Tougher guidelines for Ph.D students

Updated on: Wednesday, August 12, 2009

New Delhi: With the University Grants Commission (UGC) bringing in stiff regulation,soon obtaining a Ph.D degree will get tougher.

The UGC bans offer of such degrees through distant education mode, and stipulates that the thesis paper be evaluated by two experts, including one from outside the state.

According to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Awards of M.Phil/Ph.D Degree) Regulation 2009, no university, institution or deemed university shall conduct M.Phil or Ph.D programme through distant education mode.

The regulation says the students will be given admission through entrance test followed by interview to ensure better quality. The doctoral candidates will discuss their research area.

After admission, the students will have to undergo course work for a minimum period of one semester. The course work is a sort of preparatory course that will touch upon research methodology.

The university or institution will decide the minimum-qualifying requirement for allowing a student to the next stage of writing the thesis. Two experts, including one from outside the state, will evaluate the thesis of the Ph.D candidate.

The institution shall decide if it wants to have one examiner from outside the country, the regulation said. It is expected to bring uniformity in the conduct of Ph.D programmes in the universities that are following varied models.

Tougher guidelines for Ph.D students

More Education news