Since its establishment in 1972, the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) has positioned itself as one of the premier institutions not just in Bengaluru but across the country. However, since 2017 it has been struggling with student intake.
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For two consecutive academic years (2018–19 and 2019–20), there have been no PhD scholars admitted to ISEC — which is funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research and the government of Karnataka.
The classrooms and the hostels are deserted. In 2017–18, only one student was admitted, a marked drop when compared with the year before that when the PhD student intake was 30.
The faculty members and students said this was because the institute entered into a memorandum of understanding with the University of Mysore to grant degrees in 2016–17, which they had opposed claiming it snatched the autonomy of the institute.
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A senior faculty member of the institute said their PhD programme was their flagship programme and well-acclaimed across the country.
“Due to administrative lapse, the programme has come to a halt and we are unable to take up research on contemporary topics,” a faculty member said. In fact, earlier last week, the former ISEC director Gopal K. Kadekodi resigned from the institute’s board citing poor governance in running the institute.
M.G. Chandrakanth, director of the institute, said it had stopped admitting PhD scholars after the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of MPhil/PhD Degrees) Regulations, 2016 came into effect.
It mandates that all universities, institutions and deemed-to-be universities must admit MPhil/PhD students through an entrance test conducted at the level of individual university/institution, or deemed to-be-university. As ISEC is not affiliated to any university, it is unable to comply with the regulations.
The regulations have reiterated that a “university established or incorporated by or under a State Act shall operate only within the territorial jurisdiction allotted to it under its Act and in no case beyond the territory of the State of its location”.
ISEC stopped granting PhD, and subsequently approached Bangalore University, but the process was delayed. However, Mr. Chandrakanth said the matter would soon be resolved.
“For the 2020-21 academic year, the institute will sign a memorandum of understanding with Bangalore University to provide degrees. We plan to invite applications in April next year,” he said.
Vacant posts
In the past, there have been up to 32 students pursuing PhD in the institute. This included both part-time and full-time scholars. The number of faculty posts too is a matter of concern: of the 54 academic posts in ISEC, 27 are vacant.
Faculty members and alumni feel the administration has not put in adequate efforts to sort out the problem. “It is a premier institute and has moulded several scholars. It is a pity that owing to the negligence of the administration, students have not been admitted in the institute,” a faculty member said.