No PhD, MPhil at open universities, says UGC

It had announced three years ago that these degrees would be considered as an option to NET or SET

In a setback to the country’s 14 open universities, the University Grants Commission, or UGC, has barred them from conducting research programmes, namely PhD and MPhil.

Pointing out the declining quality of research projects in a “distance learning” system, UGC has stopped registration for PhD and MPhil programmes at all the 14 open universities, including the India Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

This has sparked angry reactions from academics and students attached to open universities who believe the “declining quality of research” is a national concern and not confined to open universities.

Three years back, UGC had announced that degrees like MPhil and PhD would be considered as an option to the National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Eligibility Test (SET) for recruitment of full-time teachers at colleges. After this announcement, thousands of students registered for MPhil and PhD programmes at open universities. So it has come as a surprise that UGC has not only revoked this decision but also banned research projects at open universities. A notice to this effect has been put up on UGC’s website.

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