The only academic Chair for African scholars funded by the government may go a-begging for the second consecutive year as the position has failed to attract senior African academics on account of poor remuneration and perks and facilities. On April 6, the Indian High Commission in Botswana issued the latest ad, inviting applications for the Nelson Mandela Chair. However, after more than two months of waiting, the host centre, CAS, is worried that the position may not be filled since the advertisement has not attracted a sufficient number of distinguished applicants. "We could not fill up the post last year as the position offers just Rs. 1 lakh to the visiting academic which is really meagre despite the fact that it is named after Nelson Mandela and is funded by the MEA through ICCR. Given the low honorarium, senior African academics are disinclined to apply for the vacancy and as a result, the Chair is slowly fading away," said Prof. Ajay Dubey, Chairperson, CAS. The Chair, lasting one or two semesters, is the only one such position specially created to promote ties between academics of India and Africa. Under the terms of the Chair, JNU provides office, support staff and accommodation to the visiting academic and the ICCR provides a consolidated monthly payment of Rs. 1 lakh. It also pays a travel grant of Rs. 1 lakh and one single economy class ticket for the visiting scholar. Prof. Dubey said the terms and conditions of the position had become outdated and African scholars find these humiliating. The Chair was created in 1992 after the earlier Chair funded by the UGC named after Kwame Nkrumah was discontinued after eight years.