Tag: General Awareness

The University Grants Commission (UGC) plans to do away with the mandatory requirement of publishing research papers in peer reviewed journals for the submission of PhD thesis, officials said. The commission will allow higher education institutions to formulate their own rules and regulations on the matter. The reason for doing so is because many PhD students were resorting to publishing their articles in so-called predatory journals — basically those that publish articles in return for a fee, without adequate due-diligence of the sort academic publications are expected to ensure.

The commission is currently making amendments to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D Degree) Regulations, 2016. Under the 2016 regulations, it was mandatory for PhD scholars to publish at least one research paper in a UGC refereed or peer reviewed journal before the submission of the dissertation/thesis for adjudication.

Under the new, 2022 regulations, the commission will replace the term mandatory with “strongly recommended”. The quality assessment of Phd degrees will be a responsibility of the universities and they are free to come up with their own guidelines in this regard

“This mandatory requirement led to a “journal business” in India. Making anything mandatory does not improve the quality of research. Therefore, UGC is now considering doing away with this requirement while strongly recommending research scholars to publish the research outcomes of their PhD in peer reviewed journals, apply for patents, and present in conferences,” UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told.

Kumar said that the commission may now ask the universities to frame their own guidelines regarding publication in research journals. “The higher education institutions may be allowed to decide if they want to keep this as a mandatory requirement or not, while maintaining the quality of research.”

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will release official notification today (19 May 2022) for Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CU-CET) 2022-PG for  post-graduate admissions 2022-23.

NTA will conduct the Postgraduate Entrance Test for 42 Central and participating Universities for the academic session 2022-2023. CUET will provide a single window opportunity to students to seek admission in participating Universities across the country.

Common University Entrance Test (CUET-PG) for post-graduate admissions to be held in last week of July 2022. Application Form submission will start today on NTA website.  Programmes details will be available on websites of participating Central Universities & other Universities, said the UGC Chairman, M Jagadesh Kumar.

Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has said IGNOU should become the knowledge centre of the world. Addressing the the 35th convocation of IGNOU he called for leveraging technology to reach the unreached.

The Minister said today’s convocation at IGNOU is a big confidence booster as it reflects the immense possibilities of the innovative pedagogy of the university. He said IGNOU has emerged as modern day Lord Hanuman in taking education and learning to the remotest corners and to the poorest.

Shri Pradhan said 21st century is the century of knowledge. He said if we want to establish India as a knowledge-based economic superpower, we must ensure a paradigm shift in our education landscape. He said NEP2020 is a step towards transforming our education and skills’ landscape.

The minister said technology is the new equaliser. We must ensure empowerment of our population through innovation, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid and also ensure that education reaches the unreached. He said Digital University and other e-learning initiatives are steps in that direction.

Shri Pradhan said we have to tap our civilisational wealth and also the immense potential of our Indian knowledge system to make our education system more holistic, empathetic and for global good in line with the spirit of Vasudhaiv Kutumbukam. He said leveraging upon technology, innovation, internet & digital, IGNOU must endeavour to further enlarge the canvas of education, strengthen the e-content architecture and emerge as a benchmark knowledge centre of the world. IGNOU has to lead the ‘Renaissance of Knowledge’, he added.

The Minister said he was delighted to be a part of the 35th Convocation of IGNOU. and extended his deep compliments and good wishes to the 2.91 lakh+ meritorious students at the 32 regional centres across the country who have received their degree, diploma, certificate, Ph.D/M.Phil and gold medals.

Shri Pradhan commended the teachers, staff, alumni and students of IGNOU for expanding the realm of education & learning and for making the university a ‘जन-जन का विश्वविद्यालय’ in its illustrious journey of 37 years. He said the heartening experiences shared by our students today reconfirms the value proposition of IGNOU. IGNOU is an apt example of multiple entry-exit. He said making education & learning flexible and encouraging earning while learning should be the objective of our universities.