‘Serious consideration needed on money spent for PhD students,’ Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar informed the Legislative Council that a uniform policy regarding the number of students, general scholarships, foreign scholarships, and admission procedures is being planned for academic institutes.

Written by Alok Deshpande

Mumbai | July 3, 2025 06:52 PM IST

2 min read

Pawar raised the demand in a communication sent to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday. (File)

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Thursday said there needs to be serious consideration of the amount spent by the state government on PhD students.

Pawar made this comment in the House while responding to a question raised by MLCs Sanjay Khodke of NCP and Abhijit Wanjarri of Congress regarding the disbursement of rental allowance and contingency funds by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training, and Human Development Institute (SARTHI). The deputy chief minister informed the Legislative Council that a uniform policy regarding the number of students, general scholarships, foreign scholarships, and admission procedures is being planned for academic institutes.

Along with SARTHI, which extends aid to Maratha students, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) provides aid to Scheduled Caste students, Anna Bhau Sathe Research and Training Institute (ARTI) extends help to Matang community students, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research & Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI) to OBC students, and Tribal Research & Training Institute (TRTI) to Scheduled Tribe students.

“Between 2018 and 2025, around 3 lakh students benefited from government scholarships, tuition fee assistance, and other schemes across 83 courses under SARTHI. However, 3,000 students (just 1 per cent) pursued PhD programs, for which Rs 280 crore out of Rs 750 crore was spent. This implies an average of Rs 30 lakh per student over five years, a figure that warrants serious consideration,” said Pawar.

He said that a limited number of students will be given admission in the PhD course in institutions such as BARTI, SARTHI, MahaJyoti, and ARTI. “We have not yet planned the exact number, but that will be decided soon,” said Pawar.

Going forward, Pawar stated, admissions will be limited to courses that have proven employment potential, ensuring public resources are directed towards skill-based and career-oriented programs.

“A committee headed by the chief secretary was earlier appointed to review and recommend a common framework regarding student intake, admissions, scholarships, and academic quality in BARTI, SARTHI, MahaJyoti, and ART institutions. The report from this committee has now been received, and decisions based on it will be announced shortly,” Pawar added.

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