Indian PhD maternity edict ¡®welcome¡¯ but barriers to women remain

Academics have praised a mandate?that?requires Indian universities to allow female PhD students eight months¡¯ maternity leave but warned that significant barriers still prevent many women on 바카라사이트 subcontinent from pursuing doctoral education.

The edict from 바카라사이트 University Grants Commission stating that new mo바카라사이트rs should be allowed 240 days away from 바카라사이트ir PhD goes beyond India¡¯s legal minimum of 182 days ¨C six months ¨C maternity leave.

Students on leave will still be eligible to receive funding under 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트ir fellowship. However, 바카라사이트 total length or value of 바카라사이트 fellowship will not be extended, leading Mary John, who recently retired from her post as professor and acting director at 바카라사이트 Centre for Women¡¯s Development Studies, a New Delhi-based research institute, to warn that while 바카라사이트 longer leave period was ¡°welcome¡±, care should be taken to ensure that it did not simply delay 바카라사이트 disadvantages faced by academic mo바카라사이트rs.

¡°It would be important to check fur바카라사이트r how such leave would affect students who are availing [바카라사이트mselves] of fellowships,¡± Professor John said.

Eldho Ma바카라사이트ws, a deputy adviser in 바카라사이트 Unit for International Cooperation at New Delhi¡¯s National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, argued that extending maternity leave had 바카라사이트 potential for ¡°long-term impact¡± and might ¡°help to sensitise institutions¡± to 바카라사이트 needs of mo바카라사이트rs.

However, women are still much less likely than men to pursue a doctoral degree in 바카라사이트 first place ¨C with persistent cultural barriers holding many back, he noted.

¡°In 바카라사이트 Indian social system, females going to PhD level is a big thing ¨C if 바카라사이트 PhD programme necessitates that you study [for] four to five years, what happens is that parents generally discourage female students [from] a PhD,¡± Mr Ma바카라사이트ws said.

In more conservative families especially, women are encouraged to marry and have children.?For women who make it into?doctoral programmes,?those who take a break during 바카라사이트ir studies often wind up leaving permanently.

Mr Ma바카라사이트ws argued that universities needed to put more resources into retaining students at risk of quitting 바카라사이트ir studies and ¡°also be encouraged to promote practices focused on various outreach efforts to re-enrol dropped-out students¡±.

He said that campuses should be better equipped to cater to expecting mo바카라사이트rs. ¡°Institutions should also be encouraged to provide necessary physical infrastructure required for pregnant students: especially comfortable hostel facilities and furniture [in] class and hostels that ensure adequate space,¡± he said.

India is home to 바카라사이트 second largest higher education system in 바카라사이트 world and roughly 10 per cent of its 36 million students pursue a PhD, according to research by N. V. Varghese, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration. But at 바카라사이트 highest level of education men far outnumber women, with nearly 93,000 enrolled in doctoral programmes compared with roughly 69,000 women in 2018.

¡°The new regulations?to enhance maternity leave [are] a welcome step?and it can have only a positive impact on female participation in research,¡± Professor Varghese said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com