Guidelines for UGC Non-NET Fellowships
Approved by Academic Council ACR No. 42 dated 4.11.2020 &
Approved by Executive Council vide ECR No. 240 dated 17.11.2020
1. Short Title, Application and Dissemination
i) The Banaras Hindu University hereby notifies the following
guidelines which shall be called “Guidelines for UGC Non-NET
Fellowships”. They shall come into force immediately after their
formal notification on University website. These guidelines
supersede all notifications/ orders/ circulars issued earlier on
Non-NET Fellowship scheme by the University.
ii) The Scheme of the Non-NET fellowship is applicable for M.Phil.
and Ph.D. students who are not in receipt of any financial
assistance from any source and are registered in various
Departments/School/centers of the University. The award and
extension of fellowship will always be subject to actual release of
funds and directives from the UGC and/or MHRD issued from time
to time.
iii) All the Departments/School/Centers shall hold special counseling
session within one month after completion of admission to Ph.D.
in each semester for their students and explain various provisions
and stipulations enshrined in these guidelines and amendments
introduced therein from time to time.
2. Eligibility and Duration of Award
i) The award of Non-NET fellowship to the students of the University
shall be governed by relevant provisions of UGC (Minimum
Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./ Ph.D. Degrees)
Regulations, 2016 and amendments therein from time to time.
ii) All the Ph.D. scholars who have been admitted through Research
Entrance Test of the University or under RET exempted category,
and are not getting any fellowship are eligible to the fellowship.
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iii) M.Phil. students not availing any financial assistance from any
other source shall be considered for the award of Non-NET
fellowship of Rs.5000/- per month with contingency of
Rs.10,000/- per annum for Science subjects and Rs.8000/- per
annum for Humanities and Social Science subjects.
iv) Ph.D. students not availing any financial assistance from any other
source shall be considered for the award of Non-NET fellowship of
Rs.8000/- per month with contingency of Rs.10,000/- per annum
for Science subjects and Rs.8000/- per annum for Humanities and
Social Science subjects.
v) The maximum span period for award of fellowship shall be 04
years for Ph.D. and 18 months for M.Phil. or submission of
dissertation, whichever is earlier.
vi) No fellowship shall be given for extended period and to part time
scholars.
vii) For students enrolled in integrated M.Phil.-Ph.D. programs of
University, M.Phil. fellowship shall stop after successful
completion of 18 months and shall be resumed after registration in
the Ph.D. program as per relevant ordinances of University. Such
students shall get arrears due to them for the interim period which
shall be counted towards to the total period of Non-NET fellowship.
In any case the total duration of M.Phil. + Ph.D. should not exceed
4 years.
viii) Students, who have been registered under M.Phil./Ph.D./
integrated programmes and availing fellowships under projects and
are not availing any fellowship after the project is over or in case of
mid-term discontinuation, shall be considered for Non-NET
fellowship for a maximum period of 2 years. However, in such
cases, the maximum period of fellowship shall not exceed the
period prescribed by UGC (i.e., 4 years) and duration of fellowship
from the project shall be counted towards the total duration of
Non-Net fellowship from the date of joining the research project.
Such application should be received in the Development Section
within three (03) months from the date of expiry of project
fellowship after due recommendation by Departmental Research
Committee (DRC) specific to the student constituted as per the
relevant ordinances of the University. Application received after
this date shall not be entertained.
ix) If a student drawing Non-NET fellowship from the university leaves
his course of study mid-way without undertaking proper
formalities with regard to cancellation of admission laid down by
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the University, the total fellowship drawn by him until that point of
time shall be recovered from him by the University.
3. Selection
i) The Fellowship will be provided to those students who are
registered for M.Phil./Ph.D. /M.Phil. + Ph.D. degree, irrespective of
mode of selection, i.e., through RET conducted by the University or
RET exempted (NET-LS/SLET candidates).
ii) After finalization of the Ph.D. registration in each session, the Head
of the Department will invite the application from the Research
Scholars and forward all such applications to the Dy. Registrar
(Dev.) with specific recommendation of the Supervisor and him/her
self for award of fellowship along with the minutes of the DRC. All
the applications should reach the Dy. Registrar (Dev.) within one
month from the date of closure of Ph.D. admissions.
iii) The Development Section will scrutinize the applications and after
obtaining approval from competent authority, sanction of
Fellowship will be conveyed to the concerned Head of the Deptt./
Coordinator of Center/School.
4. Tenure of Fellowship
i) The fellowship is tenable for maximum period of 4 (3 + 1) years.
ii) The awardee can avail the fellowship up to maximum tenure of
fellowship subject to his/her having valid Ph.D. enrolment or till
the submission of thesis whichever is earlier.
