JOIN USPhD data: Professors flouting UGC guidelines pulled up
Attempts to compile the list of PhD scholars in University of Mysore (UoM), has been met with some resistance, with a few departments yet to submit details regarding the same.
The issue was discussed at length during the Academic Council meeting of the varsity on Wednesday, with suggestions to stop the salaries of guides, who do not submit a list of the number of scholars they were guiding.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chancellor of the varsity K S Rangappa, said that the situation of doctoral studies at the varsity was “very bad”, and some guides were “an insult to the profession of teaching”. Some professors, he said, were not working towards bringing out quality research material by encouraging PhD students to take up research.
Such an attitude should be controlled to ensure the quality of PhD awarded at the varsity.
Guidelines
As per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, a recognised PhD guide could guide only eight PhD students at a time.
Of the eight, five are students under general category, two foreign students and one under reservation category. However, at the varsity, “several” guides were learnt to have research scholars in excess of the stipulated ratio.
Registrar (Evaluation) Shrijay Devraj Urs complained that compiling of the data was taken up only recently, and it had not been maintained during the past four years.
“When the varsity started gathering data, to ensure that UGC ratio of research scholars per guide was met, some departments did not provide the data, while some instructors were found to have furnished false data. Some others have refused to reveal the data,” he said.
Urs said that the varsity had collected data of around 4,000 PhD students. The list of PhD students and their guides will be uploaded on the web soon and steps will be taken to ensure that the guides strictly follow the guidelines, he said.
Relax norms
The discussion was the result of a memorandum submitted by students of Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies at the varsity.
They had urged the varsity to relax norms in the case of Kannada students, as not many foreign students were keen on taking up doctoral studies in Kannada. Therefore, the varsity should relax norms to allow research guides in Kannada, to guide local students, in slots reserved for foreigners.
The memorandum was rejected on the grounds that all departments would submit similar demands in the future, which would force the varsity to violate UGC guidelines.
New courses
The Academic Council also decided to start four new courses, Genetics and Genomics, Organic Chemistry, Molecular Biology and University of Mysore School of Law and Public Administration, from the next academic year (2015-16).
The varsity, Rangappa said, had sought Rs 28 crore from the State government, which was declined. The government is ready to approve the courses without any financial commitment on its part, he said.
Vacant posts
Noting that the varsity had 211 vacant posts, Rangappa said that 150 posts of teaching staff had been approved by the government.
The remaining 60 seats will also be approved shortly. Some departments, which have only few students will be closed, so that the teaching staff could be hired for departments with more students, he said.