Lucknow University is set to restart admissions to its Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.), Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) and Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) programmes after a gap of nearly 18 years. The university has completed preparations after its competent bodies approved the Ordinance Governing the Award of the Degree of D.Litt., D.Sc. and LL.D. 2025, a spokesperson said.
The university will issue the admission notification and begin the registration process once the ordinance receives final approval from the Raj Bhavan.
Under the revived programmes, D.Litt. will be offered in the faculties of arts, education, commerce and fine arts, D.Sc. in the faculties of science, engineering and technology, and pharmacy, while LL.D. will be awarded in the faculty of law.
JP Saini said the revival of the programmes marks a historic milestone in the university’s academic journey after nearly 18 years.
“Our objective is not merely to increase the number of degrees awarded, but to foster high-level, innovative, and globally benchmarked original research in alignment with the core principles of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” he said.
He added that the provision for “self-supervision” would provide senior scientists and professors with an opportunity to undertake independent research, while assuring that the admission and evaluation process would remain transparent and impartial.
Strict eligibility criteria
{{/usCountry}}Strict eligibility criteria
{{/usCountry}}According to the 2025 ordinance, applicants must hold a Ph.D. or an equivalent degree from an Indian university or a foreign university recognised by the UGC. They must also have at least five years of regular experience in teaching, research, administration or a related professional field after obtaining the Ph.D.
Candidates are required to publish at least 10 research papers related to their proposed research area in UGC-listed or recognised journals with a cumulative Journal Citation Reports (JCR) impact factor of at least 5.0. The applicant must be the first or corresponding author in all the publications.
Guide and self-supervision options
The ordinance allows research under an approved guide or through self-supervision.
Only professors who have successfully supervised at least five Ph.D. scholars will be eligible to act as guides. Each professor can supervise a maximum of two candidates at a time, with only one new admission permitted in an academic year.
For self-supervision, candidates must have at least 10 years of service after their Ph.D. and publish a minimum of 15 research papers in UGC-listed journals with a cumulative JCR impact factor of at least 10.0 as the first or corresponding author.
Multi-stage admission and evaluation
Applicants will have to submit the prescribed application form, fee, six copies of a 1,500-3,000-word research synopsis, a 1,000-word summary of previous research work and a No Objection Certificate.
A Post-Doctoral Research Committee, comprising the dean, head of the department and two external professors nominated by the vice-chancellor, will evaluate the applications.
Candidates can submit their thesis after a minimum of two years and within four years of registration. The vice-chancellor may grant a one-year extension in special circumstances.
The thesis will undergo plagiarism and AI checks before being sent to three independent examiners selected by the vice-chancellor from a panel recommended by the Board of Studies. An open viva-voce chaired by the dean will be conducted only after all three examiners submit positive reports, following which the degree will be awarded.