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University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022 | Part-time degrees, no need to publish research: what new PhD regulations say
Part-time degrees, no need to publish research: what new PhD regulations say | The UGC has notified new regulations on PhD degrees, introducing a set of sweeping changes in eligibility criteria, admission procedure and evaluation methods. Take a look at what’s changed | The Indian Express | Sourav Roy Barman |
New Delhi | November 10, 2022 | “University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022” | University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022 |
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified new regulations on PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degrees, introducing a set of sweeping changes in eligibility criteria, admission procedure and evaluation methods governing doctoral programmes in college and universities.The mandatory requirement of publishing research papers in refereed journals or presenting in conferences has been scrapped. Part-time PhDs have been launched for working professionals, and there is a relaxation of 5 per cent marks in eligibility for admissions even for the new EWS category.The Indian Express takes a closer look at the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022 notified on November 7, which replace the Rules notified in 2016.
How will the changes impact doctoral aspirants?
First and foremost, the eligibility criteria for admissions have been changed. Anyone with a four-year/eight-semester Bachelor’s programme degree with a minimum 75 per cent marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade will be eligible for a PhD. Those joining PhD programmes after a four-year UG programme can do so after a one-year Master’s degree. Graduates with conventional three-year UG degrees need to have completed two-year Master’s degrees. So far, a Master’s degree with at least 55 per cent marks in aggregate was mandatory for doctoral aspirants. Many universities also insisted on using M.Phil as the gateway. Those who had completed their M.Phil dissertation and were awaiting viva voce could also be admitted to PhD programmes. The new Rules discontinue the M.Phil programme altogether. However, that will have no bearing on those holding or pursuing M.Phil degrees currently. Apart from reserved category applicants, those falling under the EWS bracket will also be granted five per cent relaxations.
Will there be changes in the procedure for admissions?
There are no major changes in the procedure for admissions. As was the norm so far, universities and colleges will be free to admit students through the NET/JRF qualification route as well as entrance exams at the level of the institutions. The entrance syllabus shall consist of 50 per cent of research methodology, and 50 per cent shall be subject-specific, the Regulations say. The UGC has for now dropped its plan to stipulate that of the annual intake of PhD candidates in every institution, 60 per cent would have to be reserved for NET/JRF-qualified individuals. Where the selection is done by entrance tests conducted by individual universities, a weightage of 70 per cent will be given to performance in the written test, and 30 per cent to the interview. Based on the feedback from stakeholders, the proposed common entrance test for PhDs has been left out of the new Regulations.
Do the new Regulations change the way research supervisors function?
Eligible professors, associate professors, and assistant professors can continue to guide up to eight, six, and four PhD candidates respectively at any given time, as earlier. However, earlier, professors, associate professors, and assistant professors could also guide three, two, and one M.Phil scholars respectively over and above their PhD candidates. The MPhil programme has been scrapped under the new National Education Policy, 2020. The new Rules also bar faculty members with less than three years of service left before superannuation from taking new research scholars under their supervision. Each supervisor can also guide up to two international research scholars on a supernumerary basis over and above the permitted number of domestic PhD scholars. Universities and colleges have been allowed to frame their own rules governing admissions of international PhD students.
How does the UGC plan to improve the quality of doctoral education and research?
It has introduced a new requirement for PhD scholars, irrespective of discipline, to train in teaching / education/ pedagogy/ writing related to their chosen subject during their doctoral period. They may also be assigned four to six hours per week of teaching/ research assistantship for conducting tutorial or laboratory work and evaluations. Earlier, to ensure the quality of their output, research scholars had to appear before a Research Advisory Committee once in six months and present the progress of their work for evaluation and further guidance. They will now have to do this every semester. The new Regulations retain the clause that mandates institutions to develop a mechanism using “well-developed software applications to detect plagiarism in research work”.
Why has the requirement to publish research papers in peer-reviewed journals before the submission of a PhD thesis been scrapped?
