Pune: The protest by research students demanding a 100 per cent fellowship for Ph.D. scholars entered its tenth day on Wednesday, with students intensifying their agitation by staging a semi-nude demonstration and shaving their heads in front of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) office.
The students have been rallying for the state government to increase the fellowship from 50 per cent to 100 per cent, a demand that has so far been met with silence from the authorities.
Students began their protest on August 5, frustrated by the state government's decision to grant only a 50 per cent fellowship to Ph.D. students registered with BARTI, SARTHI, and MahaJyoti.
The ongoing protest has seen some students resort to a hunger strike, while others have fallen ill due to the harsh conditions of the protest site. Despite these efforts, the government has yet to respond favorably.
Protesting students from other districts in the state are staying in the open, and many have fallen ill. The students have declared that they will continue their protest in front of the BARTI office until the state government takes a positive decision.
Harshvardhan Davne and Pallavi Gaikwad, two of the protesting students, have stated that they will not end their hunger strike until the government approves a 100 per cent fellowship from the date of Ph.D. registration for all students registered with BARTI.
The protest has garnered support from various organizations, including the Congress, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Dalit Panther, RPI, and SPPU Student Action Committee.
