New Delhi: Union minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju announced on Thursday (July 17) that payments under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) which were pending for several months, have been released.

“The pending payments under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship have been released. A small step that means a lot to so many. Under Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji’s leadership, we remain committed to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’. #BhagidariSeBhagyoday is not a slogan, it’s a mission,” Rijiju posted on X on Thursday.

The Maulana Azad National Fellowship, administered by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, offers financial assistance to researchers belonging to six notified minority communities in India: Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, and Parsi. However, the delays in disbursement have caused not only financial hardships but also psychological stress for the researchers dependent on this scholarship.

In June, The Wire had reported that the majority of PhD researchers who are beneficiaries of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship had not received their stipends from December 2024 up to May 2025. In fact, some researchers did not receive their stipends even prior to this period.

Earlier, in light of this situation, three Members of Parliament (Zia ur Rahman from Sambhal, Mohammad Javed from Kishanganj, and T. Sumati from Chennai South) had written a letter addressed to Rijiju, requesting prompt attention to the matter.

Maulana Azad National Fellowship was started by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the year 2009. Its main objective was to encourage minority students to pursue higher education and reduce the financial barriers in their path.

But in December 2022, the Government of India discontinued this fellowship. However, Rijiju had assured that “students who are already getting this fellowship will continue to get it for their stipulated period.”

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.