The UGC has been grappling with this issue for quite some time, particularly with the proliferation of so-called “predatory journals”, where many doctoral scholars were found publishing their research in return for a fee. In 2019, a UGC panel had recommended that publication of research material in such journals or presentations in conferences organised by their publishers should not be considered for academic credit in any form. In draft regulations floated in March this year, the UGC had proposed universities be allowed to draw up their own guidelines in this area and sought public feedback on replacing the term “must” with “desirable”. But in the final regulations, that requirement has been dispensed with altogether. Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, who is the UGC chairperson, said by removing the mandatory clause, the commission is trying to ease some pressure of scholars so that they can focus more on high-quality research. “That will automatically lead to their research finding space in top journals,” he said. In a study involving one central university and an IIT between 2017 and 2019, the UGC found that in the case of the university, as much as 75 per cent of the submissions were in journals which are not Scopus-indexed. The IIT, where such submissions are not mandatory, saw 79 per cent scholars making it to Scopus-indexed journals. That also appears to have guided the UGC’s decision.
What is the provision for part-time PhDs?
This is a new category introduced by the regulations. Although an existing feature in the IITs, for most universities and colleges, this will be new. The eligibility conditions are the same for both full-time and part-time candidates. Their PhD work will be assessed in the same way as is done for the full-time PhD students. However, in addition to meeting the regular criteria, the part-time PhD candidates will also have to produce a No-Objection Certificate or NOC from their employer. Apart from stating that the prospective part-time PhD candidate employee is permitted to pursue studies on a part-time basis, the NOC will have to spell out that they will be given sufficient time for research work. The workplace will require facilities in the employee’s field of research as a doctoral scholar. Over the years, annual enrolment figures in PhD have risen, but it still accounts for a very small share of the higher education pie. Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, the enrolment at PhD level increased from 1,26,451 to 2,02,550 (0.5 per cent of the total enrolment in higher education), according to the latest available All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report 2019-20. Also, most PhDs in India are in the field of engineering and technology, Read the Entire Article here… Click here to view / download the Gazatte Notification, 07-Nov-2022, 13 pages, pdf – University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures forAward of Ph.D. Degree) – Regulations, 2022
NEP 2020: UGC proposes revised norms for PhD admission
NEP 2020: UGC proposes revised norms for PhD admission | Jun 06, 2022 | HT Correspondent | Lucknow|
The candidates who have cleared M.Phil course with at least 55% marks in aggregate or a candidate whose M.Phil dissertation has been evaluated and recommended for award of the degree may be admitted to PhD programme.
Under the New Education Policy (NEP)-2020, those holding four-year undergraduate degrees with a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 7.5 with 1-year/2-semester master’s degree programme (after 4-year undergraduate degree) with at least 55% marks in aggregate will be eligible for admission to PhD programmes, according to revised norms proposed by the University Grants Commision (UGC). Under the NEP-2020, universities and colleges will now offer 4-year undergraduate degrees with multiple exit and entry options. Other eligibility criteria are 2-year/4-semester master’s degree programme or a candidate seeking admission after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree with research should have a minimum CGPA of 7.5/10.
The candidates who have cleared M.Phil (Master of Philosophy) course with at least 55% marks in aggregate or a person whose M.Phil dissertation has been evaluated and recommended for award of the degree may be admitted to the PhD programme in any institution on a provisional basis even before the viva voce or final defence. The UGC has proposed a relaxation of 5% of marks, from 55% to 50%, or an equivalent relaxation of grade may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/differently-abled, economically weaker section (EWS) and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the commission from time to time. These regulations may be called University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022. Every degree-granting autonomous college and every affiliated college are allowed to offer PhD programmes.
Programme duration
PhD programme shall be for a minimum duration of two years excluding course work and a maximum of six years. Extension beyond the above limits will be governed by the relevant clauses as stipulated in the statute/ordinance of the individual institution concerned but not beyond more than two years. Women candidates and “Persons with Disabilities” (more than 40% disability) may be allowed a relaxation of two years for a PhD in the maximum duration. In addition, women candidates may be provided maternity leave/child care leave for up to 240 days once in the entire duration of PhD. For student exchanges, provided that they contribute significantly to the completion of the thesis, leave of absence may be granted from the second year onwards.
