From the beginning, the education camp in Bengal has been protesting against the controversial national education policy and the central tendency to undemocratically impose various decisions in the field of education. This time the new rules and regulations of Ph.D. also came under that opposition. The UGC or the University Grants Commission has given their new ‘Regulations’ on the website about the changes in the minimum standards and procedures for conducting Ph.D.
The All-India Teachers Union of Colleges and Universities (IFUCTO) has organized a three-day sit-in protest in front of the UGC office in Delhi against various guidelines of the National Education Policy. The new rules for Ph.D. Today, the sit-in will continue from Wednesday till Friday.
Details about the new rules
According to the new rules, if you get 75% marks in the four-year undergraduate course, you can directly pursue Ph.D. The rules allow for a four-year undergraduate course followed by a one-year post-graduate course. The revised rules do not require publication of a research-based paper in a ‘referred journal’ or specified listed paper before submission of a Ph.D. thesis.
A section of the education camp has already started objecting to these issues. Keshav Bhattacharya, president of IFUKTO and general secretary of the West Bengal State College and University Teachers Association (WEBKUTA), said, “We have been objecting to this since the beginning. We will also protest in the Delhi Dharna.”
Tarun Kanti Naskar, vice-president of West Bengal state University’s teacher’s union ABUTA and a teacher of Jadavpur University’s mechanical engineering department, said on Tuesday, “These regulations have given the right to four-year degree holders to do Ph.D. Four-year degree courses are mentioned in the National Education Policy. We strongly protest against it. “Parthiv Basu, a zoology teacher at the University of Calcutta, said, “It is not justifiable to do a Ph.D. after four years of graduation with just one year of post-graduation. A two-year post-graduate degree in research is essential. That depth is difficult to achieve in just one year of study at the graduate level.”
Parthapratim Roy, General Secretary of Jadavpur University Teachers Association, said, “Removing the rule of paper publication in referred journals will not increase the quality of research at all.”
In addition to this, amid controversy, the UGC has again ordered the appointment of eminent professionals as teachers (Professors of Practice) in colleges and universities. This order was also given once in late September with this decision of the Centre. This time it has been said that necessary changes should be made in the rules of the concerned educational institutions for this type of appointment.
Call for a report on vocational candidates
A young candidate has sought redressal in the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the candidates who secured lower marks than her did not get the job despite getting the appointment letter. In this situation, the High Court has called for a detailed report about the candidates listed for the post of higher primary vocational education teacher without going into any other recruitment route for the time being.