Parliament Question: Delay in MANF Scholarship

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 606 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23/072025 DELAY IN MANF SCHOLARSHIP

606. SHRI RAJA RAM SINGH:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scholars are protesting against the non-payment of monthly fellowship dues for several months as widely reported and raised directly with the Ministry;

(b) if so, the reasons for the inordinate delay in disbursal of sanctioned fellowship amounts despite repeated representations;

(c) the details of mechanisms put in place to ensure time-bound release of fellowships to current awardees post;

(d) the steps taken by the Government to prevent systemic delays in scholarship disbursal to minority scholars; and

(e) whether any committee has been constituted to look into these recurring lapses and if so, the details thereof along with findings of the committee report as well as action taken thereon? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (d): Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scheme has been discontinued from 2022-23 onward in view of the overlap among the other fellowship schemes. However, the existing MANF fellows will continue to receive fellowships till the end of their respective tenure. Committed liabilities under MANF were not paid from January onwards pending approval. Recently, necessary approval was obtained on the release of funds to those students who have been on-boarded under the MANF in terms of the scheme guidelines/ DBT Mission guidelines. Following this, Ministry has released funds to nodal agency for disbursement of fellowship.

(e) No specific committee has been constituted in the matter. *****