New Delhi, October 31: The PhD program at Patna University (PU) has come to a standstill in the current academic session with no new candidates registering in any stream. The enrollments in the PhD program have been withheld due to a reported delay in carrying out amendments in the existing provisions pertaining to PhD admissions.
The new PhD guidelines approved by the chancellor had been sent to all concerned universities last year. The PhD Admission Test (PAT) was conducted by PU in January this year as per the revised guidelines and the results were also prepared. However, some scholars made a representation to the chancellor challenging the selection criteria adopted by PU.
Selection only after proposed amendments get Chancellor approval
As per the information given by the Vice Chancellor of PU, the chancellor’s secretariat has initiated the process for required amendments to PHD regulations. The university would be able to finalise the names of the selected PhD scholars only after the proposed amendments are approved by the chancellor. In the meantime, PU senate has approved the revised regulations for D.Litt and D.Sc degrees. The same have already been approved by the academic council and sent to chancellor for his final approval.
The PhD program at the university has not been running smoothly in the past few years. Registration of PhD candidates at PU has remained suspended since the announcement of UGC’s revised regulations in 2016. The university was also considerably late in implementing the revised UGC guidelines of 2009. This had led many candidates who had qualified NET with fellowships to go to other universities as their registrations were getting delayed.
A gradual decline in PhD numbers
The university has witnessed a progressive decline in the number of PhD degrees awarded every year as well. 212 scholars had received their PhD degrees from PU in 2012-13 while in the following two sessions, the number reduced to 187 and 174 respectively. In 2015-16, only 52 candidates were awarded PhD degrees. There has been slight improvement in the figure following two years. 78 scholars, including 14 as per new guidelines, were awarded PhD degrees in 2016-17 while the number was 89, including 33 as per new guidelines, in 2017-18.
PhD programs have become more stringently regulated in the recent years, which is why many candidates find it difficult to complete the same. The mandatory course work (six months) makes it difficult for in-service candidates to pursue a regular PhD course. Requirement to publish authentic research papers, strict anti-plagiarism mechanisms have also led to a reduction in number of candidates actually completing PhD.
