'Occupy UGC' protest: AISA's detained activists released

New Delhi: The AISA's activists detained here on Friday while protesting at the UGC office over scrapping of fellowship to non-national eligibility test (NET) research scholars have been released, the student body said on Saturday.

"All the students detained from outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) headquarters were released last evening (Friday)," All India Students' Association's (AISA) Om Prasad told IANS.

He said over 100 activists were detained from the UGC office at the ITO square and taken to Bhalswa Dairy police station (near Jahangirpuri area) on Friday.

Protesting against the decision to discontinue non-NET fellowship, hundreds of students from various educational institutions, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the University of Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ambedkar University, were camping at the UGC office at ITO square since Wednesday.

Prasad said the students had vacated the venue Friday evening, adding they would once again meet at the UGC office on Monday to lodge their protest.

The protestors wants the UGC to not only restore the scholarship but also increase the fellowship amount. Under the present structure, the students pursuing M.Phil. from a central university are entitled to get Rs 5,000 per month whereas the stipend goes up to Rs 8,000 for Ph.D. scholars.

The UGC had started the non-NET fellowship in 2008 to encourage research in the universities.