UGC Invites Applications For National Fellowship For Persons With Disabilities

Bhubaneswar: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on behalf of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment on Thursday invited applications from eligible candidates for National Fellowship for Persons with Disabilities (NFPwD) for the selection year 2020-21.

The last date for making online applications is January 17, 2021.

Under this scheme, fellowship will be available to students with disabilities who are covered under 'The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Thus a person with disability, who wishes to avail the benefits under the Act has to obtain a disability certificate from the medical authority notified for the purpose.

There are 200 slots with provision of reservation of 15% for Scheduled Castes and 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes. The selection will be made purely on merit based on the percentage of marks obtained by the candidates in their Post Graduation (PG) examination, after verification of applications, from amongst the candidates whose applications are received through online mode on the designated portal of UGC.

After the selections process, UGC will issue a list containing names of provisionally selected candidates. They will be allowed to join the fellowship only after verification of facts/information furnished by them in their online applications. The candidates who join the fellowship shall not be entitled for any other monetary benefit from Central or State Government or other bodies like UGC for pursuing M.Phil/Ph.D.

Eligibility: Any student with disabilities who has been admitted to M.Phil/Ph.D degree and pursuing research through regular and full time mode in a University or academic institution, by completing the required formalities for admission in that University or academic institution, is eligible for the fellowship.

The scheme covers all Universities/ Institutions recognized by the UGC/Government of India. Employees of any University / College/ Educational institution/ Central/ State/ UT Government shall be excluded from availing the fellowship, even if they are on study leave or Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) to purse the MPhil/ Ph.D course.

The fellowship is payable for a maximum period of 05 years. It commences from 01.04.2020 or actual date of admission/registration of candidate for M.Phil./Ph.D., whichever is later.