Kolkata, January 14: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the University Grants Commission (UGC) of stopping scholarship grants to researchers and issuing "fatwa" to higher educational institutes in the state. Banerjee was speaking to reporters after a meeting with vice-chancellors of universities, principals of colleges and presidents of the primary and secondary education board, at the state secretariat 'Nabanna' here.

"We have received complaints from various colleges and universities about UGC stopping grants for scholarship for PhD projects under National Eligibility Test (NET)," she said. "Many representatives of universities and colleges have also informed that they (the UGC) are regularly issuing 'fatwa' on different issues. This is not proper," the CM added. Abhishek Banerjee, Nephew of Mamata Banerjee, Fumbles in Lok Sabha, Evokes Laughter (Watch Video).

Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has earlier taken exception to different notifications from the UGC -- ranging from a call to observe September 29 as 'Surgical Strike Day' to observance of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on October 31 as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' (National Unity Day).