Bharathiar University has referred to the University Grants Commission (UGC) the issue of granting provisional and degree certificates with ‘under external part-time mode’ stamp. It has also sought legal opinion on the issue from the Advocate General, Government of Tamil Nadu.
Vice-Chancellor P. Kaliraj told The Hindu that the University did so following opposition from full-time and part-time research scholars to the University placing on a par the two regular Ph.D. programmes (full-time and part-time) with the external part-time Ph.D., dubbed ‘Part B’ Ph.D. “I did so as I wanted a clear direction from the UGC. I also approached the Advocate General because there is a case pending before the Madras High Court. And, this was two weeks ago.”
Mr. Kaliraj also said he went to meet the UGC officials to apprise them of the issue and expected it to give a direction, one way or the other.
The issue concerns the University offering the ‘Part B’ Ph.D. programme, wherein a student from any part of the globe can choose a guide from anywhere, provided the guide is registered with the University, to obtain the ‘Part B’ Ph.D. degree from Bharathiar University.
This has left at a disadvantage the research scholars pursuing regular Ph.D. (full time and part time), who complain that they are being put at a disadvantage, more so when the University does not mention ‘under external part-time mode’ in provisional and degree certificates for such candidates.
A research scholar, on condition of anonymity, said if the University were not to mention ‘under external part-time mode’ in degree certificates it tantamount to placing their degree certificates and that of ‘Part B’ Ph.D. degree holders on an even keel and that was unfair.
The ‘Part B’ Ph.D. degree holders got to finish their degree earlier than they do, with little compared to them and that put them at an advantage in applying for jobs, the research scholar said and argued why remove the distinction when the University itself admitted candidates under the ‘Part B’ programme.
Meanwhile, the University special committee, constituted to deliberate issues related to award of Ph.D. to candidates registered under part-time, external mode, acknowledged that a case was pending before the court and the then Controller of Examination had referred the matter to the UGC but recommended that “there shall be no distinction between the candidates registered in full-time/part-time (regular mode) and the candidates registered under Category B/Part-time External Mode in awarding the degree certificates.”
It also recommended that those candidates who had received their degree certificates with the ‘part time external mode’ stamp be given an opportunity to change to degree certificates without the stamp. The committee gave its recommendation in October 2019.
Questioning the University for constituting such a committee, especially when the matter was sub-judice, academics said how could the University do so when it was left for the court to decide.
They also referred to a UGC communiqué of 2017 that clearly said, “Ph.D. degrees which are pursued either full-time or part-time will be treated as degrees awarded through regular mode provided these are in conformity with the existing statues/by-laws/ordinances, etc. of the degree awarding university. However, the Ph.D. acquired under distance mode is not permitted.”
If the ‘Part B’ Ph.D. was not distance mode what was it, they asked. Mr. Kaliraj maintained that the ‘Part B’ Ph.D. programme was not a distance mode degree.
