JNU will induct 300 teachers for MPhil, PhD courses

In order to harmonise the “scholar-teacher ratio” for admissions to MPhil/PhD courses from the next academic session, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will soon appoint 300 teachers. The university administration has already started the recruitment process.

“The JNU will appoint 300 teachers to normalise the situation of massive cut in seats in MPhil and PhD courses that resulted after the implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 5 July 2016 notification. The notification had set “scholar-teacher ratio” across universities. The procedure for appointment of teaching staff in the university will be completed this year,” Poonam Kudesia, JNU spokesperson, said.

This year, the university will admit only 102 students in MPhil and PhD courses compared to last year when it had inducted 970 students. The implementation of UGC’s 2016 notification, which prescribes minimum standards and procedures for awarding MPhil and doctoral degrees in JNU, has resulted in massive seat cuts in admissions for the upcoming academic session 2017-18.

Last week, the JNU had released its prospectus suggesting seat cuts in M.Phil/PhD programmes across different courses in line with the UGC guidelines after the Delhi High Court last week dismissed the plea by some students challenging the admission policy for these courses in the university.

 The disciplines that have been most affected by the cut in seats are European studies, South Asian studies, geography, PhD in Visual Studies, PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies and PhD in Cinema Studies. Even in other disciplines, the intake numbers are not very high.

The highest intake capacity is for MTech in computer and system sciences (MTCP) at 20. The lowest intake capacity is in the social science subjects, under the School of Social Sciences which has 15 centres, Admissions will take place in just three centres.

 Students had protested that the UGC notification would result in “excess seat cuts”, leading to no admissions in the M.Phil and doctoral programmes at several centres of the university and had launched a massive agitation against the move.

 “The UGC notification is mandatory for all universities across the nation to decide on an annual basis, a predetermined and manageable number of M.Phil and doctoral students, depending on the number of available eligible faculty supervisors,” JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said.

 “The core objective of the provision of supervisor-student ratio is to maintain the standard of research in the universities across the nation,” a senior UGC official said.