The University Grants Commission (UGC) has omitted the mandatory requirement of having research papers published in peer-reviewed journals before submitting a PhD thesis. Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson of the UGC, said that by eliminating the mandatory publication requirement, the higher education regulator has recognised that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is not desirable, he told The Tribune.
The MPhil scholars were required to present at least one research paper at a conference or seminar. On the other hand, PhD scholars had to present two research papers at conferences or seminars and publish at least one paper in a refereed journal prior to submitting their thesis. However, in the new regulations for the doctoral programme released on November 7, the commission has removed this requirement.
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Prof Kumar elaborated on the need to avoid a unified approach to assessing all disciplines by pointing out that many doctoral scholars in computer science prefer to present their papers at conferences instead of publishing them in journals.
Kumar, however, added that he does not believe that PhD scholars should stop publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals altogether. He urged the universities to ensure that the PhD evaluation process is strengthened, and research scholars are trained to publish in peer-reviewed journals and apply for patents where feasible.
The UGC chairman said that students can pursue PhD degrees in subjects other than those in which they completed their post-graduate studies but, universities must change their policies to allow this type of migration. “NEP 2020 encourages multi-disciplinary education. Universities need to modify their ordinances to facilitate such migration from one discipline to another,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the commission has also abandoned its plan to involve universities and colleges to reserve a minimum of 60 per cent of their annual doctoral candidate intake for NET or JRF-qualified students. The UGC proposed in the draught regulations released in March that NET / JRF-qualified students fill 60 per cent of the total vacant seats in a higher education institute during an academic year.
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