Not mandatory to publish in journals before final PhD thesis: UGC

Source: The post is based on the article “Not mandatory to publish in journals before final PhD thesis: UGC” published in Indian Express on 9th November 2022. 

What is the News?

University Grants Commission(UGC) has issued the final UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022.

What are the key provisions of UGC PhD Regulations,2022?

Firstly, UGC has scrapped the mandatory requirement of getting research papers published in peer-reviewed journals before the final submission of a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis.

– Earlier, it was mandatory for M Phil scholars to publish at least one research paper in a conference or seminar and for PhD scholars to publish at least one research paper in a refereed journal and make two paper presentations in conferences or seminars before the submission of their thesis for adjudication.

Note: This decision was taken after the Indian Express had published a series of investigative reports on how India has emerged as one of the biggest markets for sub-standard research journals with many doctoral candidates getting their papers published for a fee.

Secondly, UGC has dropped its plan to make universities and colleges reserve at least 60% of their annual intake of doctoral candidates for NET or JRF-qualified students.

Thirdly, it has retained the provision of part-time PhDs that is primarily targeted at working professionals aspiring to obtain doctoral degrees. IITs already allow such programmes. 

Fourthly, those joining PhD programmes after a four-year UG programme can do so after a one-year master’s degree, while graduates of conventional three-year UG degrees need to have completed two-year master’s degrees.

Fifthly, to ensure the quality of their output, earlier, research scholars had to appear before a Research Advisory Committee once in six months and present the progress of their work for evaluation and further guidance. They will now have to do so each semester now.