Academicians bat for retd teachers as PhD guides
Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com
Mumbai:10.11.2018
Not recognizing retired teachers as PhD guides could lead to a further drop in the number of PhDs from Mumbai University, say academicians.
TOI, on Thursday, reported a 35% drop in the number of PhDs passing out from the university this year as compared to the previous year. Students have claimed shortage of guides is forcing many aspirants to drop out.
Data shows Mumbai University has not once crossed the 400-mark in PhDs, while the neighbouring Savitribai Phule Pune University produced 685 PhDs in 2018 alone. While most attributed the drop in numbers to the lack of recognised PhD guides, others said ad hoc constitution of research review committees, responsible for approving research proposals, could be a factor too.
Batting for retired teachers to be taken on as guides, V I Katchi, additional director at Bhavan’s College in Andheri, said, “Their expertise is intact. Not allowing them to guide students would mean underutilisation of resources. If lawyers and surgeons are allowed to practice even post retirement age, then why can teachers not guide students? It is not even a financial burden on the government and the university can have a pool of supervisors too.”
Katchi said teachers who are willing to pursue research should be allowed to do so.
While commerce and management remain the most popular subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level, few opt for PhD in these streams. The number of PhDs in law, too, has remained in single digits over the past four years, explaining why the university faces a serious shortage of approved law teachers. Data over the last four years shows most aspirants in Mumbai University pursue PhD in science and humanities.
Former dean of commerce, MU, Madhu Nair, said there could be two reasons for the shrinking numbers of PhDs. “Retired teachers and those on the verge of retirement are not allowed to guide students, leading to a serious shortage of guides in commerce faculty. Secondly, research review committees have not been properly constituted. RRCs meetings were delayed and proposals kept on hold for long around 2015,” said Nair.
Yogita.Rao@timesgroup.com
Mumbai:10.11.2018
Not recognizing retired teachers as PhD guides could lead to a further drop in the number of PhDs from Mumbai University, say academicians.
TOI, on Thursday, reported a 35% drop in the number of PhDs passing out from the university this year as compared to the previous year. Students have claimed shortage of guides is forcing many aspirants to drop out.
Data shows Mumbai University has not once crossed the 400-mark in PhDs, while the neighbouring Savitribai Phule Pune University produced 685 PhDs in 2018 alone. While most attributed the drop in numbers to the lack of recognised PhD guides, others said ad hoc constitution of research review committees, responsible for approving research proposals, could be a factor too.
Batting for retired teachers to be taken on as guides, V I Katchi, additional director at Bhavan’s College in Andheri, said, “Their expertise is intact. Not allowing them to guide students would mean underutilisation of resources. If lawyers and surgeons are allowed to practice even post retirement age, then why can teachers not guide students? It is not even a financial burden on the government and the university can have a pool of supervisors too.”
Katchi said teachers who are willing to pursue research should be allowed to do so.
While commerce and management remain the most popular subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate level, few opt for PhD in these streams. The number of PhDs in law, too, has remained in single digits over the past four years, explaining why the university faces a serious shortage of approved law teachers. Data over the last four years shows most aspirants in Mumbai University pursue PhD in science and humanities.
Former dean of commerce, MU, Madhu Nair, said there could be two reasons for the shrinking numbers of PhDs. “Retired teachers and those on the verge of retirement are not allowed to guide students, leading to a serious shortage of guides in commerce faculty. Secondly, research review committees have not been properly constituted. RRCs meetings were delayed and proposals kept on hold for long around 2015,” said Nair.
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