Admission procedure
All universities shall admit PhD scholars through a National Eligibility Test (NET) or National Entrance Test or an entrance test conducted at the level of individual universities. The admission shall be based on the criteria notified by the institution, keeping in view the guidelines/norms in this regard issued by the UGC and other statutory bodies concerned and taking into account the reservation policy of the central/state government from time to time. Sixty percent of the total vacant seat of the academic year shall be filled from NET/JRF qualified students and the remaining forty percent through the university/common entrance test qualified students on the basis of interviews conducted by the concerned institute. However, in case of an unfilled vacancy in either of the category, candidates from another category can be requisitioned to fill the vacant slots in the order of merit reservation norms.
The syllabus of the entrance test shall consist of questions that test research/ analytical/ comprehension/quantitative aptitude. The entrance test shall be conducted at the centre(s) notified in advance by the organisation conducting the examination. Qualifying marks in the entrance test will be 50% provided that a relaxation of 5% of marks (from 50% to 45%) shall be allowed for the candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layers)/differently-abled category in the entrance examination conducted by the universities. The university/college shall maintain the list of all the registered PhD scholars on its website on a year-wise basis. The list shall include the name of the registered candidate, the topic of their research, the name of their supervisor/co-supervisor, date of enrolment/registration.
Thrust areas of research
Proposed area of research is socially relevant/locally need-based/ nationally important/globally significant/create value to the society or in cutting edge areas or contribute to new/additional knowledge in the areas of emerging concerns worldwide.
Allocation of research supervisor
Eligibility criteria to be a research supervisor, co supervisor, number of Ph.D. scholars permissible per supervisor etc. A PhD scholar has to obtain a minimum of 55% of marks or its equivalent grade in the UGC 10-point scale (or an equivalent grade/CGPA in a point scale wherever grading system is followed) in the course work in order to be eligible to continue in the programme and submit the thesis.
Research advisory committee
There shall be a research advisory committee or an equivalent body for a similar purpose as defined in the statutes/ordinances of the institution concerned for each PhD scholar. The research supervisor of the scholar shall be the convener of this committee. It is aimed to review the research proposal and finalise the topic of research. – News Courtesy
Which panel suggested capping MPhil and PhD seats: Delhi High Court asks UGC
Business Standard | Press Trust of India | New Delhi May 16, 2017 |
The Delhi High Court today asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to state which experts panel had suggested limiting the number of seats per supervisor for MPhil and PhD courses in varsities. “You (UGC) file a written submission as to which experts committee suggested to bring down the number of seats of research scholars per faculty,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked. The direction was issued during the hearing of a plea challenging UGC’s admission norms for MPhil and PhD courses in the country. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has moved the court challenging the constitutional validity of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil and PhD degree) Regulations 2016 which came into effect from July 5, 2016. The students’ body has termed the regulations as “irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary” and alleged that they were contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Apart from the SFI, three students — one from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and two from the Delhi University (DU) — who aspire to pursue MPhil and PhD courses from JNU have challenged the regulations. The students and the SFI have contended that the regulations have resulted in a massive cut in seats for the MPhil and PhD courses for the 2017-18 academic year. Their petition said that compared to 970 seats in the last academic year for these two degrees, this year the number of seats has dropped to 102. The seats have come down due to the capping of the number of students per research supervisor for MPhil and PhD courses, the petition has submitted. It has contended that the cap was put without consulting or informing students and without improving infrastructure. The petitioners have challenged various provisions of the regulations including those laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent for general category and 50 per cent for reserved category, as well as the 100 per cent weightage given to viva-voce (oral) exam. Apart from striking down of the regulations, they have sought filling up of the vacancies in the posts of Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors to avoid reduction of seats in MPhil and PhD courses in the academic year 2017-18. As per JNU’s admission prospectus for the current academic year, the last date for submitting applications was April 5. – Courtesy
Regulating M.Phil. / Ph.D. research
The Statesman | Paromita Ghosh | 01 November, 2016 | Opinion | Regulating research |
The University Grants Commission has notified its regulations regarding minimum standards and procedures for the award of M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees in the Gazette of India dated 5 July 2016. Institutions of higher learning are examining the document and trying to devise the modalities of implementation. There are several provisions in the regulations which will help researchers. For instance, women researchers will be allowed 240 days of maternity or child-care leave and transfer of their research across universities. Course work was introduced in the M.Phil and Ph.D. programmes a couple of years back and the same is expected to be streamlined with the latest regulations. This is welcome because coursework prepares candidates for conducting research. Archiving soft copies of M.Phil and Ph.D. thesis on the internet was also started a few years back; the current regulations recommend continuation of the practice. The database thus generated will help investigators to review the dissertations. Moreover, it will help check plagiarism.
