In a recent development, the HRD Ministry prepared New Education Draft Policy underlines the policy to discontinue M.Phil degree and students will straightaway be allowed to appear for PhD after graduation.
The draft further explains that the undergraduate degree will be of either three or four-year duration. Higher Educational Institutions may offer multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications.
“The M.Phil programme shall be discontinued,” says the final draft of the new education policy prepared by the human resource development (HRD) ministry.
“Undertaking a Ph D. degree shall require either a Master’s degree or a 4-year bachelor’s degree with research,” the draft further said.
“The 3-year programme will lead to a Bachelor’s degree. HEIs may choose to call their 3-year undergraduate degree a Bachelor of Arts, or Science, or Vocation, or the appropriate professional field,” the final draft mentions.
While PhD after graduation isn’t permitted in colleges, IITs has an arrangement to enlist students in PhD after their B.Tech courses,” said an administration official who declined to be named.
“In the last few years,, M.Phil as a course is observing declining enrolment indicating that it may be losing popularity. The two states and one union territory effectively contribute to two thirds of the total enrolment”, as per official data.
In order to prepare the final draft, the HRD ministry has been working on the Kasturirangan Committee report since June 2019, which will be approved by the Union cabinet.
According to official data, in 2016-17, while 43,267 students took admission in M.Phil courses, the number declined to 34,109 in 2017-18.
