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Thanks to Skype or other modes of video conferencing scholar pursuing Ph. D at Delhi University can appear viva through these medium.
The varsity has also made it mandatory that the thesis submitted by the Ph.D. scholars pass a "plagiarism check" and procured specialized software for it.
"Earlier the students had to appear in person for their viva for Ph.D. programmes. So, the ones who had completed their thesis and were offered any opportunities abroad, they had to travel back for the process. Now the whole process has been done away with,” reveals a senior official of the university to media.
"The students willing to appear for viva through Skype or other modes of video-conferencing need to inform their respective departments in advance. Similarly, if certain expert on interview panel is unable to come in person, then the viva will be arranged through similar modes," he added.
Already Unversity Grants Commission (UGC), has instructed all the universities to take the measure as to stop plagiarism in the Ph.D. thesis. DU has made it mandatory that all the theses submitted will be subjected to plagiarism check using specialised software.
"There is certain software which are available over the Internet too but they do not yield foolproof results. We are procuring certain specialised software to ensure the scholars cannot do any cut-paste job," the same official reveals.
The varsity has amended its Ph.D. ordinance in accordance with UGC Regulation, 2009 (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. degree) and UGC Regulation, 2010 (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education).
The amendments were approved during an Executive Council (EC) meeting of the varsity last week. The varsity has also increased the time span for finishing Ph.D. from four years to up to 6.5 years. Earlier, the students used to get four years and there was a provision for an extension of six months, reveals the same official.
While the admission process for Ph.D. programmes is varied from department to department, it has now been made mandatory to admit the students only through an entrance test.
The move on the part of the varsity has brought lots of resentment to the student pursuing Ph.D. programmes.
"Only Ph.D. students have been a target. Why can it not be implemented from top to bottom and not vice versa? Questions as students from DU.
(With Input from PTI)
