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UGC withdraws mandatory research publication before PhD thesis submission to enhance quality

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UGC considers scrapping rule on publishing research for PhD

The ugc is currently making amendments to the ugc regulations, 2016. the rule mandated phd scholars to publish at least one research paper in a ugc refereed/peer-reviewed journal before the submission of the dissertation/thesis for adjudication..

The University Grants Commission (UGC) plans to do away with the mandatory requirement of publishing research papers in peer reviewed journals for the submission of PhD thesis, officials said. The commission will allow higher education institutions to formulate their own rules and regulations on the matter. The reason for doing so is because many PhD students were resorting to publishing their articles in so-called predatory journals -- basically those that publish articles in return for a fee, without adequate due-diligence of the sort academic publications are expected to ensure.

The commission is currently making amendments to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D Degree) Regulations, 2016. Under the 2016 regulations, it was mandatory for PhD scholars to publish at least one research paper in a UGC refereed or peer reviewed journal before the submission of the dissertation/thesis for adjudication.

Under the new, 2022 regulations, the commission will replace the term mandatory with “strongly recommended”. The quality assessment of Phd degrees will be a responsibility of the universities and they are free to come up with their own guidelines in this regard

“This mandatory requirement led to a “journal business” in India. Making anything mandatory does not improve the quality of research. Therefore, UGC is now considering doing away with this requirement while strongly recommending research scholars to publish the research outcomes of their PhD in peer reviewed journals, apply for patents, and present in conferences,” UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told HT.

Kumar said that the commission may now ask the universities to frame their own guidelines regarding publication in research journals. “The higher education institutions may be allowed to decide if they want to keep this as a mandatory requirement or not, while maintaining the quality of research.”

HT reported on March 17 that the draft UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2022, proposed several changes including making undergraduates who have been the four-year programme and with a minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 7.5 eligible for PhD admissions. The draft was made public in March seeking suggestions from stakeholders. UGC is now compiling the suggestions and finalizing the regulations.

Members of the academic fraternity expressed concerns over UGC’s proposal.

Moushumi Basu, an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), said that the commission should have more checks and balances regarding publication instead of doing away with the requirement altogether.

“Firstly, the commission made the provision of allowing postgraduate and now graduate students to take admission in PhD programmes directly, Now, it is also removing the mandatory requirement of having the research paper published before the submission of thesis. This will eventually compromise the quality of research. Leaving it up to the Universities to decide will not work because no University would like to take the responsibility for this,” she said.

Rajesh Jha, a professor at Delhi University (DU), said that the constant changes in PhD requirements affect the overall quality of research. “During our time, this requirement of publishing research papers in peer reviewed journals was not there. UGC brought this change to improve the research quality. But, it failed to provide the required funds to keep up to the expectations (because of late release of scholarships and fellowships). It is now again planning to do away with this requirement. These continuous changes will confuse the research scholars and eventually affect the quality of their work,” he said.

MK Sridhar, member of the National Education Policy (2020) draft committee, disagreed.

"All these years, almost everything was very centralised and the UGC was specifying everything. But now, under the NEP 2020, the idea is to strengthen the universities and colleges. If you don’t strengthen them then they will not get into accreditation, subsequently autonomy. The NEP 2020 system says that the affiliation system has to go, and that will only be possible if you start strengthening the institutions. The idea is to let the institutions take the call. Over a period of time, every university will start taking responsibility, and that’s what the NEP 2020 advocates.”

“Secondly, this kind of unified approach all over the country has encouraged a lot of predatory journals. The move will help discourage that also,” he added.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) chairperson Anil Dattatraya Sahasrabudhe said the move will help improve the quality of research. “Whenever anything becomes mandatory the quality of work deteriorates. People tend to put their research thesis in predatory journals. That’s why the quality of research started slipping over the years,” he said.

Fareeha Iftikhar is a Special Correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. She tracks the education ministry, and covers the beat at the national level for the newspaper. She also writes on issues related to gender, human rights and different policy matters. ...view detail

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UGC asks VCs, principals to roll out revised PhD regulations

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday asked vice-chancellors and college principals to initiate necessary steps to implement the revised minimum standard and procedure for the award of PhD.