5. Extension of Fellowship
i) With completion of each year the scholar will submit his/her
progress report in the prescribed format to the Head of the
Department/ Coordinator of Center/ School through his
Supervisor for renewal of his fellowship. However, the scholar has
to submit the duly filled format at least one month before
completion of each year.
ii) The Head of the Department/Coordinator of Centre/School will
place the same in DRC and send the consolidated list along with
the progress report to the Dy. Registrar (Development).
iii) After completion of three years tenure, fellowship will be extended
only on the recommendation of the DRC along with a paper,
published in a peer reviewed Journal / UGC CARE listed journal.
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For this, the scholar has to apply on the prescribed format at least
one month before the completion of 3 rd year to the Head of the
Department, who in turn will conduct the meeting and send the
consolidated list to the Dy. Registrar (Dev.).
iv) The scholar should be the first author or corresponding author of
the article published. However, for the same paper two scholars
shall not be considered for fellowship extension.
6. Leave & Attendance
i) All research scholars are expected to attend department regularly
and will be marked for attendance as per University rules.
ii) Research scholars are entitled for leave for a maximum period of
30 days per year in addition to general holidays observed as per
the University rules but shall not be entitled to any vacations, e.g.,
Summer, winter and mid-semester breaks.
iii) Women awardees would be eligible to maternity leave at full
Fellowship for a period as per the Govt. of India rules.
iv) The scholar, may in special case, be allowed temporary withdrawal
without fellowship as per Ph.D. ordinances of the University.
However, it may be noted that the period of Leave without
Fellowship will count towards the tenure of Fellowship..
v) Scholars shall proceed on leave for specific purposes only after
explicit permission of their research supervisor and Head of the
Department/Dean, as applicable. Any unauthorized leave shall be
treated as constituting grounds for disciplinary action.
7. Other conditions
i) The scholar shall not accept or hold any appointment, paid or
otherwise, or receive any emoluments, salary, stipend, etc. from
any other source during the tenure of the award.
ii) With the consent of the Supervisor/Head of the Deptt., the scholar
should assist the University in its academic work including
tutorials, evaluation of the test papers, laboratory demonstration
work, supervision of field work, library activities such as
computerization, seminar, symposia, etc. provided that such work
undertaken by him/her is not likely to hamper his/her research
programmes. The total amount of time spent per week should not
exceed 10 hours.
iii) The scholar cannot take admission in any full time course, either
in this University or anywhere else.
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iv) The research scholar shall submit half yearly progress reports
through supervisor to the DRC.
v) If a scholar intends to relinquish the Fellowship during the tenure,
his/her application for relinquishing of the Scholarship shall be
recommended by the supervisor and the DRC and the same shall
be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar (Development).
8. Cancellation of Fellowship :
i) The fellowship award is liable for cancellation in following cases :-
a) Misconduct.
b) Unsatisfactory progress report and recommendation of
cancellation by the Department.
c) Scholar furnishes misleading information or hides any
information to claim eligibility for fellowship and later found
ineligible.
d) Scholar taking unauthorized leave other than what is
admissible.
ii) Before arriving at a decision in such matters, the DRC shall afford
an opportunity to the student concerned to clarify his/her position
and bring facts to its notice.
9. Process of claiming Fellowship/Contingency
i) After receipt of the sanction from the Dy. Registrar (Dev.), while
submitting the first fellowship bill to the Special Fund
(Scholarship) Section the student should attach the following
documents with the fellowship bill :
a) PFMS Registration form
b) Photo copy of bank pass book (The account should be in the
name of the Scholar only)
c) Photo copy of sanction letter
d) Photo copy of Identity proof (AADHAR)
ii) After registering on the PFMS portal, the Special Fund
(scholarship) section should provide the list of PFMS IDs to the
concerned Head of the Department. The scholar should quote this
PFMS ID on the fellowship / contingency bill.
iii) Fellowship bill should be submitted to the Head of the Department
by 7th of the following month. In turn the Head of the Department
should send all the fellowship bills, after due verification and
signature, to the Special Fund (Scholarship) Section by 15 th every
month.
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iv) However, for the month of March, the bill should reach the Special
Fund Section by 15th March.
v) For part periods, contingency will be paid on pro-rata basis.
vi) Scholars should claim the contingency within the financial year.
Contingency bills should be submitted by 28 th February.
vii) No fellowship / contingency bill shall be received in the next
financial year as the funds are lapsable on 31 st March.
viii) If no bill is received for 3 consecutive months, then it will be
deemed that the scholar left the fellowship.
-:oOo:-
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