Panjab University (PU) is likely to discontinue the MPhil programme being run in its various departments from the 2022-23 academic session, in line with the mandate of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020).
A decision in this regard was taken by the varsity’s apex governing body, the senate, in February. During the zero hour of its February 13 meeting, the senate had resolved, “MPhil programme being offered in various departments of the university be discontinued with effect from the next academic session.” But the implementation of the resolution is still under deliberation.
Without detailing the reasons, the NEP 2020 document simply states that the MPhil programme should be discontinued. Earlier this year, Delhi University (DU) had also decided to discontinue the programme from the next session.
“Higher education institutions will have the flexibility to offer different designs of master’s programmes: (a) there may be a two-year programme with the second year devoted entirely to research for those who have completed the two-year bachelor’s programme; (b) for students completing a four-year bachelor’s programme with research, there could be a one-year master’s programme; and (c) there may be an integrated five-year bachelor’s/master’s programme. Undertaking a PhD shall require either a master’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree with research. The MPhil programme shall be discontinued,” the NEP states.
PU senator professor Rajat Sandhir said, “MPhil is a shorter version of a research degree. It had significance till it was an essential qualification for academic positions, but it has now outlived that.”
{{/usCountry}}PU senator professor Rajat Sandhir said, “MPhil is a shorter version of a research degree. It had significance till it was an essential qualification for academic positions, but it has now outlived that.”
{{/usCountry}}Senator Priyatosh Sharma, who is the chairperson of department of history, PU, said it will be a timely step if the varsity discontinued MPhil, which led to unnecessary gap and wastage of years between the master’s degree and PhD.
“However, PU must restructure its syllabus and introduce term/seminar papers uniformly in all postgraduate programmes to ready students for PhD research across streams,” he said, adding that in the light of a pre-PhD course work, MPhil had become redundant and led to wastage of years before pursuing research.
PU’s dean university instruction (DUI) Renu Vig said, “We are preparing a framework for implementation of NEP-2020. Once it is ready, we will hand it over to the departments.”