Delay in thesis evaluation hits asst professors

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com
 

Vellore: Several assistant and associate professors of colleges affiliated to Thiruvalluvar University (TU) have been waiting for more than two years for their M Phil/Ph D degrees after submitting their theses.

According to Association of University Teachers (AUT) and the Tamil Nadu Government Colleges Teachers’ Association, the university has failed to adhere to the norms laid down by the UGC.

 The UGC had notified the ‘University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M Phil/Ph D Degrees) Regulations 2016’ in the gazette of India on July 5, 2016, which say that institutions should develop appropriate methods so as to complete the entire process of evaluation of M.Phil dissertation/Ph.D thesis within a period of six months from the date of submission of the dissertation or thesis.

University officials have been delaying the process of evaluation of the thesis for 18 months to 36 months. Several candidates have been waiting for nearly four years, according to members of the AUT.

“I submitted my thesis in mid-2014. Until today, the university has not processed its evaluation. When we approach the controller of examinations, he simply replies that it is being processed,” said a professor of Cheyyar Arignar Anna Government Arts College in Tiruvannamalai district.

“We are losing financially and academically by not getting our degree within the stipulated period,” said a maths assistant professor, who submitted her thesis in mid-2014. Eight other candidates who submitted their theses with her were also facing the same problem.

Controller of examinations (in-charge), B Senthil Kumar, said that there is no delay on the university’s part in awarding degrees. The delay is due to the response on the reports from the international or national level examiners. Vice-chancellor of varsity K Murugan also denied the charges and said that there is no such delay.