In the letter to higher educational institutions (HEIs), the UGC said that the new regulations are framed “to encourage research scholars to become well-trained researchers and inquisitive explorers.”

“All HEIs are requested to initiate necessary steps to implement the new regulations for the award of PhD,” the letter said.

The UGC replaced its rules notified in 2016 and brought the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022. The revised guidelines have changed the eligibility, admission and evaluation process. It has also done away with the mandatory requirement of publishing research papers in refereed journals.

The UGC notified the new regulations on November 7. As per the new regulations, students who have completed a four-year undergraduate course will also be eligible for direct admission to a doctorate programme.

The new rule said a candidate should have a minimum of 75 per cent marks in “aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed”, and in case the candidate does not have 75 per cent marks in a four-year undergraduate program, they have to pursue a one-year master’s programme and score at least 55 per cent.

PhD regulations of 2016 said that PhD scholars “must publish at least one (1) research paper in a refereed journal and make two paper presentations in conferences/seminars before the submission of the dissertation/thesis for adjudication.”

UGC Chairperson Professor M Jagadesh Kumar said that publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals might not be mandatory anymore, but it does not mean PhD scholars should stop doing that altogether.

“Focussing on high-quality research will lead to publications in good journals, even if it is not mandatory. It will add value when they apply for employment or post-doctoral opportunities,” he said.

The regulations are applicable with immediate effect from the date of notification. Any PhD registered after 1 July 2009 shall be governed by the rules of 2009 or 2016, the notification said.

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UGC revises basic requirements for PhD. Scholars, professors opine on what it means for academia

The University Grants Commission (UGC) released the Minimum Standards and Procedure for the Award of PhD Regulations, 2022, on November 14, 2022, which revised the requirements for PhD degrees as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. According to the new guidelines, MPhil and publication in a peer-reviewed journal are no longer mandatory. Among other changes is direct entry to a Doctoral programme after a four-year undergraduate degree or just a one-year Master's degree. The announced guidelines are effective immediately, as stated in the released notification: "All HEIs are requested to initiate necessary steps to implement the new regulations for the award of PhD." About the changes, an Economics professor of Visva-Bharati University (VBU) and the President of Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association, Sudipta Bhattacharyya tells  EdexLive , "The new ordinance has been framed in the line of National Education Policy whose goal is elimination and corporatisation of education."

Scholars and professors have varied views on these new changes, but mostly, they argue that the revision would make no difference. “The practice of publishing papers is now a standard and the number of publications matters. The journals and the prestige of the journals add additional weight to a profile. Without publication, you cannot enrol in any reputable universities. Thus, by removing the mandatory publication they did not accomplish anything,” says Bibu Binu Thomas, a PhD scholar from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal. In agreement with Bibu Thomas, another scholar, Sushree Ankita Jena, questions the point of the regulation by stating, "Now the brute reality is that no matter where you go for an academic job, a huge weightage is on publication, so, what is the point?"

Removal of MPhil — waste of time, lack of experience or method of elimination?

MPhil has been completely removed as a prerequisite for enrolment in PhD programmes. While a few scholars welcome the decision calling MPhil "a waste of time", others consider it a necessary experience for a PhD. "A student is thrust into research without any prior experience though they can get that through PhD; MPhil served as a sort of bridge," states Rudra Prasad Behera, an MPhil scholar from Ravenshaw University, Odisha. Again, approving the change, VBU Prof Kausik Bhattacharya argues, "MPhil was never necessary; just an intermediary degree between postgraduation and PhD. A waste of time, in my opinion." 

However, Economics professor Sudipta Bhattacharyya considers the move a method of elimination. "Drop of MPhil is again to eliminate a huge number of people from the job market as PhD is a time-taking exercise," he says. 

PhD without publication of papers In the new regulations, the mandatory publication of papers in peer-reviewed journals has been removed. Previously, PhD candidates were required to publish "at least one (1) research paper in a refereed journal and make two paper presentations in conferences/seminars before the submission of the dissertation/thesis for adjudication” as per the 2016 regulations. This means that the decision to publish a paper is at the scholar's discretion.

