UGC launches PhD Excellence Citation, universities to nominate best doctoral thesis

Universities can nominate up to five theses per year, with one nomination each from five disciplines

New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday launched the PhD Excellence Citation on its portal, for universities to nominate up to five theses per year, with one nomination each from five disciplines: sciences, engineering and technology, social sciences, Indian languages, and commerce and management.

The UGC will award 10 PhD Excellence Citations annually, selecting two theses from each of the five discipline.

According to officials, PhD degrees awarded by UGC-recognised and National Assessment and Accreditation Council-accredited state, central, private, and deemed universities between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, are eligible for nomination until March 31, 2025.

“Starting today, universities can nominate their best PhD theses for this recognition on the UGC portal. We have already informed all universities about this programme and urged them to identify and nominate their best theses,” UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar said at the portal launch.

The UGC has asked universities to pre-screen their researchers’ PhD theses and nominate candidates within the specified disciplines through the portal.

“We have already written to all the universities, requesting them to identify the best thesis in their university and nominate them on the UGC portal,” said Kumar.

Five selection committees will evaluate the nominated theses, with each committee responsible for one stream. Selection criteria include originality, publication quality, patents (if any), proper citation representation, and potential contributions to knowledge in their respective fields.

The selection committee for the citations will recommend winners to the UGC by August 1. The citations would eventually be awarded on Teachers’ Day (September 5).

“Based on these parameters, expert committees will select two theses from each domain. The scholars will be invited to receive the PhD Excellence Awards. This recognition will inspire young researchers to excel in their PhD programs,” Kumar said.

Kumar also highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary research and collaboration between educational institutions, research organisations, and industry. “NEP 2020 highlights the need for multidisciplinary research and education. UGC aims to recognise the efforts of our research scholars as part of their PhD programs,” he said.

He added that the PhD Excellence Citation aims to recognise exceptional doctoral research, promote a high-quality research ecosystem, and highlight outstanding work by young scholars in alignment with the 2020 National Education Policy.

The initiative follows a UGC study showing a rise in PhD admissions, from 77,798 in 2010-11 to 161,412 in 2017-18. The study revealed 30% of PhD degrees were awarded in sciences, 26% in engineering and technology, and 12% in social sciences.