3 days ago
No salary for VC and registrar if fellowship is delayed, Kerala high court rules on PhD scholar's plea
Kochi: High court has ordered Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, to clear the arrears of fellowship due to a research student within a month, failing which the salaries of the vice-chancellor (VC) and registrar shall be withheld until the fellowship is paid.
The court further observed that if the VC is receiving a regular salary, there can be no justification for the non-payment of the petitioner's fellowship. The bench of Justice D K Singh was considering the petition filed by Adarsh E, alias Aadhi, a research scholar in Malayalam and recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Endowment 2023 for his book 'Pennappan'.
Adarsh had been sanctioned a PhD research fellowship, but the fellowship had not been disbursed.
According to the petitioner, the dues for the previous year were disbursed following protests, but the fellowship amount from Jan 2025 remains pending. The university's counsel argued that the institution was facing a financial crunch, which prevented the release of funds.
The court was not convinced, noting that the govt had already allocated Rs 2.62 crore to the university, undermining the claim of financial hardship.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Consequently, the bench directed the university to immediately clear the arrears and ensure regular disbursal of the fellowship. Until full compliance is achieved, the salaries of the VC and registrar shall remain withheld.
According to Aadhi, the judgment brought relief to the students at the university who were protesting against the long delay in the disbursement of fellowships. "I believe the order will have a far-reaching effect as it will force other universities in the state and beyond to ensure that student fellowships are paid on time," said Aadhi.
