More students now chasing doctorate dreams at Gujarat University

If latest figures are anything to go by, more students in the state are coveting a doctorate. As registrations came to a close, a total of 1,439 candidates had signed up for the PhD eligibility exam at Gujarat University, around 300 more than the previous time.

University officials said that 1,150 students had registered for the PhD eligibility exam in 2010, the year the test was introduced.
Similarly, around 537 candidates have registered for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) eligibiliy exam. Though no comparative figures were available, officials said there was a jump in registrations.

“It is obvious the increase in registrations for PhD eligibility test is because the degree is mandatory for those looking to take up academics as a career. The change in norms has made a doctorate degree crucial for promotions from assistant professor to associate professor or professor, compelling many academicians to enrol for the test,” said a senior GU official.

Data shared by GU officials indicates that maximum number of students - 231 - have registered for PhD eligibility test in education, followed by 109 candidates signing up for chemistry, 91 for management, 103 for accountancy, finance and management in the commerce stream.

Subjects with lowest registrations include BMTC (biomedical technology) with just one candidate, four candidates for climate change, five for philosophy and nine for political science and biochemistry.

The PhD and MPhil eligibility tests in around 40 subjects of the science, commerce, arts, management and law streams are slated to be held in October. According to officials, the exams will have two sections, with one paper on general knowledge and another subject-specific paper.