Prof Rudra Prasad Behera opines, "PhD without publication, I believe, is like  biryani  without  elaichi ; it will work, but the aroma will be missing." However, Professor Kausik Bhattacharya notes that the requirement for mandatory publication resulted in the release of articles of low quality, "To publish any useless paper makes no sense. It cannot merely be a way to create a profile. Forced publication accomplished nothing more than pushing mass publication of subpar research papers." 

Shruthi Madhu, a PhD student at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), concurs with both Professors Bhattacharya and Behera and states, "On one hand UGC did this to do away with this pressure and in the process producing low-quality papers just for the sake of publishing. That might have been the agenda why this guideline was removed, but as a result, the push to do solid research work is no longer there and one would feel much less enthusiastic about publishing them." Shruthi continues by stating that if a candidate wants to continue their education abroad, the lack of published papers may hinder their future. "Universities abroad require you to show some work outside your PhD and candidates from other countries typically will have their PhD thesis along with numerous research papers. Although it is great that there is no strict mandate to publish a paper, it could also have unintended consequences," she remarks. 

It might also be interesting to take note of the fact that the UGC's list of journals was not always up to the mark and Prof Sudipta Bhattacharyya reminds us that many reputed journals were dropped from the list. "UGC excluded reputable journals like Economic and Political Weekly for Social Sciences and, as a damage control that dropped the provision of publication as a condition of promotion and appointment," alleges Prof Bhattacharyya. 

Is direct admission to PhD a boon or curse? Are students mature or experienced enough after a four-year course to enrol into PhD? Will this enable aspiring academicians to hasten a convenient employment search? Does a speedy process help students learn fast? These are the concerns that crop up in the face of the most drastic change in the new regulations of the UGC. "Direct enrolment into PhD after graduation, I think, is a naive move as the quality required for becoming a scholar will be rare in the mass of undergrads," says Rudra Prasad Behera. Meanwhile, Prof Kausik Bhattacharya asserts that the regulation has no bearing. "If you cannot make any changes at the fundamentals or create a vigour for research, there is no relevance to these changes," he remarks, adding, "The education system is not helping students in any way. These are insignificant changes." 

Professor of Delhi University, Rajib Roy, echoes Prof Bhattacharya when he notes the insignificance of these modifications and says, "MPhil was a breathing period and it helped me, but now one can directly enrol into PhD. You can argue that this will hasten the employment search, but then why are so many doctorates unemployed? These nomenclature changes never made any substantial changes." He concludes with crucial questions, "It is essential thus to ask why are so many overqualified students unemployed and why are there so little quality research done despite the number of papers produced?"

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NEW DELHI: After proposing amendments to the existing guidelines for PhD programmes in March, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has now made extensive changes in regulations on PhD admissions.

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As per the revised PhD eligibility criteria, candidates with a four-year undergraduate degree with a minimum 75% marks or its equivalent grade will be eligible for a PhD.

Such candidates can register after completing a one-year master’s programme after a four-year bachelor’s programme. Students who have completed a conventional three-year bachelor’s degree must complete a two-year master’s degree programme with at least 55% marks or its equivalent grade to be eligible.

Currently, several universities ask for MPhil dissertation for admission to PhD programmes, however, the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) does not endorse the degree. By scrapping MPhil, a preparatory degree for PhD programmes, in the new regulations UGC has aligned the admission requirements with the NEP 2020.

One of the primary changes is the scrapping of 2016 regulations that made publishing a research paper in a peer-reviewed publication a requirement for a PhD. A section of students has called the step one that could “hamper academic rigour” as well as impedes inclusivity in higher education. Despite the relaxation, the All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) has urged the backward class PhD aspirants to work on producing quality research papers .

The UGC has asked higher educational institutes to initiate steps to implement new PhD regulation on Monday.

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What are the changes in the PhD admission process?

The UGC has dropped the plan to reserve 60 percent of the total seats for applicants who have qualified the National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). Universities and colleges will admit students through the NET or JRF entrance route as well as institute-level entrance exams.

