Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India established Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata and Pune in the year 2006 to promote the quality Basic Science by integrating teaching with state of art research facility. MHRD has established five more IISERs as of now located at Mohali(2007), Bhopal & Thiruvananthapuram (2008), Tirupati(2015) and Berhampur (2016).
In very short time, IISERs have made the significant impact within India and abroad as well. Graduating students both BS-MS and Ph.D. are getting Ph.D./Post-Doctroal opportunities in best institutions of the world. In recently announced NIRF(National Institutional ranking Framework) 2017 by MHRD, four IISERs (Pune-29, Kolkata-44, Mohali-52, Bhopal-98) have secured the place in top 100 Institutes of India in overall category(considering all branches of study in India).
Two meetings 1)IISER Standing Committee on 23rd June 2016 chaired by previous HRD Minister Smt. Smriti Irani, 2) NITSER Council meeting on 26th May 2017 chaired by current HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar, have changed the whole perspective of Indian govt. towards IISERs which resulted in massive 150-275% fee hike for BS-MS to Ph.D. students. This illogical hike which can put a break on the progress of quality basic science and outreach of science as well, have brought huge disappointment in IISERs students.
In very short time, IISERs have made the significant impact within India and abroad as well. Graduating students both BS-MS and Ph.D. are getting Ph.D./Post-Doctroal opportunities in best institutions of the world. In recently announced NIRF(National Institutional ranking Framework) 2017 by MHRD, four IISERs (Pune-29, Kolkata-44, Mohali-52, Bhopal-98) have secured the place in top 100 Institutes of India in overall category(considering all branches of study in India).
Two meetings 1)IISER Standing Committee on 23rd June 2016 chaired by previous HRD Minister Smt. Smriti Irani, 2) NITSER Council meeting on 26th May 2017 chaired by current HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar, have changed the whole perspective of Indian govt. towards IISERs which resulted in massive 150-275% fee hike for BS-MS to Ph.D. students. This illogical hike which can put a break on the progress of quality basic science and outreach of science as well, have brought huge disappointment in IISERs students.
Image source: From twitter #SaveIISER expressed by IISER Students.
As per Students Affairs Council of IISER Kolkata, Students represntatives from various IISERs have written to MHRD to review this fee hike on 12th June 2017 but they are still waiting to get any response from MHRD.
With this fee hike, IISERs have become the most costly institute for pursuing PhD in India in terms of tuition fee as per post of Students Affairs Council of IISER Kolkata .
IISER which was established to promote research in Basic Sciences in India, has been made most costly Institute for Ph.D. by MHRD! Now one has to pay ₹30,000-₹40,000 as tuition fee per annum in addition of 25000-30000(except mess charges of 35,000-45,000) per year as fees for other facilities like library, hostel, exam etc to pursue Ph.D. at IISERs.
It will not be wrong if one generalize that most of the students who pursue Ph.D. in India belong to middle or lower middle-class family. Even for many students, Ph.D. fellowship is the only source of income in their family. This fee hike of 200-275% for Ph.D. students has clearly closed the doors of IISERs for many talented students of India.
"Outreach will remain out of reach until you genuinely want to do outreach!"
More unfortunate things, MHRD has not given any consideration to give any response/explanation behind such illogical and unscientific fee hike to IISERs community yet. It is well known that IISERs have already seen fund cuts by MHRD in last few years in addition to indirect fund cut by such massive fee hike. As per informal sources, MHRD has further threatened IISERs to cut more funds if they do not implement this hike.
Therefore, IISERs are being treated as "Ignored Institute of Science Education and Research" by MHRD, Govt. of India.
