ASI proposes three-year fellowship schemes for select students

NEW DELHI: With a primary objective to ensure timely compilation of excavation reports, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has proposed a three-year fellowship scheme to sponsor 50 students every year who are studying archeology and have cleared National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Level Eligibility Test (SLET).

The junior research fellows (JRFs), who are expected to complete their PhD on the archeological excavation or excavated, will also be eligible to apply.

The ASI will join hands with universities and research institutions to involve research scholars through fellowship.

A scholar is expected to get a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh per month.

According to the officials, reports pertaining to excavated sites are still pending and need to be finalised. The issue of inordinate delay in submitting reports on excavation conducted at various heritage sites has been a concern for the authority for long.

During the review of architectural digging projects, previous DGs of ASI V Vidyavathi and KK Basa observed that their findings were not submitted even after several months. Instructions were issued to archaeologists supervising excavation to tender final reports as soon as an excavation project was completed.