This story is from September 20, 2021

BU VC concerned over undue delay in clearing PhD works

BU VC concerned over undue delay in clearing PhD works
Coimbatore: Bharathiar University (BU) vice-chancellor has raised concerns about undue delay in awarding PhDs to scholars in the varsity. Much of the delay was attributed to research supervisors and the varsity is working out ways and means to eliminate the delay. Vice-chancellor P Kaliraj said that they have identified 75 PhD candidates whose viva voce has been dragging on for months together without any valid reason.
Usually, it takes three years for a full time PhD candidate to complete the research work without extension.
Once the thesis is submitted by a PhD student, it is sent for evaluation by an external examiner. Once the evaluation report is received from the examiner, the research supervisor must send a consolidated report to the university to facilitate viva voce for the student. While the viva-voce should be conducted within six months after external examiners give their evaluation report, there is a delay of more than one year in several cases.
“There is no reason for research guides to delay the viva voce when external examiners have given a report after evaluating the PhD thesis,” Kaliraj felt.
One of the measures planned by the university to eliminate the delay was to appoint a research coordinator from the university in the related discipline. The research coordinator shall initiate the process of viva voce even if research supervisors delay the process. This would facilitate the conduct of viva voce on time and awarding doctorate to the scholars without delay.
Kaliraj had explained his objective of eliminating the delay during a recent interaction with principals of colleges affiliated to the varsity where several PhD scholars are pursuing doctorates. “We may not want to replace the research supervisors, but a research coordinator would step in when there is a delay in conducting the viva voce,’’ he said.
A few research scholars who had faced such delay told TOI that the research supervisors often delay the PhD completion process. “Supervisors want to retain the PhD scholars as long as possible so that they can extract academic work done from them,’’ a research scholar said. One of the PhD candidates from Coimbatore said that she hesitated to do the entire academic work of her research supervisor as it was giving less time for her to focus on her research. “My guide ensured that my PhD work dragged on for over 6 years till I get special extension to complete my PhD work,” she said. She said she could not take up the matter with the university fearing backlash from my guide as could have put her PhD work at risk. Difference of opinion being another major factor that prevents the guide from approving PhD work of their students, according to scholars.
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