AU set to improve research standards

ENROLLING FOR research and getting a doctorate degree from Allahabad University (AU) will no longer be an easy task. Keeping with its commitment to achieve excellence in teaching and research, AU is planning to systematically and radically raise the standard of its DPhil programmes in the next five years.

To achieve this, the varsity is mulling over finally implementing at least some of the recommendations of the PN Mehrotra Committee report of 2001 and the Janak Pandey Committee report of 2004.

If all goes as per the plan, AU will witness a complete revamp of its all doctoral programme-related procedures. Under this, for the first time a system of once-a-year simultaneous admission tests for admission of research scholars in all its departments on the same date will be introduced.

According to the detailed 'Vision Plan: 2006-11' prepared by the specially constituted Academic Committee, the varsity during the coming years will empower the doctoral programme committee (DPC) of every department to conduct admission test, work out the mode of the test and decide the number of candidates to be admitted every year.

It is also being planned that the test should follow an interview and the candidates be selected on the basis of the marks obtained in both.For making DPC more effective, it has been recommended that the DPC of each department be chaired by the HoD and comprise five senior teachers of the department, actively engaged in research and also have one cognate and one external member.

Once, the restructuring is introduced, research scholars will have to submit within six months a comprehensive research or synopsis, explaining candidly in what way the proposed study will add to the existing knowledge on the subject, define specific aims of the research and outline the research methodology he plans to adopt.

The research proposal will also have to include a review of the extant literature on the subject along with a list of leading scholars in the field, a detailed bibliography, an overview of the facilities required by the candidate and also an approximate estimate of expenditure likely to be incurred on the research.

It is also proposed that the DPC of each department will assign supervisors to the researchers. For this, serving as well as retired teachers, capable of doing independent research and having published at least one article in a referred journal in the last 10 years, will be engaged.

According to plan, researchers will first have to register for a one year pre-doctoral course which will provide training in research techniques and methodology, communication ability and writing skill. The DPC of every department will work out the course syllabus, conduct the examination with the help of internal as well as external examiners and monitor the progress of the candidates at every stage.

Two attempts will be given to students for qualifying the pre-doctoral course examination and the admission of those who fail will be cancelled.

There is also a plan to introduce a system of constant review of the progress of the research scholars from time to time and for this the scholars will be required to make a presentation of the work done by them at least once in six months and that they will not be allowed to submit their thesis unless the DPC okays it.

Under the new set-up, the DPC will also constitute an advisory committee for every research scholar, consisting of the HoD, the supervisor and a faculty member of a sister department and will review the progress of the candidate from time to time.

It is proposed that no research scholar will be allowed to submit his thesis unless he has published a research paper on any aspect of his research theme in a recognised research journal which will have to be appended to the thesis concerned at the time of submission. It has also been proposed that prior to the final submission of the thesis, the candidates will be required to give a presentation on the work done along with their main findings before the DPC failing which they will not be allowed to submit their thesis.