Dr Vishal Gupta
vishalm.com85@gmail.com
In India’s rapidly expanding higher education landscape, where universities proudly speak of innovation, rankings, and global competitiveness, a quiet crisis unfolds in laboratories, libraries, and department corridors. It is the crisis faced by research scholars-the very people responsible for producing the knowledge that universities claim to champion. Their struggles are rarely acknowledged in public discussions, but they reveal deep cracks in the country’s academic foundation. From financial instability and academic pressure to mental health challenges and severe job insecurity, the life of an Indian research scholar is marked far more by survival than by scholarly exploration.
Every year, thousands of students enroll in PhD programs with dreams of contributing meaningful research, advancing knowledge in their disciplines, or finding secure academic careers. They enter with the hope that doctoral study will provide intellectual freedom, high-quality mentorship, and a supportive research environment. However, as months turn into years, these expectations collide with harsh realities. Many scholars describe their academic journey as a long fight against insufficient resources, bureaucratic obstacles, and constant uncertainty. What begins as a dream of discovery often transforms into an endurance test in which passion struggles to survive.
One of the most pressing challenges research scholars face is financial instability. Many depend on government fellowships provided by agencies such as UGC, CSIR, ICSSR, and ICMR. These fellowships, while modest, are essential for scholars who cannot take up full-time jobs during their doctoral studies. However, these payments are often delayed for months due to administrative lapses or funding bottlenecks. Scholars recount instances of going four to six months without stipends, borrowing money to pay rent or buy food, or taking up part-time teaching assignments simply to survive. For those without any fellowship, the situation is even more difficult. Many scholars must rely on their families, take loans, or perform odd academic jobs for meagre departmental payments that do not even cover daily travel expenses.
The cost of doing research further intensifies this struggle. Field visits, data collection, printing, photocopying, laboratory tests, and software licenses all require money. Many universities lack updated laboratory equipment or well-stocked libraries, pushing scholars to outsource experiments or buy access to paid journals. Some departments still function with decades-old instruments, outdated software, and unreliable internet, making it nearly impossible for scholars to conduct modern, globally competitive research. Even acquiring basic tools like SPSS, MATLAB, or NVivo becomes a personal financial burden.
Adding to this financial stress is the relentless academic pressure shaped by the “publish or perish” culture. Many universities require scholars to publish one or more papers in Scopus-indexed or UGC-CARE-listed journals before thesis submission. Although this aims to enhance research quality, it creates enormous pressure, especially when scholars lack guidance, access to journals, or supportive research infrastructure. Publication fees in reputable journals can range from thousands to lakhs of rupees, pushing scholars toward predatory journals that exploit their desperation. Many scholars admit to publishing simply to fulfill institutional requirements rather than because their research is ready for dissemination.
The supervisor-scholar relationship plays a central role in the PhD journey, but it is also one of the least regulated aspects of Indian academia. While many guides are supportive, inspiring mentors, others exert excessive control, provide delayed or inconsistent guidance, or impose their personal research priorities on scholars. Instances of academic harassment, verbal mistreatment, forced co-authorship, and favoritism are commonly reported but rarely addressed, as scholars fear retaliation if they complain. The absence of well-functioning grievance redressal systems leaves many scholars feeling isolated and powerless.
Mental health has emerged as one of the gravest concerns within research communities. The long hours, irregular routines, isolation, financial worries, pressure to publish, and lack of recognition combine to create a deeply stressful environment. Scholars often work alone for months, uncertain whether their research direction is correct, unsure about job prospects, and unable to find emotional support. Many suffer from anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, and loneliness, yet most institutions lack counseling centers or trained professionals to address these concerns. The rise in self-harm cases among research scholars in different universities has drawn national attention, pointing to an urgent need for meaningful intervention.
Amid all these struggles, the most overwhelming burden is the immense job pressure research scholars face. While the number of PhD graduates in India has increased significantly, the number of academic jobs has not kept pace. University and college vacancies remain limited, recruitment processes are slow and irregular, and competition is intense. Many research scholars complete their PhDs only to find themselves working as ad-hoc or guest faculty members, earning low salaries and lacking job security. These temporary teaching roles often come with high workloads and minimal benefits, forcing scholars to juggle multiple institutions to make ends meet. The race to secure an academic position compels scholars to build an extraordinary CV-one filled with publications, conference presentations, book chapters, teaching experience, workshops, methodological training, and sometimes even postdoctoral experience. Yet achieving all this in a three- to five-year PhD program, with limited resources, is an almost impossible expectation.
For those who consider non-academic careers, the challenges are different but equally frustrating. Many industries do not value doctoral degrees, seeing PhDs as overly specialized or lacking in corporate-ready skills. Companies often prioritize technical skills, communication proficiency, or software knowledge over academic achievements. As a result, scholars may find themselves underpaid or required to undergo additional training to fit into industry roles. This mismatch between academic training and industry expectations leaves many scholars uncertain about their future.
In this environment, it is not surprising that many Indian students aspire to study or work abroad. Foreign universities often provide better funding, structured mentorship, modern laboratories, mental health support, and transparent evaluation procedures. These advantages create an environment where research can flourish. India’s inability to provide similar conditions contributes to ongoing brain drain, not because students dislike India, but because they feel unsupported here.
