Indore: With state government fixing deadline for awarding doctoral research degrees, the number of students receiving PhD degrees at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya has shot up significantly. A record 389 students walked out of DAVV with PhD degrees in hand in 2017-18 session. The figure was merely 248 in 2016-17.
The number of PhD awards increased drastically due to fear for inviting penal action,” said deputy registrar (confidential) Rachna Thakur. She said coordination committee, the apex body of higher education in the state, took note of the delays caused in awarding PhD degrees to students, which in most cases took up to two years. Moved by this observation, the committee fixed deadline for granting PhD degrees about two years ago.
As per the new rule, the universities would have to award or deny PhD degree to the student within six month of submission of thesis. The committee also directed universities to put the PhD degree issue under MP Public Service Guarantee Act if the deadline was breached. Under the Act, accountability is fixed and the person accountable for delay is penalised.
The very next year of new rule coming into force, the change was witnessed at DAVV,” Thakur said. She said that as many as 389 students got PhD degrees in 2017-18 against 248 students in 2016-17 session. “An increase of 141 students receiving degrees is impressive. The number is likely to grow in 2018-19 session,” she added.
