India, Sept. 23 -- For Sagar Kodi, a 30-year-old scholar belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, pursuing higher education was not merely a personal ambition. It was a path towards supporting his family and contributing to his community.
Coming from a village, Sagar faced financial and geographical barriers in accessing quality higher education. After completing his master's degree, he attempted to qualify for the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship but missed the qualifying mark by less than two per cent.
Determined to continue his academic journey, he enrolled in a Ph.D. programme with financial assistance from the university. However, the limited support was insufficient to meet his research expenses and help his family.
At the sam...