PIL In HC Against UGC Regulations On MPhil, PhD Degrees
New Delhi:
Forum of Indian Legists, an NGO filed a public interest litigation (PIL)in Delhi High Court challenging University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations regarding the award of MPhil and PhD degrees and appointment of faculties in Indian educational institutions. The High Court has today sought response of UGC in this regard.
A bench of Chief Justice of Delhi High Court G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notice to the higher education body and sought its stand on the issues brought up in the petition which claims the regulations would adversely affect those teaching in ad-hoc capacity in colleges and varsities across India.
The petitioner NGO has said that 50 per cent of the teaching strength of the Delhi University is of ad-hoc teachers at this moment.
The plea also stated that under the 2016 regulations of UGC, PhD and MPhil degree holders who were earlier exempted from the National Eligibility Test (NET) for appointment as faculty in higher educational institutions, have been made ineligible to continue where they work in ad-hoc capacity as the exam is a requirement for appointment now.
The NGO, Forum of Indian Legists, has also said that those who got PhD degrees prior to 2009 and with several years of teaching experience have also been made ineligible due to the new regulations.
The petition also challenged the minimum standards and procedure for award of PhD and MPhil degrees set out in the 2016 UGC regulations, saying under it scholars have to publish one article based on their research in a refereed journal, a list of which was only released after January this year.
"Due to this all MPhil dissertation and PhD thesis submitted between July 2009 and January 2017 in any university and any degree awarded thereon have become invalid," the petition has alleged as reported by PTI.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 19.
(With Inputs from PTI)
A bench of Chief Justice of Delhi High Court G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notice to the higher education body and sought its stand on the issues brought up in the petition which claims the regulations would adversely affect those teaching in ad-hoc capacity in colleges and varsities across India.
The petitioner NGO has said that 50 per cent of the teaching strength of the Delhi University is of ad-hoc teachers at this moment.
The plea also stated that under the 2016 regulations of UGC, PhD and MPhil degree holders who were earlier exempted from the National Eligibility Test (NET) for appointment as faculty in higher educational institutions, have been made ineligible to continue where they work in ad-hoc capacity as the exam is a requirement for appointment now.
The NGO, Forum of Indian Legists, has also said that those who got PhD degrees prior to 2009 and with several years of teaching experience have also been made ineligible due to the new regulations.
The petition also challenged the minimum standards and procedure for award of PhD and MPhil degrees set out in the 2016 UGC regulations, saying under it scholars have to publish one article based on their research in a refereed journal, a list of which was only released after January this year.
"Due to this all MPhil dissertation and PhD thesis submitted between July 2009 and January 2017 in any university and any degree awarded thereon have become invalid," the petition has alleged as reported by PTI.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 19.
(With Inputs from PTI)
