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Quota in PhD a reality in all universities
D Suresh Kumar, TNN 24 November 2009, 12:51am IST
CHENNAI: Community based reservations in admission into PhD and M.Phil
courses are a reality now in all universities and higher educational
institutions in the country.
The University of Madras syndicate had set the ball rolling in this
direction on Friday last when it approved the implementation of the
quota system in the highest levels of academic programmes offered by
the university. Soon universities across the country would be
replicating this model in their respective states as the University
Grants Commission (UGC) has already recommended quotas in research
studies.
In a policy decision notified in the gazette in July this year, the
UGC has laid down that: "While granting admission to students to
M.Phil/PhD programmes, the department/institut
attention to the national / state reservation policy." This mandate
forms part of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of
M.Phil/PhD Degree) Regulation, 2009.
Hitherto, higher educational institutions including state universities
had largely confined communal quotas in admission of students into
undergraduate and postgraduate courses alone. Earlier, the Supreme
Court had ruled that reservations cannot be extended to students
seeking admission into super-specialty academic programmes in
professional courses.
Research studies in the field of arts and science, incidentally, are
not considered to be super-specialty courses. Besides, the number of
postgraduates who choose to pursue an M.Phil or PhD degree is
abysmally low in India. Academics have often opined that there is a
need to encourage more students to pursue doctoral studies,
particularly in the field of basic sciences. In that context,
introducing quota for the OBCs could help in increasing the number of
research scholars in universities.
The UGC, however, has not directed the universities to extend any
concession to students belonging to the reserved categories, namely
Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes and Backward
Classes (OBCs). "Therefore, the usual argument of anti-quota activists
about merit being affected due to reservations would not arise,"
reasoned a professor of a government-aided college in Chennai.
The 2009 regulations make it clear that all universities including
deemed universities and institutions of national importance "shall
admit M.Phil doctoral students through an entrance test conducted at
the level of individual university." However, the institution
authorities can decide on setting separate terms and conditions for
students who qualify the UGC/CSIR (Junior Research Fellow)
examinations, National/State Eligibility Tests.
Admission will be based on the performance of aspirants in the
entrance test and an interview to be conducted separately.
"These regulations have come into effect and therefore every
university must adhere to it. The University of Madras has taken the
lead by setting up a committee to work out the nitty-gritty for the
smooth implementation of the communal reservations. It would be a
matter of time before other universities adopt the regulations,
professor argued.
This quota is unlikely to kick up dust unlike the stormy protests
witnessed when OBC quota was implemented in IITs and IIMs.
suresh.kumar3@
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