Publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals after submission of the Ph.D. thesis is no longer mandatory. According to the new regulations for doctoral programme notified the government, University Grants Commission UGC new norm has removed the requirement of research papers being published in peer-reviewed journals before final submission of the PhD thesis.
Prior to the introduction of the Internet, MPhil and Ph.D. scholars were required to publish at LEAST one research paper in a conference or seminar. They also had to publish at LEAST one research piece in a refereed publication and present two papers at conferences or seminars prior to submitting their thesis to adjudication.
M Jagadesh Kumar (chairperson UGC) stated that publishing research papers in peer-reviewed journals might no longer be compulsory, but that it did not mean that PhD scholars should stop doing this. He also encouraged universities to improve the PhD evaluation process. Research scholars should be trained to publish in peer review journals and apply to patents where possible.
“Focus on high-quality research, even if publication is optional, will lead to publications at good journals. They will be able to add value to their applications for employment and post-doctoral opportunities.”We have decided to scrap the publication requirement. We recognize that one-size fits all is not a good idea. Computer science doctoral scholars prefer to present papers at conferences, rather than publish them in journals.
He stated, “I call on universities to strengthen the PhD assessment process, and research scholars are trained in publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at conferences, as well as applying for patents whenever possible.”
Universities must modify their ordinances in order to allow such migration.
“NEP2020 encourages multidisciplinary education. To facilitate this migration, universities must amend their ordinances,” he stated.
The commission also dropped the plan to require that colleges and universities reserve at most 60 percent of their annual intake of qualified candidates for doctoral studies.
In March’s draft regulations, the UGC suggested that 60% of the academic year’s vacant seats at higher education institutions be filled from NET/JRF students.Universities and colleges can continue to admit students using NET/JRF and entrance exams. There will not be any caps on either category, as long as they adhere to the current norms.
When candidates are selected through university entrances, 70% will be given to performance on the written test and 30% to the interview.Final regulations maintain the provision of part-time PhDs. This is a benefit that is primarily directed at working professionals who are interested in doctoral degrees.
The concerned higher education institution will however receive a No Opinion Certificate from the employer of the candidate for a parttime PhD program.
According to the revised regulations, Ph.D. candidates can join a program after a 4-year UG degree. However, graduates of traditional three-year UG degrees will need to have earned two-year master’s degrees.