Utkal University has decided to make six-month course work mandatory for PhD scholars as per UGC norms

Updated on: Monday, February 25, 2013

Utkal University has decided to make six-month course work mandatory for PhD scholars according to the University Grant Commission (UGC) PhD regulation 2009. Students who have registered for PhD after 2009 and were awarded the degree before 2011 can now do the course work in the university.

P K Sahu, vice chancellor of the University, said, "The PhD degrees of some of our students were not accepted by some universities as they did not complete course work as per UGC guidelines. So we decided to allow them to come back and complete their six-month course work." Around 600 students were awarded the degree between 2009 and 2011.

As per UGC guidelines, the course work shall be treated as pre-PhD preparation and must include a course on research methodology, which may include experimental methods, quantitative and statistical methods and computer applications. Sahu said, "The course work is not required for those in non-academic jobs, but those in teaching line have to do to course work for UGC recognition."

However, the decision of the university has not gone down well with PhD degree holders and students. "It is the fault of the university that they did not ask us to do course work before awarding the degrees. It is difficult for us to go back to university now and join a six-month course. We have to take leave from our jobs," said a PhD scholar who got his degree in 2010.

Utkal University has decided to make six-month course work mandatory for PhD scholars as per UGC norms

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