The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a notification instructing universities across the country to cease admissions for MPhil courses for the 2023-24 session, citing its non-recognition as a valid degree.
Apart from this, UGC Secretary Manish Joshi also cautioned students not to get admitted to any MPhil programme offered by universities in India.
"It has come to the notice of the UGC that a few Universities are inviting fresh applications for M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy) programme. In this regard, it is to bring to the notice that the M.Phil. degree is not a recognised degree. Regulation No. 14 of the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations 2022 clearly states that Higher Educational Institutions shall not offer M.Phil. programme," reads the document.
A senior official from the UGC told CNBC-TV18 that according to the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of PhD Degree) Regulations, in the 2022 draft published on the UGC website, it was notified that MPhil will be discontinued starting from the next academic year.
The draft specifies, "The MPhil awarded till the date of notification of these new regulations shall remain valid. Despite this, some universities are offering the course, and we urge students to remain vigilant about this." added the official.
The discontinuation of MPhil was announced by the UGC to align with NEP. The NEP advocates four-year Bachelor’s degree and research-intensive Master’s degree. “There may be an integrated five-year Bachelor’s/Master’s programme. Undertaking a PhD shall require either a degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research. The MPhil programme will be discontinued,” the NEP had specified.
Talking about how MPhill has lost it's 'charm', Vaidyanath Tripathi, retired Professor from Banaras Hindu University told CNBC-TV18 that this started from 1993 when M.Phil ceased to be a mandatory qualification for lectureship in colleges and universities.
"Instead, post-graduation coupled with a passing grade in the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC), State Eligibility Test (SET) organized by state authorities, and equivalent examinations sponsored by various funding organizations became the pivotal criteria for securing a lectureship role," he added.
What is a MPhil degree?
M.Phil or Master of Philosophy is an academic program. Master of Philosophy program enables one to research in the areas of specialization. The duration of the postgraduate academic program is two years. One can pursue M.Phil in either of the streams like Humanities, Commerce, Science, Law, Teaching. The aspirants of M.Phil study the theoretical as well as practical aspects of the subject. The candidates are required to perform research and present their findings of the research.
(Edited by : Amrita)
First Published: Dec 27, 2023 3:50 PM IST
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