But a few features of the regulations have left the academic circuit in a quandary. Stringent measures have been recommended to improve the quality of research. M.Phil and Ph.D aspirants will have to appear for an entrance test. Half of the questions will assess the candidate’s grasp over methodology and the other half will evaluate one’s knowledge of the subject. Those candidates who secure at least 50 per cent in the test will be called for interview, where they will be asked to discuss their research proposal. Also to be assessed is their potential to undertake the proposed research. Selected candidates would be enrolled for M.Phil. or Ph.D programmes. After enrolment, research students will have to engage in coursework and qualify. The evaluation of the researcher’s performance in the coursework will be monitored not only by the department, but also by the institution’s research advisory committee. The new regulations stipulate that researchers will have to present six-monthly reports on their progress to the Advisory Committee for assessment. In a word, researchers will have to be on their toes. Before submitting the thesis, researchers will have to discuss the highlights of their investigation in a seminar attended by members of the Research Advisory Committee, other faculty members, and research students. The suggestions of these experts are expected to be incorporated by the researcher in the thesis. Satisfactory performance by the researcher in defence of the investigation will facilitate submission of the thesis. Of course, the pre-submission seminar is nothing new, but the continuation of a rational exercise.
Besides, the researchers will have to fulfil certain other conditions before they are permitted to submit their thesis. M.Phil candidates will have to produce evidence that they had presented at least one research paper at a conference or seminar. Aspirants for Ph.D. will have to testify that they have published at least one research paper in an academic journal of repute, and have presented at least two research papers in conferences or seminars. Evaluation of the Ph.D. thesis would be done by the research supervisor and two examiners belonging to institutions other than the one to which the researcher belongs. One of the two external examiners might be from abroad. If the external examiners find the thesis satisfactory and recommend the conduct of viva-voce, the researcher would be permitted to face the viva in an open forum. This examination has to be conducted by the research supervisor and another examiner who does not belong to the same institution as the researcher. In the viva-voce, the researcher would be asked questions based on critiques of the investigation. It will be attended by members of the research advisory committee, other faculty members, research students and experts. After meeting these challenges the researcher is awarded the M.Phil or Ph.D. degree. These regulations are desirable as the aim is to ensure diligence of researchers and improve the quality of research. But the quality of guided research does not depend wholly on the performance of researchers. The role of research supervisors is crucial. The regulations notified by the UGC seem to falter on that score.
