Punjab Technical University 'flouts' UGC norms on PhD courses

In Complete violation of UGC norms for PhD courses, the Punjab Technical University (PTU) has allegedly been allowing candidates to complete their mandatory six-month course work in their respective colleges while in some institutes under the university, non-PhD teachers have been taking classes for students pursuing post-doctoral degrees.

As per norms prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for PhD courses in 2009, universities that award PhD degrees have to ensure that candidates complete six months of their course work at the concerned university campus. PTU, on the other hand, does not have a campus and to overcome this problem has designated certain colleges as regional centres that have been authorised to conduct the PhD course work. University authorities, however, have been allowing candidates to complete the six month course in their respective colleges than in the regional centres.

"Classes are not being conducted even in the regional centres and are virtually happening in the respective colleges and institutes. All UGC norms are being flouted," a student pursuing PhD from PTU in Ludhiana, on the condition of anonymity, said.

Further, as per UGC norms, if a teacher wants to pursue a PhD, he or she has to take leave for 6 months and, in case of colleges under PTU, then visit the authorised regional centre to complete their post-doctoral course work. PTU authorities, however, have been allowing such teachers to complete their course-work at their own colleges without sanctioning them leave. "Teachers of Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology pursuing PhD are taking classes with post graduate students in GNIMT itself without taking leave. They are not even completing the research norms of UGC and their marks and attendance are sent to PTU by fellow teachers who themselves are not PhD holders and PTU is sanctioning them degrees," said a source from GNIMT. The regional centre prescribed for Ludhiana is the Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College but course work is being conducted at GNIMT itself.

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