Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There is a difference of opinion among teachers and research scholars in the city over scrapping of the M Phil Degree programme. Some say it is logical, others feel it will deprive students of an opportunity to learn the basics of research.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a circular on Wednesday warning students not to take admission in M.Phil. Courses being offered by some universities despite its derecognition. All the universities based in the city have already stopped admissions to the M.Phil.
The course, following the decision of the UGC to scrap it in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The course was derecognised following alterations in the postgraduate and undergraduate course structure as per the NEP 2020. M.Phil.
(Master of Philosophy) was a one- or two-year postgraduate course in basics of research for students of humanities, commerce, law, education and science streams. Director, Barkatullah University Institute of Technology (BUIT), Professor Neeraj Gaur said that the abolition of the M.Phil. course was a logical and right step.
“The syllabi for six-month course work for PhD scholars and the M.Phil programme were almost the same. And so, M.Phil. programme was no longer needed,” he said. Professor Gaur said that those already holding M.Phil degrees will continue to get advantage of it.
“Three increments are awarded to M.Phil. degree holder assistant professors in state universities and colleges. That will continue,” he said. Public relations officer at the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Arun Khobre said that the university had discontinued M.Phil. programme two years back.
“We were the first journalism institution to introduce courses under the NEP,” he said, adding that the decision to scrap M.Phil. will help save the time of the PhD scholars. Assistant professor at Rabindranath Tagore University (RNTU), Yogesh Patel said that M.Phil. was a useful course which helped the students understand the basics of research.
“It was a sort of orientation. When the government is putting so much stress on research, where was the need to scrap a course which was focused solely on research?” he said. Ankita Singh , a PhD scholar was of the opinion that the course gave students who did not want to pursue PhD for any reason, an option to undertake research.
