Over 60 SC scholars lose NFSC fellowship after NSFDC publishes revised list
A section of Scheduled Caste students, who were awarded the National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes (NFSC) in March, have approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) for reinstatement of this fellowship after a revised list was released with their names removed. Their complaint is currently under process with the commission.
Students say their financial and mental well-being has been affected due to the last-minute cancellation of the award. Some 60 students from the UGC-NET June 2024 batch have been affected after the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) published a revised list citing 'discrepancies in the (earlier) list and candidates' representations'.
In March, the NSFDC published a list of 865 students on its website and issued award letters to them. However, in a letter dated May 2, 2025, the NSFDC said that due to discrepancies in the list and candidates' representations, the NTА has provided the rectified/revised list of 805 Students. 'In this regard, in pursuance of MoSJ&E's directives, the earlier list of 865 students stands cancelled, and the award letters issued on 18.03.2025 are withdrawn', the notice by NSFDC said.
A candidate whose name did not appear on the revised list says that many students like him took admissions for Ph.D. programmes based on the first list, which assured their selection for the fellowship. 'After almost two months, we are told that we are no longer receiving the fellowship', he said.
The notice by NSFDC says that the NTA has been providing the list of students (up to the slots allowed annually under the NFSC Scheme) from the UGC NET and CSIR UGC NET examinations for the NFSC Scheme. In March 2025, the NTA provided the list of 865 students selected from the UGC NET June 2024 examination. After due approval of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the NSFDC published the list of 865 Students on its website and issued award letters.
R. Sachithanantham, MP, Dindigul Lokshabha Constituency, in a letter to Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Department, urged for his intervention to ensure the implementation of the first selection list which was released in March. 'I am concerned to note that the Country's highest Testing Agency is so casual and depresses the aspirations of poor and downtrodden SC candidates without any reason', said Mr. Sachithanantham in the, letter.
The Hindu reached out to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for comments, but didn't receive a reply.
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