JOIN USCourse work mandatory for PhD
The rules will be in tune with the norms prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
According to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil/PhD Degree), Regulation, 2009, universities should conduct an entrance test before admitting doctoral students.
Interview
The test will be followed by an interview where students will discuss research interests.
Course work will be also made mandatory for a minimum of one semester, during which students will study research methodology that includes quantitative methods and computer application.
Presently, universities follow different rules with regard to doctoral programmes. While the one-year course work is compulsory in some varsities, in others, students are admitted directly for PhD. But the UGC will not recognise PhD programmes that have no course work.
Also, the procedure of registration, quality check, minimum and maximum time for submission of thesis and evaluation vary greatly in universities across the State.
In order to bring in uniformity in rules guiding PhD programmes, the members of the State Council for Higher Education have suggested constitution of a committee.
The vice-chancellors of universities will nominate senior faculty members to the panel. One of the vice-chancellors will be nominated to head the committee. A final decision on the proposal will be taken after six months, said a Council member.