MANF – Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students is a fellowship scheme which is implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs through UGC. Started with the objective to provide integrated five-year fellowships in the form of financial assistance, MANF encourages students of minority communities to pursue higher studies such as M.Phil./Ph.D. in Science, Humanities, Social Science and Engineering & Technology. Under this fellowship scheme, a total of 1,000 fellowships are disbursed among eligible candidates. The selected students receive a fellowship amount of up to INR 35,000 per month along with various other benefits.

In this article, we have covered all the details of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship. A complete description on MANF award detail, application period, eligibility criteria and application procedure are depicted here. Find a brief account of these factors in the table given below.

Highlights of MANF

S.No.	Particulars	Details
1.	Award	Fellowship amount of up to INR 35,000 per month along with contingency grant and escorts/reader assistance for differently-abled candidates
2.	Application period*	Twice in a year (in the months of June and December)*
3.	Eligibility	Qualified CBSE/NTA-UGC-NET/ CSIR-NET examination Registered as regular & full-time M.Phil./Ph.D. student Belong to the minority community Annual income not more than INR 6 Lakh
4.	Selection process	On the basis of UGC-NET and CSIR-NET merit list

* The application period mentioned above is tentative and subject to change as per the discretion of fellowship provider.

Now, read about UGC MANF – Maulana Azad National Fellowship in complete details as given below.

MANF – Award

MANF caters to the financial requirements of research students so as to help them complete their M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees and become eligible for employment to the posts of lecturers in academic institutions and other establishments where M.Phil./Ph.D. degrees are pre-requisites. Also, 30% of the total number of fellowships are earmarked for female candidates while the remaining 70% is for male candidates. The selected candidates receive the fellowship amount directly into their bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Find the rate of fellowship for JRF (Junior Research Fellow) and SRF (Senior Research Fellow) in the table given below.

Award Detail of MANF

S.No.	Particulars	Details
1.	Fellowship	A monthly fellowship amount of INR 31,000 for initial two years to JRF A fellowship amount of INR 35,000 per month for remaining tenure to SRF
2.	Contingency grant for Arts and Commerce	An annual amount of INR 10,000 for initial two years INR 20,500 per annum for the remaining three years
3.	Contingency grant for Science and Engineering & Technology	INR 12,000 per annum for the initial two years INR 25,000 per annum for the remaining three years
4.	Escorts/Reader assistance to physically & visually challenged candidates	INR 2,000 per month
5.	HRA and other incidentals	As per the UGC pattern

MANF – Application Period

The application period of Maulana Azad National Fellowship differs from year-to-year. Its application time generally used to range from August to December. However, from 2020 onwards, as per the revised guidelines, the selection for the fellowship will be made based on the merit list of UGC-NET and Joint CSIR-NET examination. Out of the 1,000 fellowships available, 750 will be allocated for subjects under UGC-NET JRF and 250 will be allocated for Science category students under CSIR NET JRF. The National Testing Agency conducts the UGC-NET and CSIR NET twice in a year. Thus, 500 fellowships will be given in each NET/CSIR NET examination.

MANF – Eligibility Criteria

Maulana Azad National Fellowship also known as MANF is meant for students of minority communities that include Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain. The selection of candidates for MANF is done on the basis of merit displayed by students in UGC NET/ CSIR-NET examination. Given below is the details about eligibility conditions that applicants need to fulfil in order to avail the benefits of the fellowship scheme.

• The applicants must belong to minority communities as notified under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
• The applicants must have taken admission in M.Phil./Ph.D. courses as regular and full-time students.
• The applicants must have cleared UGC NET/CSIR NET examination to be eligible for MANF.
• The students must have obtained at least 55% marks at the postgraduate level.
• The annual family income of the candidates applying for Maulana Azad National Fellowship must not be more than INR 6 Lakh from all sources.
• Also, transgender candidates are eligible to apply for this fellowship and the reservation for such candidates are provided as per the norms of the Government of India.

MANF – Application Process

As per the revised guidelines, from 2020 onwards, the students aspiring to obtain benefits under MANF need to qualify UGC NET/ CSIR NET examination. There will be no application separate application required for the fellowship. The selection for the fellowship will directly be made on the basis of merit list of UGC NET/CSIR NET examination. Thus, the students are required to apply for UGC NET or CSIR NET examination online through official NTA website. The NTA conducts the exam twice in a year i.e., in the month of June and December.

MANF – Selection Procedure

As per the updated guidelines, the UGC follows the below-mentioned procedure while selecting the recipients of Maulana Azad National Fellowship.

• The applicants need to appear and qualify the UGC NET or CSIR NET examination.
• Based on the merit list of both the examinations, the final selection will be made. Out of the 1,000 fellowships available, 750 are allocated for subjects under UGC NET and 250 are allocated for science-related subjects under CSIR NET.

MANF – Terms and Conditions

The research work performed by the JRF and SRF in the initial two years is assessed and monitored as per the regulations of UGC. Find a list of terms and conditions highlighted below.

• Under the MANF scheme, the duration of the fellowship is two years in the initial period. And before this period expires, the research work of the fellow is evaluated. On finding the work satisfactory, the tenure is further extended for a period of three years under MANF Senior Research Fellowship.
• In case of application of any fraudulent method in obtaining the fellowship, automatic cancellation of MANF is initiated and the disbursed amount is recovered with interest.
• The awardee cannot undertake any kind of employment such as Ad-hoc teachers, Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants. This leads to cancellation of the fellowship.
• The beneficiaries’ bank account numbers are validated through PFMS for the creation of beneficiary ID.
• The awardee of MANF is liable for a maximum of 30 days of leave per year in addition to public holidays.
• The candidates are also eligible for maternity and paternity leave once as applicable under the rules of Government of India.

Also, read ‘INSPIRE Scholarship: Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)’ to know about other research-related fellowships/scholarships.

If you wish to know more about scholarships for minority students, read ‘MOMA Scholarships: Minority Scholarships’.