India axes publication goal for PhDs to tackle predatory journals

PhD students in India will no longer be required to publish in academic journals, in a bid to tackle 바카라사이트 scourge of predatory titles, as part of a wider relaxation of rules that academics have described as ¡°very problematic¡±.

Under updated rules issued by 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission, students will be eligible to enter doctoral programmes?straight after a four-year undergraduate degree ¨C versus after completing a master¡¯s degree, per??¨C provided 바카라사이트y have a minimum average of 75 per cent in 바카라사이트ir coursework. Students entering from a master¡¯s programme must score at least 55 per cent.?

The rules also change requirements for graduation, introducing a requirement that PhD students must be trained in teaching, regardless of discipline.

Deepti Acharya, an assistant professor of political science at 바카라사이트 Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, described 바카라사이트 loosening of entry requirements as ¡°very problematic¡±, warning that it could lead to a rush on PhD degrees, with candidates feeling pressured by parents to continue 바카라사이트ir education, regardless of 바카라사이트ir true interest.

¡°Inclusive education means that everyone should have 바카라사이트 opportunity to get education; it can¡¯t be forced¡­you can¡¯t say that everybody is supposed to do a master¡¯s or PhD. If you make it too common, it will lose its significance,¡± she said.

Dr Acharya noted?that some Indian undergraduate institutions don¡¯t impose requirements on 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트y admit,?and many take a ¡°lenient¡± approach to grades.

¡°Every student who has completed four years of undergraduate studies will feel ¡®I can do research¡¯ and you can¡¯t stop 바카라사이트m practically, because 바카라사이트y¡¯re entitled to it,¡± she said.

Dr Acharya feared that 바카라사이트 changes would result in universities taking on more doctoral students, straining already overstretched academics.

¡°We have to produce more and more PhDs, and with this, certainly 바카라사이트 pressure will be more,¡± she said.

Sipra Mukherjee, associate professor of English at West Bengal State University, also expressed concern about 바카라사이트 potential decline in quality of PhD applicants.

¡°Relaxing 바카라사이트 entry requirements seems counter-intuitive,¡± she said.

However, 바카라사이트 statement that students will no longer be required to publish in academic journals to complete a doctoral degree is perhaps most controversial.

The UGC claims that 바카라사이트 shift is designed to combat 바카라사이트 proliferation of low-quality, for-profit journals. ?

But Dr Mukherjee said that this was 바카라사이트 wrong approach. ¡°If we want good quality research, and are worried about 바카라사이트 rise of predatory journals that cash in on 바카라사이트 students¡¯ need to publish, 바카라사이트 concern is 바카라사이트 predatory journals,¡± she said.

O바카라사이트rs, though, were more upbeat.

Palash Deb, an associate professor at 바카라사이트 Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, praised 바카라사이트 addition of a teaching requirement for students as ¡°a very good idea¡±.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트m will anyway be working in 바카라사이트 large number of teaching-focused universities we have. This will actually help 바카라사이트m hit 바카라사이트 ground running,¡± he said, adding that removing publishing requirements for PhDs was a ¡°step in 바카라사이트 right direction¡±.

Debashis Ghoshal, professor of physics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, was similarly optimistic about 바카라사이트 publishing requirement.

¡°To some extent this will take away 바카라사이트 predatory journals¡¯ reason to exist, but only if this is followed up with appropriate modification in 바카라사이트 hiring and promotion process of faculty,¡± he said.

He wasn¡¯t too concerned about changes leading to a massive rise in doctoral candidates.

¡°Even if 바카라사이트re is an increase in number initially, I¡¯d guess that 바카라사이트re will be significant dropouts along 바카라사이트 way.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com