The indefinite hunger strike launched by research scholars of Dhanamanjuri University (DMU) has entered its seventh day, raising serious questions about the state of higher education and the government’s commitment to academic development in Manipur. The protest began on September 9, 2026, over the non-payment of fellowships and stipends. Nearly 800 non-JRF scholars from the 2022, 2024 and 2026 batches are reportedly yet to receive their dues. For many scholars, this money is essential for books, fieldwork, travel, accommodation, internet access and everyday living expenses.
This raises a basic question: if the University was not financially prepared to support such a large number of research scholars, why were they enrolled in the first place? Admission to a PhD programme is not merely an administrative exercise. A scholar commits several years to research, often at the cost of employment and financial security. In return, the University has a responsibility to provide the minimum academic, financial and infrastructural conditions necessary for serious research.
Yet scholars at DMU continue to face inadequate library facilities, limited access to academic journals, databases and other online resources, insufficient workspaces and even concerns over basic amenities such as clean and properly maintained toilets. These conditions raise questions about whether the available funding, infrastructure and supervisory capacity were adequately assessed before such a large number of scholars were admitted.
There is also a broader question concerning the academic quality of research supervision. Concerns have been raised about faculty members with publication records that include papers in journals alleged to be predatory, cloned or of doubtful academic standing, while some of them continue to supervise doctoral scholars. If such concerns are substantiated, the University should examine whether existing criteria for recognising and continuing PhD supervisors are sufficiently rigorous. The issue is not merely one of individual publication records. Doctoral supervision places a faculty member in a position of considerable academic responsibility. A supervisor is expected to guide scholars in research methodology, publication ethics, academic integrity and the selection of credible journals. The University therefore has a duty to ensure that those entrusted with supervising PhD scholars meet appropriate standards of research quality and scholarly practice.
The University community must also recognise that research scholars cannot be treated simply as figures that increase enrolment, research output or faculty academic performance. Their work contributes directly to publications, projects, theses and the academic standing of departments. It is therefore deeply problematic if scholars are expected to contribute to the University’s research profile while their own basic entitlements and academic needs remain unmet.
There are also reports that some scholars have had to initially bear expenses connected with the travel, air tickets and accommodation of external examiners invited for PhD thesis defence or viva voce examinations. Although such expenses may eventually be reimbursed, repayment can reportedly take considerable time. If these reports are accurate, the practice needs immediate review. A research scholar should not be expected to personally finance official examination arrangements, particularly when fellowship payments are already delayed. Even temporarily arranging such money can place a considerable burden on scholars with limited financial resources.
The present agitation, therefore, is not simply about delayed stipends. It raises a larger question about how research programmes are planned and administered. A university cannot be judged merely by the number of scholars it enrols or the volume of research it produces. Its credibility also depends on whether it provides researchers with adequate resources, competent supervision and financial support.
The government and University authorities must now respond. Pending stipends should be released without further delay, and a transparent mechanism should be established to ensure timely payments in the future. The University must also examine whether its research scholar intake is proportionate to its actual financial and infrastructural capacity, and whether its system of approving research supervisors adequately protects academic standards.
Research scholars are not statistics. They are individuals investing some of the most productive years of their lives in knowledge creation. Their work strengthens the University, and the institution has a corresponding responsibility to ensure that they are not left struggling for basic support while carrying out that work.
Leader Writer: Sh Ajit