UGC asked to Notify Rules on PhD in Open Universities by HRD Ministry

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has amended its regulations to allow open universities to conduct MPhil/PhD programmes four years back but due to having no notification of the same, the amendment has not been put into effect.

The Ministry has seemed to take sudden action in the light that India Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has already amended its ordinance regarding the same. IGNOU has already got the Visitors approval for the amendment, but there is an issue with HRD ministry to forward it, as UGC has till date not notified the changes in the regulation. According to a senior IGNOU official, “The IGNOU ordinance fulfills all the stipulations made in the UGC regulations.” Due to the delay in notification the admissions has been delayed and there could not be any MPhil/PhD admission done during the January and July sessions.

If UGC notifies its regulation soon, there would be other open universities that would profit from it. The IGNOU official further added, “There is a need to bolster research in the country.” According to Professor Satyakam, who is the PhD coordinator for Hindi at IGNOU said that the PhD of IGNOU is one of the best degrees in India which can be compared with the best universities of India and abroad.

UGC had amended its UGC Regulations, 2009 way back in July 2011 in their 479^th meeting. In the meeting it was decided to allow open universities to conduct MPhil/PhD programmes as per the provisions of the regulations. Along with this it was also decided that an 11-point criteria would be projected by the standing committee on MPhil/PhD regulations, 2009 which would be circulated to all the institutions of higher education through the official UGC website.