For many full-time research scholars from modest family backgrounds, the cost of advanced education is one of the biggest barriers to finishing a PhD. Dr Janaki Sundararajan, a 32-year-old scholar from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, knows this firsthand, and her journey shows what timely financial support can make possible.
The Challenge
Between 2019 and 2024, while pursuing her PhD as a full-time research scholar, Dr Janaki faced financial difficulty managing research expenses and academic activities. Accessing research materials and digital resources, attending conferences, conducting fieldwork, collecting data, travelling for academic purposes, and managing publication-related costs were all made harder without stable financial support.
She came from a family that valued education despite financial limitations. Her family encouraged her academic journey throughout, even as the cost of full-time research placed real pressure on the household.
The Turning Point
In September 2019, Dr Janaki began receiving support under the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) Scheme, run by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Under the scheme, she received a Senior Research Fellowship of ₹35,000 per month.
The fellowship helped cover costs tied to research materials, internet access, data collection, academic travel, and publication activities, easing the financial pressure that had made it difficult to focus fully on her doctoral work.
Building a Career in Education
Dr Janaki’s academic focus has been on education, specifically teacher education, digital education, and quality research in higher education institutions. With the fellowship support, she completed her PhD and is now working as a Guest Teacher at The Gandhigram Rural Institute (Deemed to be University).
In her own words:
“The NFSC fellowship provided me with financial stability and the confidence to continue my Ph.D. research without interruption. It reduced the financial burden on my family, supported my research and professional development, and strengthened my path towards a career in teaching and research.”
Why This Story Matters
Dr Janaki’s journey reflects a broader pattern the NFSC Scheme is designed to address: talented scholars held back not by ability, but by financial circumstance. Her progression from financial hardship during her PhD years to a teaching and research career at a recognised university is a direct example of how sustained fellowship support can change the trajectory of an academic career.