A circular from the UGC announced a uniform hike of 55% with effect from December 1, 2014. However, researchers are not happy with the date of implementation.BENGALURU: Pacifying protesting researchers with a one-time hike in fellowship just before Diwali, the Centre had indicated that it wants to encourage science and research in the country. Just weeks after a Department of Science and Technology (DST) led inter-ministerial committee decided on the hike, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has now decided to hike fellowships for 15 more schemes under it. A circular from the UGC announced a uniform hike of 55% with effect from December 1, 2014. However, researchers are not happy with the date of implementation. “Our demand from the beginning was that hikes be implemented in retrospect from April 2014. But when the previous announcement came they said it’ll be October and now, this one will be December, which is not fair,” a senior research fellow from IISc said.