New Delhi: A five-member expert committee appointed by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has recommended a new framework for doctoral studies in technical institutions, seeking to standardise PhD and DSc programmes across the country.
Until now, technical institutes have been following the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulations for PhDs, while relying on their own criteria for DSc programmes.
Most of the guidelines proposed for PhD research broadly align with UGC’s 2022 minimum standards, but the AICTE panel has suggested key changes. These include mandatory publications during the course of study and the removal of interview-based criteria for candidate selection, measures that have already stirred debate in academic circles.
The committee has also set quantitative benchmarks for DSc eligibility, such as at least 20 years of teaching experience, 25 research publications and over 5,000 citations. This threshold is around 25 Per cent lower than what is prescribed at the university level. While many academicians have termed these conditions as restrictive, the committee has defended the move as necessary to preserve research quality.
The drafting panel, constituted in February, was led by Prof. K. R. Venugopal, former Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University, with members including Prof. Rajeev Tripathi (RGPV, Bhopal), Prof. Ananya Mukherjee (Shiv Nadar University), Prof. Prabhat Ranjan (DY Patil International University) and Prof. V. Rajendran (AMET University). The committee submitted its report in July, proposing a uniform doctoral framework for engineering, technology, management and design.
With the AICTE Executive Council already approving the recommendations, the guidelines have been forwarded to the government for final clearance. “Once it receives approval, it will be gazetted,” Prof. Venugopal confirmed.
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