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Nearly 400-500 PhD students from the University of Mumbai hang in balance as UGC has sent a circular to the University as 10-15 per cent of the guides are neither working as teachers in any of the university departments nor any affiliated PG college.
Based on the circular, no state university can offer PhD beyond their jurisdiction thus making those aspirants ineligible who are doing PhD through distance education mode or through universities in other states.
“It had come to the notice of the governing body that many universities in the country have been circumventing the provisions of Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of MPhil/PhD regulations of 2009 by utilising the services of adjunct faculty as supervisors. The circular reiterates that only regular faculty can be appointed as research supervisors and aberrations by the university the UGC Act of 1956 will be invoked against them and the university will be blacklisted” said a circular issued by secretary UGC to the University.
This circular by the UGC is the second circular issued by the UGC with the first one being issued on July 6.
MU has been appointing research supervisors or guides from other universities that include both within and outside the state due to the high demand for MPhil and PhD courses for various subjects.
Report from sources said that nearly 10 to 15 per cent of guides appointed by the university in different streams are not regular teachers in university departments or any of the affiliated colleges offering post-graduate courses. This phenomenon is prevalent in almost all streams including Arts, Science, Commerce, Law and Technology. As a result of this nearly 400-500 students doing research under them would become ineligible.
“The joint director of education office has deemed that the PhD done from some of the universities from other states is invalid and hence those who did their PhDs there are now having to redo it from local universities,” said an academician.
“We will ask UGC for clarification regarding the circular and its implications. It is an important issue and a collective decision to apply the norms of the UGC need to be thought of, said an official of MU.
