In a significant move towards elevating research standards, the Lucknow University executive council on Thursday approved a series of reforms aimed at strengthening research ecosystem and expanding academic infrastructure at the university and its associated colleges.
The new policy measures include—a major overhaul of the PhD programme structure, intended to enhance clarity, authenticity, and institutional standardisation. The university mandated distinct faculty-wise colour-coding for PhD theses to streamline archiving and documentation.
Under it, management, commerce, education, science, and engineering have been categorised under blue; arts, fine arts, law, and the Abhinavgupt Institute under maroon; and agriculture, yoga, alternative medicine, Ayurveda, and Unani under forest green.
Additionally, the university has instituted a transparent five-stage standard operating procedure (SOP) for scholars transitioning from regular to part-time research, establishing a clear pathway through departmental evaluation, committee recommendations, executive approval, and fee compliance. The council also introduced measures to decentralise research guidance and empower educators within the region.
Faculty members from prominent government and associated degree colleges, including Shashi Bhushan Mahavidyalaya and Krishna Devi Girls’ Degree College, now have official research supervision rights, with Lucknow University serving as their designated nodal research centre.
In response to representations from the Lucknow University Associated College Teachers Association (LUACTA), the council approved 5% weightage in PhD admissions for children of associated college teachers, similar to existing provisions in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
{{/usCountry}}In response to representations from the Lucknow University Associated College Teachers Association (LUACTA), the council approved 5% weightage in PhD admissions for children of associated college teachers, similar to existing provisions in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
{{/usCountry}}The council was informed that the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP) ordinance received a formal approval from the Jan Bhavan.
For the expansion of legal education, financial sanction was given for creating 17 new self-financed teaching posts for the five-year LLB course in the law department. Temporary affiliation for five years was also granted to Mohammadi Law College, Lakhimpur, for running the five-year law course.
The council unanimously decided to name the newly constructed state-of-the-art sports complex as ‘Prof DP Singh Krida Bhawan’ in honour of former vice chancellor the late Prof DP Singh. It approved the confirmation of newly appointed teachers in sociology, psychology and English departments after their probation period.
The council also decided to engage experienced retired professors through a selection committee in five major engineering departments of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology.