MPhil/PhD degrees puts job seekers in plight

Updated on: Monday, November 30, 2009

Chennai: No value for M.Phil and PhD degree holders through correspondence / distance education from leading universities, where the same universities refuse to approve their qualifications.

Over 20 candidates who have qualified for appointment as teachers in government-aided colleges are unable to get the stamp of legitimacy.

The genesis of the problem is this. In June 2006, the government convened a meeting of vice-chancellors of all universities where it was decided to dispense with the system of offering M.Phil and PhD degree courses through distance education from the academic year 2007-08 to enforce quality in higher degree programmes.

However, based on this decision, the government in March this year issued an order (GO Ms No 91) in which it very ambiguously said: 'The government have now examined the matter in detail and hereby declare that the M.Phil and PhD degrees obtained through correspondence / distance education / open university system are ineligible for government appointments and appointment as lecturers in colleges / universities including self-financing colleges.'

The order was surprisingly silent on whether M.Phil and PhD degrees certificates obtained through distance education prior to 2007-08 too would be retrospectively declared as a mere piece of paper.

On the basis of this vague order, authorities of some institutions including the University of Madras have refused to grant qualification approval to nearly two dozen lecturers appointed in government-aided colleges recently.

'Any interpretation that this order will have retrospective effect is highly illogical and ridiculous. How can any government order relating to issues of academic qualification be given a retrospective effect? In fact, till 2007-08, a majority of the state run institutions including the University of Madras, Madurai Kamaraj University, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Bharathiar University, Bharathidasan University, and Periyar University had offered M.Phil and PhD degrees through correspondence education. Now how these universities deny appointment to those who possess degrees awarded by their own institutions,' asked a college teacher.

The affected teachers and teachers associations are now urging the government to remove the ambiguity in the government order and make it clear that it would have only prospective effect.

MPhil/PhD degrees puts job seekers in plight

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