JNU maintains it has only implemented the University Grant Commission (UGC) notification of May 2016 "without any deviation".
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Thursday said news reports regarding seat cut in their M.Phil and Ph.D courses for the upcoming session of 2017-18 in the varsity were "misleading".
JNU maintains it has only implemented the University Grant Commission (UGC) notification of May 2016 "without any deviation".
According to the prospectus released by the Varsity on Tuesday, only 194 seats are available that includes both integrated M.Phil-Ph.D and direct Ph.D. Last year, the figure was 1174. In fact, several centers at the varsity have not offered even a single seat in these courses.
Citing the reason behind seat cut, the varsity said: “Seats have been announced on the basis of UGC 2016 regulation, which has also been endorsed by the Delhi High Court recently.”
The move came after the Delhi High Court last week rejected the plea of five JNU students who moved to the court challenging the notification that puts a cap on the number of scholars a faculty can supervise at a time.
UGC's May 2016 notification states, a professor cannot guide more than three M.Phil and eight Ph.D scholars at a time. An associate professor as research supervisor can guide up to a maximum of two M.Phil and six Ph.D scholars and an assistant professor can guide up to a maximum of one M.Phil and four Ph.D scholars.
“In accordance with the cap on research seats as per 2016 UGC Regulation, all the available vacant positions have been advertised," the varsity said, adding the seat cut was untenable since the current strength of research scholars are much higher than the required cap.
JNU also advertised 300 faculty positions to handle the crises. After recruitment of these faculty positions, the number of seats in the coming year for research scholars will substantially increase," it said.
Among the worst hit is the School for International Studies, where only three out of its 13 centers have offered any seats for integrated M.Phil and Ph.D. Last year, the school had offered total 238 seats which have been reduced to 11 this time. Similarly, only four out of the 12 centers in School of languages have seats in that category.
While students called it a "shutdown" like situation, the teachers’ association said it will challenge the Delhi High Court judgement in higher court. Students also burnt prospectus and effigy of the Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday and have been observing a mass varsity strike since then. The JNU students union announced it will organise a massive protest against the seat cut outside the UGC office on Friday.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "DNA")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}