UGC centres face funding uncertainty as September salaries go unpaid

NEW DELHI: Teachers and employees working at UGC centres that conduct studies and research on the social and educational issues of disadvantaged communities have not received their September salaries. The centres, operating under the Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion in Universities (CSSIU), are facing the crisis as the continuation proposal for the scheme for 2026-27 remains under process, even seven months into the new financial year, according to the Union Education Ministry. Some centres had begun facing salary-related difficulties in August, when salaries were delayed by 20 days, while the September salary has not been paid at all.

As many as 24 centres across 14 states are functioning under the programme, including those at prominent institutions such as Banaras Hindu University, Jamia Millia Islamia, the University of Hyderabad, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Panjab University. The CSSIU programme was launched in 2007-08 as a five-year plan and was later converted into an annual UGC programme.

According to the Union Education Ministry, financial assistance is provided on a reimbursement basis after expenditure statements and the required documents are verified. In 2024-25, Rs 26.05 crore was sanctioned to 18 centres. In 2025-26, Rs 7.59 crore was released as a provisional advance, calculated at 60% of the previous year's funding. The ministry said a total of Rs 33.64 crore was disbursed during that year.

Amid the uncertainty over continuation of the scheme, there have also been demands to absorb the teaching and non-teaching posts at the centres into the universities' permanent staffing structure instead of keeping them dependent on temporary approvals.