Calcutta University is changing its own regulations so that more college teachers can supervise PhD students. Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh himself brought a proposal in this regard at the last syndicate meeting. According to sources, syndicate members have given preliminary consent. A final decision on this matter will be taken at the next syndicate meeting.
Although UGC published some urgent guidelines in 2022 regarding college teachers supervising PhD students, Calcutta University has not implemented them so far. As a result, resentment was growing among college teachers on one hand, while students were suffering from a lack of adequate guides on the other. The university is now changing regulations to overcome this crisis.
For the past few years, principals of various colleges have been demanding that more college teachers be given the responsibility of supervising PhD students. In 2016, UGC also gave a clearance in this regard. Like other universities in the state, Calcutta University also gave conditional permission to college teachers to supervise PhD students after that regulation.
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But college principals complain that the process is extremely complex, and in most cases, college teachers are not allowed to supervise PhD students. After this, UGC brought changes to PhD regulations in 2022. But Calcutta University did not implement these changes.
A positive decision has been taken on this matter at the last syndicate meeting (the highest policy-making body of the university).
The 2022 UGC regulation states that to supervise PhD students, one must be a permanent college teacher. Professors and associate professors must have PhD degrees and at least 5 research papers published in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals. Assistant professors must have at least 3 research papers.
The college whose teachers want to supervise PhD students must offer master's courses. The college must have a research centre. If a teacher has only 2 years left before retirement, they cannot become a supervisor of any new PhD researcher. The university has not implemented such regulations so far. Now it is doing so.
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However, Manas Kabir, general secretary of the college principals' organisation 'Adhyaksha Parishad' and principal of Asutosh College, demands, "Not just PG, we want this permission to be given to colleges that only run undergraduate courses as well. Because now, due to the new education policy, research in the fourth year is mandatory for students."
According to Jaydeep Sarangi, principal of New Alipore College, "A large number of students pass NET every year but are not getting guides for research. Yet many college teachers, despite being qualified, are not getting permission to supervise PhD students. The reason is the complex process. The demand for change is long-standing."
However, Shiuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College, says, "The university needs to check the infrastructure of each college and the personal qualifications of teachers before giving permission."