The institute-level entrance test, however, must assign 70% weightage to the entrance test scores and 30% to the performance in the interview or viva-voce. “The entrance test syllabus shall consist of 50% of research methodology, and 50% shall be subject specific,” the new guidelines state.

In the entire duration of the PhD programme, female candidates will be eligible for a maternity leave or child care leave for up to 240 days.

Can MPhil students apply for PhD?

Even though MPhil has been scrapped in the new regulations, the UGC has made provisions for PhD admissions for those who already have an Mphil degree. Candidates who have completed M.Phil. programmes with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in a foreign educational institute will be eligible for admission to PhD programme in India.

A relaxation of 5% marks has been provided to students who belong to historically marginalised Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Castes communities. The same relaxation has also been given to differently-abled, and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students as well.

How will research supervisors be allocated in PhD?

Like before, eligible professors, associate professors and assistant professors can continue to guide up to eight, six, and four PhD candidates respectively at any given time.

In case of interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research work, if required, UGC rules allow engaging a co-supervisor from outside the department, college or university.

Teachers with less than three years of service before superannuation will not be allowed to take new research scholars under their supervision. However, they can continue to supervise PhD scholars as co-supervisors before attaining the age of 70.

Earlier, teachers were allowed to take up MPhil students along with PhD scholars. After the new rules come into force, this will be discontinued. The new rules also allow supervisors to guide up to two international research scholars on a supernumerary basis “over and above the permitted number of PhD scholars”.

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What are the new PhD academic requirements?

A PhD scholar will have to earn a minimum of 12 credits which should include a course in “research

and publication ethics”. As per the latest UGC regulations, a PhD candidate will have to appear before a research advisory committee to make a presentation and submit a brief report on the progress for evaluation every semester. In case the progress is unsatisfactory, the committee will “record the reasons” and suggest corrective measures.

All scholars will mandatorily have to undergo training in teaching, education, pedagogy or writing related to their chosen PhD subject. For this, four to six weeks will be assigned to earn credits.

To retain research integrity, the UGC regulations also direct institutions to use “ well-developed software” applications to detect plagiarism in research work. In 2018, the ministry of education had notified stringent measures to counter the long-standing issue of plagiarism in PhD thesis.

What are the part-time PhD UGC guidelines?

The eligibility conditions are the same for both full-time and part-time candidates. Like the former, the part-time candidates will also be assessed every semester.

In addition, the PhD candidates will also have to produce a no-objection certificate or NOC from their employer to be eligible. The NOC must specify that they will be given sufficient time for research work and they will be allowed to take time off to complete the course work.

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Publishing Research Papers in Journals No Longer Mandatory to Get PhD: UGC

Curated By : Education and Careers Desk

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Last Updated: November 10, 2022, 13:44 IST

New Delhi, India

UGC chairman asked universities to ensure research scholars are trained to publish in peer-reviewed journals and apply for patents where feasible (Representational image)

Earlier, as per UGC norms, the MPhil scholars were required to present at least one research paper while PhD scholars had to present two research papers at conferences or seminars prior to submitting their thesis

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has omitted the mandatory requirement of having research papers published in peer-reviewed journals before submitting a PhD thesis. Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson of the UGC, said that by eliminating the mandatory publication requirement, the higher education regulator has recognised that a “one-size-fits-all” approach is not desirable, he told The Tribune.

The MPhil scholars were required to present at least one research paper at a conference or seminar. On the other hand, PhD scholars had to present two research papers at conferences or seminars and publish at least one paper in a refereed journal prior to submitting their thesis. However, in the new regulations for the doctoral programme released on November 7, the commission has removed this requirement.

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Prof Kumar elaborated on the need to avoid a unified approach to assessing all disciplines by pointing out that many doctoral scholars in computer science prefer to present their papers at conferences instead of publishing them in journals.

Kumar, however, added that he does not believe that PhD scholars should stop publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals altogether. He urged the universities to ensure that the PhD evaluation process is strengthened, and research scholars are trained to publish in peer-reviewed journals and apply for patents where feasible.

