According to the new policy for MPhil and PhD courses, 50% weightage would be given to viva as opposed to the current 30%
Amidst all the hullabaloo about the latest University Grants Commission (UGC) notification seeking to give more weightage to viva for MPhil and PhD entrance examinations, and the numerous protests by students opposing it, the Commission has claimed that the protesting students never approached it officially to voice their issues.
The UGC in its 2016 notification laid down certain rules for admission to MPhil and PhD courses across various universities. According to the rules, 50 per cent weightage would be given to viva during the admission process, and the remaining 50 per cent will be allotted to written test. The weightage given to viva currently is 30 per cent.
Students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have been opposing this move saying that more weightage to viva would mean discrimination to students who come from backward areas and marginalised communities. The students have also held protests in front of the UGC office and handed over memorandums. However, the commission denies that it got any protest petition from any student organisation.
Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar has also on some occasions said that the students protesting on admission policy have never approached him, and hence the question of being able to solve their problem does not arise.
In a written reply to Rajya Sabha, MoS HRD, Mahendra Nath Pandey, said, "The UGC has not received any protest petition from any student organisation."
"However, there was an agitation by JNU students with regard to MPhil and PhD admissions," he added.
Reacting to the UGC comment, students said that the government is just trying to give excuses for not taking an action in the matter.
"UGC is lying when it says that we have not submitted any protest petition to them. We have had so many agitations in front of the UGC and submitted letters to them. The senior officials who could actually look into the issue have refused to meet us each time, but we have tried to send our communication in other ways possible," says Rama Naga, former student leader of JNU.
"The issue of MPhil and PhD admissions is very critical and government is not paying enough attention to it. They have to understand that if more weightage is given to viva, underprivileged students will be discriminated.
"Right now also there is so much discrimination; if the new rule is implemented, no student from backward class will be able to take admission in good universities, specially places like the JNU," he said.
The UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for the award of MPhil/PhD Degree) Regulations, 2016 has laid down detailed eligibility criteria for admission into MPhil/PhD programmes, duration of such programme, procedure of admission, allocation of research supervisor, course work requirement, and setting up of Research Advisory Committee.
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