JNU Scraps Integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. Course

Many students who have applied for entrance test to seek admission in integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course offered by Jawaharlal Nehru University were disappointed with the latest decision of varsity administration. The authorities of JNU have clarified that the varsity has scrapped integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course and the students who have applied for the integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. entrance exam will be considered for the admission to M.Phil course only. The declaration was made public by the varsity and was mentioned in the admit cards provided to students for JNU entrance exam, which is scheduled to take place from December 23 to December 27, 2017.

Until now, JNU had offered an integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course through which students were allowed to sit for an entrance exam at the M.Phil stage. Students who were selected for the admission to M.Phil course had a chance to seek admission in Ph.D. course provisionally after the completion of M.Phil. The students were promoted to the Ph.D. course if they score a prescribed CGPA in M.Phil.

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Now, JNU has made M.Phil a terminal degree programme, and students who wish to pursue Ph.D. will have to appear for an entrance exam. These students will not be given admission into Ph.D. provisionally. The authorities of JNU claimed that they had taken this decision during the 144 ^th Academic Council meeting held on December 1, 2017.

The Teachers’ Association of JNU termed the decision of varsity as ‘illegal’ and demanded the administration to roll back the decision. President of JNUTA claimed that the varsity had not taken any decision to scrap integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course during the 144 ^th Academic Council meeting. There was no discussion in this regard during the meeting, and the decision of the varsity is unilateral, she pointed.

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Adding further, JNUTA President mentioned that the varsity announced Direct Ph.D. in the prospects, and the intake for different integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. programmes was decided at par with the components of an integrated programme. The syllabus of the entrance exam were also finalised on the same basis. Scrapping the integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course at the last moment was not judicial, she stated.

JNUTA and JNU Students’ Union have decided to address this issue and demand the administration to roll back the decision.

On the other hand, Rector I of JNU, Chintamani Mahapatra clarified that the decision to scrap integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course was passed in AC. The move was taken to open up competition for non-JNU students at the Ph.D. stage. The varsity had given advance notice to students who applied for the integrated M.Phil/Ph.D. course, he said.