The Hindu : Karnataka News : Securing Ph.D. degree to become tough

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2011
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Securing Ph.D. degree to become tough

Krishnaprasad

Common regulation for all universities in the State suggested

Candidates enrolled in Ph.D. programmes have to submit half-yearly progress report
Those without 75 per cent attendance have to attend contact classes again

BANGALORE: You may not be able to continue the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programme in the universities in Karnataka even after clearing the entrance test and joining the course.

Yes, soon those who get selected for the Ph.D. degree programmes through the entrance test will have to appear for a comprehensive exam, carrying a total of 350 marks, and secure a minimum of 50 per cent in it to continue the Ph.D. programme.

This is one of the stringent norms suggested in the draft Common Regulations Governing the Ph.D. programme of Karnataka State Universities.

Draft

The draft has been prepared by a committee, headed by Mangalore University Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy, constituted by the Karnataka State Higher Education Council, to evolve a common regulation for Ph.D. programmes in State universities based on the regulations prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

While the UGC, since July 2009, has made entrance test mandatory for selection of candidates for the Ph.D. programme across the country, it had asked the universities to conduct a course work for selected students for a minimum of six months and left it to the discretion of the universities to prescribe a minimum qualification to clear the course work for continuing the programme.

Now, the committee has suggested that all universities will have to conduct course work, which should comprise study of three subjects — research methodology, cognate/core subject and field of specialisation.

Also, each of these subjects will have 48 contact hours and the candidates will have to secure 75 per cent attendance to become eligible to appear for the exam, which comprises 350 marks (three papers of 100 marks each and 50 marks for viva-voce). The candidates, who fail to get 75 per cent attendance, will have to attend the contact hours again.

Candidates, who fail in this exam will be allowed to take only one improvement exam within three months, and in case of failure again the provisional registration, done after the selection through entrance test and acceptance of research proposal, will be cancelled. The registration of only those candidates, who clear the course work exam, will be confirmed.

Deadline

Every candidate will have to submit half-yearly progress report to the chairperson of the department through his research supervisor/guide besides making a presentation once in a year on the progress made in that year and plan for the next year. Registration for the programme gets cancelled if a candidate fails to submit two consecutive half-yearly progress report in time.

Tenure

Candidates registered for full-time Ph.D. programme will get a minimum period of three years and maximum period of five years, to submit the thesis. Part-time candidates will get additional one year.

Under exceptional cases, an extension of one year would be granted, and under extraordinary circumstances another one year's extension would be provided. If not, the candidates will have to re-register for the programme again. As per the draft regulation, after award of Ph.D. degree, the thesis or any publication derived from the thesis work should become the property of the university, and the university shall rightfully share with the candidate and the supervisor for any copyright, patent or recognition to the thesis.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka