PUNE, Dec. 15 -- Coming amid growing unrest among PhD scholars over fellowships received through government institutions such as BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, TRTI and AMRUT, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar's statement in the assembly that "five to six members from the same family are pursuing PhDs only because they receive a Rs.42,000 monthly fellowship" has drawn sharp criticism from academics, research guides and PhD scholars across the state. Educationists have termed the remark as 'irresponsible' and 'ignorant', arguing that it diverts attention from the real crisis of chronic delays in fellowship payments. Manisha Patil, PhD guide and professor at Shivaji University, Kolhapur, told HT, "The statement is very shameful. As a PhD guide, I have never seen any family where five to six people are PhD holders. The main issue is that students who are supposed to receive their PhD fellowship every month do not get it on time from the government. Half of their time is wasted in protests just to get their fellowship money. If a candidate is pursuing a PhD in a subject like chemistry, the expenditure is very high. A Rs.42,000 fellowship is very less for someone doing a PhD seriously." Regarding BARTI where scheduled caste (SC) students receive fellowships to pursue PhDs, reaching the PhD level itself is a major achievement for SC candidates, she said, adding that they should be financially supported by the government. Rahul Sasane, a PhD research scholar, said, "The deputy CM made highly irresponsible remarks which reflect ignorance. If members of the same family can participate in politics, there should be no objection to them pursuing higher education. Diverting funds meant for students and depriving them of their educational rights is condemnable." A senior professor from Savitribai Phule Pune University said, "There is no relation between fellowship and how many people in one family are pursuing a PhD. Receiving a fellowship depends entirely on the candidate's quality and calibre." At the same time, the senior professor acknowledged systemic problems in research quality and called for strict monitoring. "It is true that some students receive fellowships, but their research lacks quality. Therefore, proper monitoring is essential," he said. Meanwhile, the higher and technical education department has been directed to frame strict eligibility norms and rules in line with the UGC guidelines. The government has also indicated that a policy decision will be taken to cap the number of beneficiaries under each scheme....