Panjab University: Pay another Rs 25,000 per year if you don’t finish PhD in 6 years

The Panjab University (PU) issued a circular across all departments by which research scholars now have to complete their PhDs in a maximum of six years beyond that they will have to pay Rs 25,000 for each year.

Also, the PhDs cannot be extended beyond eight years in case of men and 10 years in women, failing to do so their registration will automatically be cancelled.

However, earlier exceptional circumstances condonation beyond eight years used to be considered by the university’s governing bodies on the recommendation of the supervisor and chairperson with reasons.

From women the fee will be charged if they extend it beyond eight years.

“The punishment of Rs 25,000 fine is unjustified. Sometimes, it takes more time to complete PhD as it depends on time taken in data collection. I have collected data from 19 states and even if there is a delay of one month, the fine will be the same. It should be charged month wise,” said Mukesh Kumar, research scholar of School of Communication Studies, PU.

The circular dated June 29 says that extensions beyond 6 years can be granted by the dean of university instructions (DUI) on the recommendation of chairperson and supervisor. The circular is based on UGC regulations on PhDs dated May 5, 2016.

Another new requirement is that a PhD scholar has to publish at least one research paper in referred journal and make two paper presentations in conferences or seminars before the submission of thesis for adjudication. Earlier, the requirement was of publication in any journal with International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

For research supervisors, the new conditions say that any regular professor with at least five research publications in refereed journals and any regular associate or assistant professor with a PhD degree and at least two research publications in refereed journals will be recognised.

However, it can be relaxed if there are not enough refereed journals with reasons recorded in writing.

The entire process of evaluation of PhD thesis should be complete within 4 months from the date of submission. The circular has also made it mandatory that external examiners should not be repeated within a period of 6 months and also two persons from the same city but from different institutions may be suggested in the panel of examiners. Foreign experts will be encouraged.

The copy of thesis has to be dispatched to examiner within a week of submission.

A professor can have eight research scholars, associate professor can have six and assistant professor can have four. Earlier, all could have eight.

‘WHY DELAYED IT FOR YEAR’

“The UGC regulations should have been adopted from the date when they were published which is of last year. We shouldn’t have delayed it by one year. It is a violation of UGC norms,” said Prof Akshaya Kumar, dean languages, PU.