West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh among highest beneficiaries of PM’s Research Fellowship Scheme

Maharashtra and Kerala ranked third and fourth with a gap of 10 beneficiaries in the total number, followed by Tamil Nadu. West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have the highest number of beneficiaries.

By: Education Desk , Edited by Deeksha Teri

New Delhi | Updated: December 20, 2022 03:56 PM IST

3 min read

Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme, PMRF scheme, Scholarships

Annapurna Devi revealed that West Bengal has received the highest number of eligible beneficiaries since the inception of PMRF scheme. (Representative image. Express photo)

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West Bengal has received the highest number of eligible beneficiaries since the inception of the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme in 2018, Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi today informed Lok Sabha.

Bhagirath Choudhary, a member of the parliament, had raised questions in regards to the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme. The minister had asked that when was the PMRF scheme initiated, the details of the process of selection in the said scheme, criteria for selection of candidates, the number of eligible beneficiaries and more.

Read | ‘IITs, CSIR, central varsities contribute most to research’

In reply to the question, Annapurna Devi revealed that West Bengal has received the highest number of eligible beneficiaries since the inception of PMRF scheme. According to the data provided by the minister, West Bengal had 19 beneficiaries, which then increased to 32 in 2019. However, the beneficiaries increased massively in 2020 and jumped to 149 and then to 186 in 2021. However, a decline was observed in 2020 (upto May) when the number of beneficiaries decreased to 155.

States wit highest number of beneficiaries (Graphics by Angshuman Maity)

After West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh is the second highest state with a total of 299 till date — 11 in 2018, 22 in 2019, 78 in 2020, 85 in 2021 and 103 in 2022 (upto May).

Maharashtra and Kerala ranked third and fourth with a gap of 10 beneficiaries in the total number. Maharasthra reported 13 and 17 beneficiaries in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The number increased to 43 and 64 in 2020 and 2021 respectively, but then decreased to 43 in 2022.

Also read | IITs, IIMs, NITs got over 10% of Centre’s total expenditure on education: Ministry of Education

Similarly, Kerala reported 9 and 12 beneficiaries in 2018 and 2019, with an increase to 51 and 60 in 2020 and 2021 respectively. However, Kerala, too, observed a decline in 2022 when the number of beneficiaries dropped down to 37.

Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, had 8 beneficiaries in 2018 and 12 in 2019. The number increased to 38 in 2020 but dropped to 37 in 2021. The number of beneficiaries, however, increased to 42 in 2022, making it a grand total of 137.

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Overall, the scheme has benefitted 148 beneficiaries in 2018, 175 in 2019, 663 in 2020, 852 in 2021 and 722 in 2022 (upto May), making it a total of 2560 beneficiaries since its inception.

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