Concern over MKU decision on M.Phil, Ph.D guides
Academicians say it will be a violation of UGC norms
The decision of Madurai Kamaraj University to allow qualified faculty members from self-financing colleges to guide M. Phil and Ph.D scholars and subsequently permit the colleges to set up research centres has caused apprehension among a section of academicians, who allege it will be a violation of University Grants Commission’s norms and bring down quality of research.
The decision was announced recently by Vice-Chancellor P.P. Chellathurai, who said the move was to offset reduced research opportunities for students following implementation of UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil. / Ph.D degrees) Regulations of 2016, which brought down the number of research scholars an Associate or Assistant Professor could guide at any given time.
However, academicians point out that the decision would be in violation of the same regulations. “According to Section 6.2 of these regulations, only “a full- time regular teacher” can act as a research supervisor (or guide). However, the concept of full-time regular teachers did not exist in self-financing colleges,” said a Principal of a government-aided college here.
A faculty member teaching postgraduate students said almost all staff members were engaged on a temporary basis for paltry salaries. “Instead of retaining staff for long and incrementing their salary every year, most of the colleges prefer that they leave in a few years,” he said.
Many faculty members did not even have the mandatory qualification-approval, which had to be obtained from the university soon after appointment. Granting recognition to these faculty members would bring down quality of research, he said and wondered how they could be entrusted to guide scholars for a few years when their continuation in the college itself was uncertain.
Welcoming the university move, the Principal of college in Virudhunagar district said the university could impose additional conditions. “For instance, it must be insisted that the teaching staff seeking recognition as a guide should be teaching postgraduate students for the past 10 years,” he said.
Acknowledging the problems, Mr. Chellathurai said that adequate conditions would be imposed to ensure quality.
“Apart from mandatory conditions as per UGC norms like possessing a Ph. D and publication of articles in refereed journals, we will also get undertakings from the colleges that those who are granted recognition as research supervisors would be on permanent employment roll. This will benefit them as well since their employment will be guaranteed,” he said.
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