‘Isec has to get varsity or deemed varsity tag to grant PhD’

The Higher Education Department has not approved the proposal, submitted by the Institute of Social and Economic Change (Isec), to get the PhD degree awarding authority. 

Responding to the request submitted by the 50-year-old premier institute seeking degree awarding autonomy, the department said it has to get the university status under the state government or Deemed to be University status from UGC. However, authorities of Isec said that the proposal is still under consideration.

Speaking to DH, Prof D Rajajashekar, director of the Institute, said, “It is not that the proposal was rejected. The government has sought more clarifications.” Rajashekar said Isec has requested the government to declare it as a state institute of excellence. Currently, the institute is dependent on the University of Mysore and the Bangalore University to award the PhD degrees, though it houses around 100 research scholars under various central scholarships. 

“We choose PhD candidates through all-India entrance test. We had requested the government for degree-awarding autonomy. Hence, it is an autonomous institute. We have also requested for status of state institute of excellence so that we can grant degrees,” he said.