.
30-40% of the university scholar time gets wasted doe to the finance department. Not only research scholar, professors also suffer from the finance department.
The course work should be homogenous in all institution, and there must be a choice for the student to what they choose as per their research interest.
Old rules must be scraped out. Such as five copies of thesis, 4 in hardbound 2 in softbound..etc. everyone likes to read in soft copies. Most importantly, phd thesis must be immediately sent to the external reviewer, and PhD viva must be done within 6-7 months.

Funding agency and their guideline:
Not always but sometimes, these departments are also the reason. Their guideline does not match with the institution rule ( NIO takes csir funding, not ugc funding) or are not clearly explained to working staff such as assistant registrar, finance officers. Leave other details, they do not have working phone number, and if they have one, they do not receive. Think of a person from the Tamil Nadu, Manipur has to come to Delhi to ask something which can be done over the phone call.

Solution:
1. There should be online portal (Google form/ for lodging complain), where there should be the option to mention university name department name, hod name, guide and dean of science and vc name, finance officer, registrar, name and any other name related to the complaint.
There should be provision to send it secretly (from the institute/university) providing all relevant documentation such as application submitted, action taken or not taken, how much time has elapsed. Etc.
2. Regarding fellowship hike, I will not ask for this. Instead, I would like to insist on the contingent should be a handsome amount in which they can perform some necessary lab tests, fieldwork etc. There should not be foundation on how they should use. Previously research scholar of Geology (@University of Delhi) for fieldwork we are allowed to spend about Rs 800 for the stay, but for food you have to manage in Rs. 200, how in an adverse field condition, food could be done in Rs 200. Currently, a new joint registrar joined university, and he has stopped this allowance also as if he has to pay from his pocket. What the researchers will do from the small and restricted policy for contingent?.
3. Communication gap, Phone should be working in your offices.

For the post doc research fellows
it is very less opportunity for PDF. Previously in NPDF we had two chance in a year to apply and had more seats. The time period from 3 years has been reduced to 2 years. Currently we get single chance to apply for npdf. Other PDF schemes are also reducing day by day.
Any research carrying out in 2 years and single handedly is vey rare to complete, specially when research variable are high. I request you to kindly make the time increased to 3 years and continue strictly 2 chances in year. In addition to this the research fellowship for NPDF should be tax free and there should be facility fo Health insurance and other necessary things.

Thank You