UGC Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women Statistics: Fellows and Spending by Year
· 1 min read · 3 official sources
UGC spent Rs 6.61 crore on 578 women post-doctoral fellows in 2021-22, but only Rs 0.44 crore on 14 fellows in 2023-24, according to its annual reports. The fellowship was merged into the Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship in 2022-23, and only old cases are being settled.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Women Candidates (UGC): key numbers
Infographic
Spending and fellows by year
UGC expenditure on the fellowship and the number of fellows paid each financial year, from the UGC annual reports for 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The 2022-23 report did not give a count of fellows.
| Year | Spent (Rs crore) | Fellows paid |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 6.61 | 578 |
| 2022-23 | 2.34 | Not reported |
| 2023-24 | 0.44 | 14 |
Source: ugc.gov.in, as on 31 March 2024
What happened to the fellowship
What the numbers show
UGC ran this post-doctoral fellowship for unemployed women with a PhD, with up to 100 new slots a year. Its annual reports show Rs 6.61 crore spent on 578 fellows in 2021-22. By 2023-24, spending was down to Rs 0.44 crore for 14 fellows (9 general, 4 SC and 1 ST).
Why the scheme is winding down
The UGC Annual Report 2022-23 says the scheme was merged that year with the newly launched Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship, and that only old cases are being settled. The falling figures show the scheme winding down as existing fellows finish their tenure. No new fellows have been selected under this scheme since the merger.
What replaced it
The Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship covers Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences including languages. According to the UGC Annual Report 2022-23, it has 900 slots, a fellowship of Rs 50,000 a month and a contingency grant of Rs 50,000 a year, with a tenure of three years. It is open to unemployed candidates who have been awarded a PhD.
What the figures do not tell you
The reports give national totals only, with no split by state or subject. The 2023-24 report does split the 14 fellows by category: 9 general, 4 SC and 1 ST. The 2022-23 report gives the amount spent but not the number of fellows, so that year cannot be compared on numbers.
Where to check
UGC annual reports are published on ugc.gov.in under publications. Fellowship notifications are on the UGC website.
Frequently asked questions
How many fellows were paid under the scheme?
UGC paid 578 fellows in 2021-22 and 14 in 2023-24, according to its annual reports. The 2022-23 report gave spending but not a count of fellows.
How much did UGC spend on the fellowship?
Rs 6.61 crore in 2021-22, Rs 2.34 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 0.44 crore in 2023-24.
Why did the numbers fall so sharply?
The scheme was merged into the Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship in 2022-23. Since then UGC has only been settling old cases, so the number of fellows and the money spent have been falling.
Can I still apply?
No new awards are being made under this scheme. Look for the Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post Doctoral Fellowship notification on the UGC website instead.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Women Candidates (UGC) full guide
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Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- ugc.gov.in (www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/UGC_Annual_Report_2023_24_English.pdf)
- ugc.gov.in (www.ugc.gov.in/oldpdf/annualreport/AR.2022-23.English_WEB.pdf)
- ugc.gov.in (www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/5789724_UGC_AR_2021-22_FNL.pdf)