Massive drop in number of PhD awarded by Mumbai University
2 Mar, 2012As per information supplied in response to RTI application, it has come to notice that the number of PhD awarded by Mumbai University has more than halved between 2008 and 2011. The Mumbai University has witnessed a decline of over 55% in PhD graduates in the past four years and this decrease is spread across all streams. While the number of PhD awarded was 325 in 2008, it has shown a massive decline in 2011 where only 134 students were awarded PhD degrees.
The fall in the registration of PhD students has been attributed to the complex centralised entrance test (CET) and a six-month course that Mumbai University has implemented. These changes were made to improve the quality of education and bring out better research work. It has been reported that in the past year, no entrance test has been conducted even though it is supposed to be held every six months.
Such an enormous decline in one of the premier institutions of the country raises the question of what is the situation elsewhere and whether the implications of the changes in PhD pattern were examined.