Concern over adoption of UGC regulations

 A key point of contention was reduction in the number of Ph. D and M. Phil scholars a guide can have 

 

The Madurai Kamaraj University Senate meeting on Friday witnessed dramatic scenes over the resolution to adopt University Grants Commission’s (UGC) revised regulations of 2016 that define minimum standards to be followed for the award of M.Phil and Ph.D degrees.

A key point of contention was the reduction in the permissible number of Ph. D and M. Phil scholars a research guide can have at any given point. While the 2009 regulations allowed a research guide to have eight Ph. D candidates irrespective of their position, the new regulations allow eight Ph. D candidates only to research guides who are in ‘Professor’ rank. Those in Associate Professor and Assistant Professor ranks have been allowed only 6 and 4 Ph. D scholars respectively. Similar restrictions have also been placed for M. Phil scholars as well.

A group of students stormed into the hall, where Senate meeting was in progress, and raised slogans against adoption of the revised regulations by claiming that it will indirectly deny opportunities to large number of students to pursue research.
 
S. Nehru, Principal, Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, said that the revised regulations will considerably affect the possibility of research work in affiliated colleges. “The National Assessment and Accreditation Council demands that colleges give adequate focus on research. However, the revised regulations will affect the scope of research in colleges,” he said. He also questioned the decision to retrospectively adopt the regulations from 05 May 2016, when UGC notified the revised regulations, since it will affect the students who had registered after that date. “For instance, a student who registered for M. Phil on 10 May 2016 would have thought that his research duration will be 2 years. The revised regulations, however, say that M. Phil duration will be at least three years,” he said.

V. Venkatraman, Principal, Rajapalayam Rajus’ College, pointed out that M. Phil admissions in the upcoming academic year will be severely affected with MKU choosing to adopt the regulations now with only a couple of months left for the commencement of the next academic year.
V. Chinniah, Chairperson, School of Management Studies, urged that the decision should be postponed until the university gets a new Vice-Chancellor.

K. Ravichandran, Special Officer, MKU, however defended the resolution by stating that any further delay will adversely affect the Ph. D and M. Phil students since UGC had made made it mandatory for all the students who register after 05 May 2016 to follow the revised regulations. The resolution was passed in the Senate amidst opposition.