According to the regulatory authority, a full-time regular teacher of a recognised university or academic institution can supervise M.Phil/ Ph.D research. This in effect excludes retired teachers from research guidance. Why should a seasoned research guide, who has phenomenal knowledge and is in good health, be debarred from supervising the work of M.Phil or Ph.D. students. The UGC must reflect on this decision. Retired academics with proven track record of research and physical fitness are in a position to devote more time to research guidance than those in service. Ignoring this pool of talent would be detrimental to the cause of learning in the larger perspective. The UGC has declared that apart from universities or institutions of higher learning, colleges with post-graduate departments and research laboratories of the central or state government could also run M.Phil and Ph.D programmes provided they have at least two teachers or scientists with Ph.D. degrees. The UGC needs to specify whether only academics engaged in post-graduate teaching and research will be entitled to guide M.Phil and Ph.D research. This loophole in the notification needs irgently to be addressed. Moreover, the UGC has stipulated that Professors or Assistant Professors with Ph.D degree and credited with at least two research publications could serve as research supervisors. These requirements can be met very easily. The UGC must raise the bar to ensure excellence in research guidance. Otherwise, inept guides will flood the higher education segment. To enhance promotion prospects, they will be anxious to increase scores in terms of academic performance indicators. The high quality and rigorous process of research, which the UGC is aiming at, will not attain fruition if research supervisors lack expertise. The academic careers of many researchers would be ruined if they are not supported suitably by supervisors who are themselves active in research.
Just as the UGC wants researchers to work hard, it should ensure that guides are equally committed. A mechanism to evaluate roles of the guides must be in place. The UGC’s ambitious endeavour to nurture excellence in guided research will fail if guides do not serve as path-finders and role models they ought to be. Research supervision is both a science and an art. Instead of handing over the responsibility of guiding research to individuals who lack the wherewithal to do so, the UGC must allow them time to prepare. More publications, more paper presentations, and more projects will obviously figure prominently in the preparation. Besides, hands-on training by veteran research guides would be useful. Orientation and refresher courses should include modules pertaining to research supervision. Novices could begin by guiding M. Phil. students and later graduate to supervision of Ph.D candidates in collaboration with other guides. Only when the reasonably elevated benchmarks are attained by academics, should they be allowed to guide Ph.D. candidates independently. If the UGC realises the lopsided nature of its regulations and initiates a course-correction, can we expect research work that is marked by brilliance and scholarly rigour? – Courtesy
Kerala High Court okays Kerala University stand on research guides
The New Indian Express | By Express News Service | 21st June 2016 |
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The High Court has ordered that only those teachers, who have at least five years of service remaining, should function as research guides in University of Kerala.The court has asked the UGC to file a counter affidavit on the matter within a month. In case the regulatory body fails to file a counter affidavit, the order will automatically come into effect.
The court also gave in-principle nod to the Kerala University’s implementation of the UGC norms relating to research guides. It also ordered that PhD registrations that have been carried out in violation of the UGC guidelines could be re-examined and research students re-assigned as per norms. The UGC had written to universities in the country stating that only serving teachers be allowed to function as research guides. The University of Kerala had passed an order mandating compliance with the UGC directive in January this year. On February 1, the university had also issued an order allowing teachers who retire in 2015-16 to function as research guides for one more year. As laid down in the UGC guidelines, the varsity also mandated that each research supervisor should guide not more than eight research scholars and five MPhil scholars at a time.The order had triggered widespread resentment. However, the university maintained that following UGC guidelines was mandatory to ensure that its research activities continue unhindered. – Courtesy
No action that devalues research degree: University of Kerala | The Hindu | Thiruvananthapuram | June 21, 2016 | |
Says illegal demands by teachers’ forums will not be accepted
Close on the heels of an interim order from the High Court of Kerala staying the University of Kerala’s recent order barring retired teachers from acting as research guides, the university, on Monday, issued a press note saying it would not take any action that would devalue its research degree. The university B.Ed. centres had lost their recognition for not following the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines and the distance education centre had lost its recognition for not adhering to UGC guidelines. So, no action would be taken which would degrade the research degree, the press note read. The High Court on June 15 had issued an interim stay on the order of the university on research guides. The varsity had issued its order following a clarification by the UGC that the granting of a doctoral or M.Phil. degree to a scholar who is not under a regular teacher shall be in violation of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Aware of M.Phil./PhD) Regulations 1999.