The struggles of women research scholars require special attention. Women often face additional barriers, including safety concerns during late-night research work, societal expectations around marriage, limited family support for extended education, and environments where gender bias persists. Balancing domestic responsibilities with research responsibilities is a unique challenge many women face, and institutions rarely implement policies to accommodate or support them.
Fieldwork, an integral part of research in social sciences, humanities, management, and commerce, brings its own set of difficulties. Travelling to remote areas, conducting surveys, meeting respondents, or accessing institutional data requires funds that departments may not provide. Safety concerns, especially for women scholars, add another layer of complexity. Many scholars reduce or modify their fieldwork because they cannot afford the expenses, ultimately compromising research quality.
Technological barriers further widen the divide between scholars in well-funded institutions and those in resource-poor ones. In an era where research requires data analytics, statistical tools, coding skills, and digital software, scholars in rural or underfunded universities struggle with outdated computers, poor internet connectivity, and lack of training opportunities. This digital divide significantly affects research quality and competitiveness.
Another overlooked aspect of the scholar’s burden is departmental workload. Many scholars are unofficially expected to teach undergraduate classes, assist in examinations, invigilate tests, evaluate assignments, and organize departmental events-all without additional pay or formal acknowledgment. These responsibilities consume time and energy, leaving little space for research.
The shortage of qualified supervisors is another systemic problem. In many universities, one supervisor may guide 10 to 20 scholars simultaneously, making it impossible to provide timely feedback or personalized guidance. This overload results in slow responses, long delays in research progress, and a heavy dependence on senior scholars rather than faculty members for day-to-day research support.
The final stages of a PhD-thesis submission, evaluation, viva-voce-come with their own frustrations. Scholars often face months-long delays waiting for approval from doctoral committees, slow external evaluation of their theses, postponed viva dates, and administrative mishandling of documents. These delays can cause scholars to miss job opportunities or fellowship deadlines, prolonging their financial and emotional struggles even after completing years of hard work.
At a broader level, India’s research ecosystem suffers from fundamental weaknesses. The country’s research funding as a percentage of GDP remains low compared to other nations. Collaboration between universities is limited, industry-academia linkages are weak, and interdisciplinary culture is still evolving. Without strong structural foundations, scholars work in an environment where ambition clashes with systemic limitations. Their success often depends more on personal resilience than on institutional support.
Comparing India with countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, and Australia highlights significant differences. These countries provide well-defined PhD timelines, stipends that allow for a decent standard of living, teaching assistantships, mental health resources, mentorship training for faculty, and transparent academic systems. Scholars in these environments can focus more on intellectual growth than on financial survival.
Institutional harassment remains one of the darkest realities of Indian academia. Stories of verbal abuse, discrimination, intimidation, and exploitation surface regularly, yet university systems often fail to protect scholars. Many scholars accept mistreatment silently to avoid jeopardizing their degree or future career prospects. The culture of fear that surrounds such incidents discourages honest conversations and prevents meaningful policy reform.
The personal lives of scholars also undergo profound changes during the PhD journey. The long duration of research, combined with financial instability and career uncertainty, affects family relationships, social life, and emotional well-being. Scholars often delay marriage, postpone financial responsibilities, or avoid major life decisions. They miss family functions, lose touch with friends, and experience growing isolation. These sacrifices are rarely acknowledged but deeply felt.
The COVID-19 pandemic intensified many of these struggles. Laboratories closed for months, fieldwork stopped, data collection became impossible, and fellowships were delayed. Many scholars lost valuable years of research. Even today, the impact of the pandemic lingers in the form of delayed submissions, extended job uncertainty, and psychological stress.
When scholars are asked what they truly want, their answers are remarkably consistent. They seek timely fellowship disbursements, better research infrastructure, transparent evaluation systems, effective mentorship, mental health support, funding for publication and fieldwork, safe redressal mechanisms, and more job opportunities. These demands are not extravagant-they represent basic requirements for functional research ecosystems. Without them, scholars remain overworked, underpaid, and undervalued.
For India to become a global leader in research and innovation, a serious re-evaluation of doctoral education is essential. Policies must address funding gaps, bureaucratic barriers, supervisor training, mental health systems, industry collaborations, and academic job creation. Universities must prioritize research not only in words but in action. Without sustained investment and structural reforms, the country will continue losing its brightest minds to burnout or to opportunities abroad.
The stories of research scholars, when heard closely, reveal a painful truth. Behind every research paper, thesis, or conference presentation lies a journey of struggle, resilience, and often unnoticed sacrifice. Scholars describe their lives in powerful but troubling ways: “My fellowship was delayed for six months. I had to survive on borrowed money.” “My supervisor does not respond for weeks; I feel stuck and helpless.” “I have published three papers but still can’t find a job.” “I want to continue research, but financially, I simply cannot.” These voices capture the emotional landscape of India’s research community-ambitious yet exhausted, hopeful yet disillusioned.
In the end, the question we must ask is simple: Are we failing our research scholars? The answer, based on their experiences, is difficult to ignore. A nation that dreams of scientific progress and intellectual growth must first care for those who produce knowledge. Research scholars form the backbone of innovation, yet their struggles continue in silence. If India is to build a future driven by discovery and excellence, it must begin by supporting the scholars whose work shapes that future. Without them, the dream of becoming a global research power will remain only a dream.
(The author is Assistant Professor Department of Commerce School of Social Sciences Cluster University of Jammu)
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