JNU begins MPhil, PhD admission process but with fewer seats

The admission process for MPhil and PhD programmes in the Jawaharlal Nehru University began Tuesday with reduced number of seats in line with UGC guidelines.

Jawaharlal Nehru University released its prospectus on Tuesday suggesting seat cuts in the MPhil/PhD programmes across different courses in line with the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines after the Delhi high court last week dismissed as infructuous the plea by some students challenging JNU admission policy for these courses.

The admission process to MPhil and PhD programmes in New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University began on Tuesday.(HT Photo)

There are some centres where the university this year will be taking just one student in the MPhil/Phd programme.

Among them are the Centre for European Studies, South Asian Studies, Geography, PhD in Visual Studies (VSAH), PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies (TPSH) and PhD in Cinema Studies (CNSH).

Even in other centres the intake numbers are not very high. The highest intake is at the M.Tech 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.

There are no details of the intake capacity in centres like Centre for Historical Studies, Political Studies, Regional Development and others according to the figures uploaded by the university in Delhi.

Last week, the Delhi HC while dismissing the plea by some students challenging JNU admission policy for MPhil and PhD courses, said the UGC guidelines for MPhil and PhD courses are binding on all varsities and allowed JNU to begin their admission process.

The students had contended the notification would result in “excess seat cuts” leading to no admission in the MPhil and PhD programmes at several centres of the varsity.

According to the July 5, 2016 UGC notification, a Research Supervisor/Co-supervisor who is a Professor, cannot guide more than three MPhil and eight PhD. scholars. An associate professor as research supervisor can guide up to a maximum of two M.Phil and six PhD scholars and an assistant professor can guide up to a maximum of one MPhil and four PhD scholars.

Earlier, the university had released figures of number of MPhil/PhD students a teacher was supervising, suggesting that in some centres it exceeded the UGC cap.

The application process for the different courses in the university began on March 21 and closes on April 5.

The admissions to the courses in JNU are held through entrance examination and interview. The 80% weightage is for entrance exam and 20% for viva. Earlier the university had decided to make the entrance as qualifying and give 100% weightage to viva. But following protests from students the 80:20 formula was arrived at.

The entrance examination will be held from May 16 to 19.