Publication of Research Papers no longer be mandatory for PhD Students
University Grants Commission (UGC) considered scrapping the mandatory rule for PhD students to publish their thesis in a peer-reviewed journal, before submitting the research paper for adjudication. As per the report, UGC has loosened the rules and regulations for submitting research papers in peer-reviewed journals, before their final submission. Now, the higher education institutions will be allowed to devise their own rules for the submission of PhD thesis papers.
UGC is on its way to make some changes to the UGC Regulations, 2016. In UGC Regulations, 2016, it was mandatory for the PhD researchers to publish their thesis papers in a peer-reviewed journal before finally submitting them for adjudication. But, in the new UGC Regulations, 2022, University Grants Commission has replaced the word ‘Mandatory’ by ‘Highly Recommended’, thus making it a choice for the institutions and researchers to publish their thesis in the journal.
The reason behind making this decision, is that many PhD researchers were using unfair means to publish their thesis in the journal, in exchange for money. So, the publishing of research papers in journals was becoming an effortless act.
Regarding maintaining the standard, the head of the four member committee, Professor Balaram, has said “We can’t have the UGC regulation-imposed quality. Quality of doctoral work has to be improved by supervisors, examiners and institutions. If they are not bothered then how can any regulation improve quality? Can a circular from Delhi applicable to all institutions improve the quality of work?”.