The UGC chairman said that students can pursue PhD degrees in subjects other than those in which they completed their post-graduate studies but, universities must change their policies to allow this type of migration. “NEP 2020 encourages multi-disciplinary education. Universities need to modify their ordinances to facilitate such migration from one discipline to another,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the commission has also abandoned its plan to involve universities and colleges to reserve a minimum of 60 per cent of their annual doctoral candidate intake for NET or JRF-qualified students. The UGC proposed in the draught regulations released in March that NET / JRF-qualified students fill 60 per cent of the total vacant seats in a higher education institute during an academic year.

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UGC notifies new regulations on PhD degrees, here's what has changed

The ugc has announced new norms for phd degrees that include significant modifications to the qualifications for admission, the application process, and the evaluation procedures.

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Explained | New regulations for awarding PhDs 

Jagriti chandra.

The story so far: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made sweeping changes in its latest regulations governing the award of PhDs. Important changes such as abolishing of MPhils, relaxing course work for obtaining PhDs and allowing candidates to register for a PhD after finishing four years of a graduation programme, have been seen as steps that could lead to diminishing academic rigour as well as impediments to inclusivity in higher education.

What are the key changes?

The UGC on November 7, 2022 notified the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022. One of the notable changes it made was to the evaluation and assessment criteria for the award of the degree, where it has waived the need to mandatorily publish a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal. This is accompanied by completely abolishing MPhil, which has been a gateway for PhD programmes, in line with the recommendation in the National Education Policy 2020. The eligibility criteria for admissions too have been revised, and a candidate can register after completing a one-year (or two semester) master’s degree programme after a four-year (or 8-semester) bachelor’s degree programme or a two-year (or four-semester) master’s degree programme after a three-year bachelor’s degree programme with at least 55% marks or its equivalent grade.

There are also important changes to course work. Earlier, the description of course work candidates needed to finish was more detailed, with at least four credits assigned to courses on research methodology. Candidates were also required to finish this either in the first semester, or by the second semester. Only candidates who were awarded MPhil or had completed their MPhil were exempted. But the new regulations leave it more open ended and says that all PhD scholars “shall be required to train in teaching/ education/ pedagogy/ writing related to their chosen PhD subject.” They can also now be assigned 4-6 hours per week of teaching/research assistantship for conducting tutorial, or laboratory work and evaluations.

The UGC now also allows part-time PhDs, a practice that was disallowed under the 2009 and 2016 regulations.

How will research scholars be evaluated under the new regulations?

PhD scholars will be required to undertake research work after completing their course work, make a presentation and produce a draft dissertation or thesis. If the evaluation of the submission is satisfactory, the candidate will have to defend the thesis in a public viva voce. They will not have to publish a research paper in refereed journal and make two paper presentations in conferences or seminars before submitting the thesis. The Chairman of UGC M. Jagadesh Kumar says that while publishing a paper in a peer-reviewed journal is not mandatory anymore in order to curb unethical practices such as pay-to-publish or plagiarism, students should be motivated and trained to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences. He says that a one-size-fits-all approach is not desirable as doctorals in computer science prefer presenting their papers at conferences rather than publishing them in journals. Former UGC Chairman and Ambedkarite, Sukhdaeo Thorat, welcomed the move to discontinue publishing papers in journals as it would often lead poor candidates to pay to get published like their peers, as well as put them at a disadvantage as they wouldn’t have contacts to get published. However, Jamia Milia Islamia Professor Furqan Qamar says that while these concerns are valid, there is a need to provide enhanced and cost-effective opportunities to the researcher to publish as there is a limited availability of quality journals but far more researchers. He cites from the Scopus database of scientific publications for 2020 to point out that India accounted for only 4.52% of total research papers in the world though it accounts for 12% of the global faculty pool.

Are there other concerns?

Experts like Professor Thorat say that discontinuing MPhils, along with the introduction of four-year BA course and 2-year MA course with multiple exits will hurt socially disadvantaged groups who may not be able to pay for longer-duration courses and may have to exit earlier, which will put them at a disadvantage in the job market. He adds that while a four-year Bachelors course will allow some students to pursue Masters abroad without studying for one more year, others will be discriminated against. Though UGC says the move is intended to attract younger students for research.

