Quality of Ph.D. Research
While no dedicated study for assessing the quality of Ph.D research in the country has been undertaken, as informed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the UGC Review Committee constituted by the Central Government in July, 2014 has observed that there is a Mushroom growth of substandard Ph.D. degrees. The report of the Committee further observed that acquiring Ph.D. degree has now become a necessity in view of the minimum qualification for recruitment at entry level and requirements for promotion. In order to serve national purpose of maintaining standards of Higher Education and to bring uniformity in the procedure of award of M.Phil / Ph.D. Degree UGC has framed UGC (Minimum Standard and Procedure for the awards of M.Phil/Ph.D. Degree), Regulation 2009. These Regulations have been notified in the Gazette of India dated 11th-17th July, 2009 and are available at UGC website www.ugc.ac.in . The UGC has written, on 6th July, 2015, to the Vice-Chancellors of all Universities that it has come to the notice of the UGC that some Universities are hiring the services of the Supervisors who do not happen to be the regular teachers of the Universities or its affiliated Post Graduate (PG) colleges/ Institutes awarding the M.Phil/ Ph.D. degree. It has been observed that this practice is in violation of UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award of M.Phil/Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2009.
The UGC has advised the Vice-Chancellors that Universities shall allocate the supervisor from amongst the regular faculty members in a department or its affiliated PG Colleges/ Institutes depending on the number of students per faculty member, the available specialization among the faculty supervisors and the research interest of the student. It has been further clarified by the UGC that any Ph.D. / M.Phil degree awarded by a University under the supervision of a Supervisor who is not a faculty member of the University or its affiliated PG Colleges/ Institutes would be in violation of UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award of M.Phil./ Ph.D Regulations, 2009.)
This information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha question.
