Appointments of teachers in higher education institutions and discrepancies in awarding PhD degrees will now be investigated like this, UGC has made this big decision

UGC (University Grants Commission) will now regularly investigate the appointment of teachers and irregularities in awarding PhD degrees in higher educational institutions in the country. UGC has decided to form a permanent committee in a meeting held on 24th April for this purpose. UGC stated on Wednesday that any irregularities found in the appointment of teachers and the granting of PhD degrees in the country will be dealt with seriously. According to the Chairman of UGC, M. Jagdish Kumar, the UGC has identified some higher educational institutions through the permanent committee. UGC will gather information about the entire process of awarding PhD degrees from these institutions. UGC will also examine the documents of PhD degrees given by these universities in recent years. This investigation will determine whether the universities complied with the standards set by UGC or not.

It should be noted that currently in the country, two regulations are followed for the appointment and PhD in higher educational institutions. First, UGC regulations and maintenance of standards in higher education are used for the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges. Both regulations establish criteria and conditions for the selection and maintenance of standards in the appointment of teachers. They also ensure the quality of research degrees provided by higher educational institutions.

Strictness of UGC It is noteworthy that in the new year, UGC issued new guidelines for admission to PhD. Efforts have been made to implement them since the release of the National Education Policy 2020. Preparation for extensive changes in the country's education system has been made. New rules and regulations are also being formulated regarding higher education. Under these efforts, UGC recently shared new guidelines for graduation and PhD courses, which include several important changes.

Continuous Complaints According to the new UGC guidelines, candidates who have completed a four-year graduation course or a three-year graduation course with a two-year master's degree can apply for PhD admission. However, a minimum of 75% marks is required in the four-year bachelor's degree and a minimum of 55% marks in the two-year master's degree. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and EWS categories will be given up to 5% relaxation in minimum marks. In addition, candidates who have completed an M.Phil with a minimum of 55% marks can also take admission in PhD.

According to the new regulations, a PhD program should be a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years from the date of admission. However, an additional two years of relaxation can be provided through the re-registration process. Provided that the period to complete a PhD should not exceed eight years from the date of admission. Women and candidates from physically challenged categories can be given an additional two years of relaxation. However, the total duration should not exceed ten years from the date of admission.