Quota system in PhD commences in all universities

Updated on: Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Chennai: Community based reservations in admission into PhD and M.Phil courses sets out in all universities and higher educational institutions in the country.

The University of Madras approved the implementation of the quota system in the highest levels of academic programmes offered by the university. Soon universities across the country would be replicating this model in their respective states as the University Grants Commission (UGC) has already recommended quotas in research studies.

In a policy decision notified in the gazette in July this year, the UGC has laid down that: "While granting admission to students to M.Phil/PhD programmes, the department/institute/school will pay due attention to the national / state reservation policy." This mandate forms part of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil/PhD Degree) Regulation, 2009.

Hitherto, higher educational institutions including state universities had largely confined communal quotas in admission of students into undergraduate and postgraduate courses alone. Earlier, the Supreme Court had ruled that reservations cannot be extended to students seeking admission into super-specialty academic programmes in professional courses.

Research studies in the field of arts and science, incidentally, are not considered to be super-specialty courses. Besides, the number of postgraduates who choose to pursue an M.Phil or PhD degree is abysmally low in India. Academics have often opined that there is a need to encourage more students to pursue doctoral studies, particularly in the field of basic sciences. In that context, introducing quota for the OBCs could help in increasing the number of research scholars in universities.

The UGC, however, has not directed the universities to extend any concession to students belonging to the reserved categories, namely Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes and Backward Classes (OBCs). "Therefore, the usual argument of anti-quota activists about merit being affected due to reservations would not arise," reasoned a professor of a government-aided college in Chennai.

The 2009 regulations make it clear that all universities including deemed universities and institutions of national importance "shall admit M.Phil doctoral students through an entrance test conducted at the level of individual university." However, the institution authorities can decide on setting separate terms and conditions for students who qualify the UGC/CSIR (Junior Research Fellow) examinations, National/State Eligibility Tests.

Admission will be based on the performance of aspirants in the entrance test and an interview to be conducted separately.

"These regulations have come into effect and therefore every university must adhere to it. The University of Madras has taken the lead by setting up a committee to work out the nitty-gritty for the smooth implementation of the communal reservations. It would be a matter of time before other universities adopt the regulations," the professor argued.

This quota is unlikely to kick up dust unlike the stormy protests witnessed when OBC quota was implemented in IITs and IIMs.

Quota system in PhD commences in all universities

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