University of Mumbai does it again, to skip February PhD entrance too

While at every other university in the world you will find students signing up for PhDs or doctoral studies, hundreds of students in the city who want to pursue research at the University of Mumbai (MU) have been left in the lurch once again. After skipping the PhD Entrance Test (PET) in August last year, the varsity will not be conducting the PET scheduled for February either.

Students who completed their post-graduation in June 2011, have now wasted almost a year in wait. “We are yet to hear from the varsity about the PET,” worried students told DNA. Most have now decided not to pursue research. “We don’t have that much patience. But varsity officials should be punished for our mental agony,” said an angry student who wanted to pursue a PhD in Law.

After much delay and criticism of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) rule of making entrance tests mandatory for enrolling students into PhD courses, MU had started its own entrance test in February 2011.  As per the schedule, PET was to be organised twice a year — in Jan-Feb and Aug-Sep. On February 27, 2011 the first season was run. In August 2011, the varsity just didn’t conduct the exam with no formal announcement of cancellation or reason for the same.

According to varsity sources, this time too, the university is not yet ready for the PET. Sources claim that the examination house, which conducts all exams at the varsity, is yet to gather the data of PhD seat vacancies in each department. Moreover, the suspension of ex-controller of examination Vilas Shinde has also hampered action.

Mumbai University vice-chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, said, “We will conduct the exam soon.” But he refused to give a time-frame for the announcement of the examination.