Now, publishing journals not needed before PhD thesis

Vibha Sharma

New Delhi, November 9

It will no longer be mandatory to have research papers published in peer-reviewed journals before submitting a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, according to new regulations for doctorate programmes — University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, 2022.

Earlier, MPhil (Master of Philosophy) scholars were required to present at least one research paper at a conference or seminar and PhD scholars at least one research paper in a refereed journal and make two paper presentations at conferences or seminars prior to submitting their thesis for adjudication.

Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said by scrapping the mandatory publication requirement, the UGC recognised that the one-size-fits-all approach was not desirable. “For instance, doctoral scholars in computer science prefer presenting their papers at conferences rather than publishing them in journals,” he said.

At the same time, he said even though publication of research papers in peer-reviewed journals may not be mandatory anymore, “it does not mean PhD scholars should stop doing that altogether”.

He also urged universities to ensure the PhD evaluation process was strengthened and research scholars were trained to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present at conferences and apply for patents where feasible. “Focussing on high-quality research will lead to publications in good journals, even if it is not mandatory. It will add value when they apply for employment or post-doctoral opportunities,” he said. The UGC also dropped its plan to make universities and colleges reserve at least 60 per cent of their annual intake of doctoral candidates for the National Eligibility Test/Junior Research Fellowship-holders.

Switching subjects

Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told The Tribune that students could do PhD in subjects other than the subject they have done their postgraduation in provided the university concerned modifies its ordinance to facilitate such migration from one discipline to another discipline. “The National Education Policy encourages multi-disciplinary education. Universities need to modify their ordinances to facilitate such migration,” he said.