The High Court order permits retired teachers to continue as research guides till the completion of five years from the time of registration for the doctoral degree. However, the court order notes that if it is found that a scholar was allocated to a teacher after the latter’s retirement then that scholar shall be reallocated to a serving teacher, the varsity press note reads. – Courtesy
Click here to download : The Interim Order / The Verdict : ( 7 Pages ) Hon. High Court of Kerala in WP(c) 17725/2016 pertaining to Research Supervisor issue
Kerala High Court interim stay relief to researchers
The Hindu | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, June 18, 2016 | |
Curbs on retired teaches imposed by Kerala University
The interim stay granted by the High Court of Kerala to the directive of the University of Kerala that retired teachers not serve as research guides and that scholars under retired teachers be transferred to other serving teachers has brought some cheer to research scholars who have been campaigning against the university directive. The University of Kerala had recently passed an order denying the status of research guide to retired teachers pursuant to a clarification issued by the University Grants Commission to this effect. A UGC letter noted that a doctoral degree or an MPhil degree granted to a scholar who is not under a serving teacher shall be a violation of the UGC ( Minimum Standards and Procedure for Aware of MPhil / PhD ) Regulations 1999. Research scholars under the banner of the Kerala University Research Students’ Union have been demanding that the UGC directive not be made applicable to existing research scholars and that only fresh scholars be brought under its ambit.
The interim stay by Justice K. Vinod Chandran noted that a research scholar should normally complete the research work within a period of three years or in the extended period of another two years. There is the question of continuity since a research scholar who begins work under a guide needs the guidance of that guide throughout the project. – Courtesy / Click here to download the verdict (7 pages) : Hon. High Court of Kerala in WP(c) 17725/2016 pertaining to Research Supervisor issue
Only regular university professors can guide PhD / MPhil research scholars: UGC
Vishal Rambani | Hindustan Times, Patiala | September 06, 2015 |
University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed universities to not engage retired teachers of universities and postgraduate colleges, visiting and guest faculty members for supervising MPhil and PhD scholars. UGC has clarified that the PhD supervisors must be regular faculty members of the universities. The apex higher education body has sent a missive to the universities, directing them to assign students of PhD and MPhil courses only to regular professors. The letter was sent by UGC secretary Jaspal Singh Sandhu and says, “It has come to the notice of the UGC that some universities are hiring services of supervisors who do not happen to be regular faculty members of the university or its affiliated postgraduate colleges.” The practice violates UGC’s Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil/PhD Regulations, issued in 2009. UGC has further clarified that the universities also cannot utilise the services of adjunct faculty members as supervisors. “In case of any violation of the prescribed rules by the university, action against the university will be taken as per the UGC Act, 1956 and the name of the university will be put in the defaulters list on the UGC website,” Sandhu warns in the letter.
The clarification further reads, “The universities shall allocate the supervisor from amongst the regular faculty members in a department or its affiliated PG colleges/institutes, depending on the number of students per faculty member, the available specialisation among the faculty supervisors and the research interests of the students.” The directive has put the universities in a tight spot as many retired teachers are guiding PhD candidates. Regular faculty members of universities were already opposing the practice as they argued that a retired person, who has no accountability towards the university, cannot do justice and the regular faculty is talented enough to guide PhD and MPhil scholars. Research scholars in universities are already facing a shortage of PhD guides. UGC’s 2009 guidelines say that only UGC-NET qualified candidates or those who have done PhD under the 2009 guidelines will be eligible for the post of assistant professors. Under the new norms, only those who have done PhD after clearing the PhD entrance test, along with six-month long course work and subsequent research work are eligible for recruitment as assistant professors. Punjabi University registrar Devinder Singh could not be contacted even after repeated attempts. However, on the other hand, students who have cleared the PhD entrance test said there is already a shortage of guides. Faculty members have a fixed quota of the number of students they can supervise. The university should add more teachers from PG colleges on its list to guide PhD scholars,” said Rajinder Singh, a student.- Courtesy / Published on 04/09/2015 – UGC Letter reg.: Regular Faculty Clarification 
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