There are also concerns over diminishing scholarships and fellowships to support PhD scholars as well as severe shortage of teachers, impacting the number of research supervisors available.

“Until the 2009 regulations were notified, the award of PhDs, their evaluation, course-work was not regulated. Part-time PhDs were also widely prevalent. In 2016, these were strengthened and publishing a paper in peer-reviewed journals was made mandatory. However, the changes being brought in the latest regulations take us back to the pre-2009 era,” says Professor Qamar.

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Home » News » UGC Withdraws Mandatory Research Publication Before Ph.D. Completion

UGC Withdraws Mandatory Research Publication Before Ph.D. Completion

New Delhi, October 6, 2022, UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has withdrawn the mandatory guideline regarding research paper publication before the final submission of the Ph.D. thesis by research scholars. This decision has been made to improve the standard and quality of doctoral research. Also, the publication of a research paper is a time-consuming process, and making it compulsory to publish a research paper puts undue pressure on students.

Moreover, the students can join Ph.D. programmes upon completion of their four-year undergraduate degree. It is anticipated that there may be an increase in the number of students if they are given an option to opt for Ph.D. immediately after graduation.

UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022 – Reasons for Withdrawal

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) conducted a recent study featuring 2,573 research scholars across central universities and the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs).
• Based on the research, it has been found that mandatory publication has not helped universities maintain research quality, as about 75% of the submissions are not in quality Scopus-indexed journals.

UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022 – Expert Comments

Pertaining to UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022, the following comments have been made by experts regarding withdrawal of mandatory guideline regarding research paper publications and allowing graduate students to pursue Ph.D.:

The Chairperson of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said, “Some people erroneously think that mandatory publication of a research paper before the submission of a Ph.D. thesis decides its quality. On the contrary, high-quality Ph.D. thesis work leads to quality publications.”

• Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar also said, “If the quality of research work is monitored properly, students can start writing papers well before the submission of their Ph.D. thesis. By the time the student submits the Ph.D. thesis, a couple of papers may get accepted.”
• The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), B.J. Rao said, “India is amongst the top few nations in terms of the number of research papers we publish annually. However, the quality of work being done or the journals where these papers get published is not at par with global standards.”
• B.J. Rao also said, “Imparting soft skills such as writing research papers is also a major responsibility for institutes. Research guides and committees will now be responsible to ensure that the topic of research that is chosen by scholars is unique and has the potential to get published in quality journals.”
• Further, he said, “A change in mindset is needed to understand that cutting down the number of pre-PhD years will not adversely affect a scholar’s ability to do quality research. Research is an interest-driven activity, which will be enhanced if students are given the right guidance at every step.”
• Uma Shanker Pandey, Research Supervisor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Calcutta, said, “During graduation, students are given an orientation in conducting research, correct methodology, and related tools. However, now colleges will have to impart a more structured format of introducing students to their journey as a Ph.D. scholar.”

UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Why has ugc withdrawn the guideline regarding mandatory research paper publication before the final submission of the ph.d. thesis by research scholars.

Under UGC Ph.D. Regulations 2022, UGC has withdrawn the guideline regarding mandatory research paper publication before the final submission of the Ph.D. thesis by research scholars to improve the quality of research publications and doctoral research. Also, the publication of a research paper is a time-consuming process, and making it mandatory to publish a research paper puts undue pressure on students.

Can students pursue a Ph.D. after graduation?

Now, the students can join Ph.D. programmes upon completion of their four-year undergraduate degree.

What is the take of UGC’s Chairperson on withdrawing the mandatory guideline regarding research paper publication before the final submission of the Ph.D. thesis by research scholars?

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P hd after MBBS should be started by the Universities in every clinical,para clinical and nonclinical subjects to enhance the research and enovation in medical field . No fee should be changed by college and every student should be given stipend .

UGC Recommendations are good and need implementation. In addition to the above Second class Master Degree holders can be taken without restricting to 55 percent as this aspect is not stated in Recommendations

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