DU PhD Scholars May Now Need To Train In Teaching

New Delhi: Now students enrolling for doctoral programmes at Delhi University, irrespective of discipline, will have to train in teaching /education/pedagogy/writing related to their chosen PhD subject. DU’s research council also recommends that in the fourth and fifth years, the research scholars may be assigned 4-6 hours per week of teaching/research assistantship and conduct tutorial or laboratory work.These recommendations will be placed before the university’s Academic Council at its meeting on Thursday. However, the research council hasn’t said how this will be incorporated in the course work. “There will be advanced-level courses preparing the students for the PhD degree. PhD scholars shall also be permitted to take optional courses from allied departments,” says the council’s document.A political science teacher said, “While this is being introduced now, it remains to be seen how the training in teaching/education will be incorporated in the coursework.”With the university introducing a four-year undergraduate programme, the research council said that students who had completed four years of the undergraduate programme could join the PhD course directly. However, to be able to get into the PhD course directly, they would require a 75% score in their undergraduate programme.Otherwise, as the document says, “Candidates who have completed a one-year/2-semester master's degree programme after a 4-year/ 8-semester bachelor’s degree programme or a 2-year/4-semester master’s degree programme after a 3-year bachelor’s degree programme or qualifications declared equivalent to the master’s degree by the corresponding statutory regulatory body, with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in a point scale can join the PhD programmes.”Those who have completed MPhil and obtained 55% marks or equivalent can join the PhD programme too.As per UGC Regulations 2022, the entrance rest for the doctoral programme will be conducted once a year and the eligibility of shortlisted candidates will remain valid till the next entrance test. The interviews may be held twice a year or more, subject to availability of seats.Research methodology will comprise 50% of the entrance test syllabus with the rest being subject-specific, according to the council document. The entrance test will be a qualifying examination with 50% as the qualifying marks for candidates belonging to the unreserved category. Students who have secured 50% marks in the entrance test will be eligible to be called for the interview.There are rules also for faculty supervisors in the document. “Faculty members with less than three years of service before superannuation shall not be allowed to take new research scholars under their supervision. However, such faculty members can continue to supervise PhD scholars who are already registered until superannuation and as a co-supervisor after superannuation but not after attaining the age of 70 years. Faculty members who get re-employed after superannuation (after 65 years of age) can remain supervisors for their existing PhD scholars,” says the document.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, Location Guesser and Mini Crossword.