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Indian Institute of Science, Bengalu- monthly research
ru, Karnataka’s forest cover reduced grants plus free-of-
by 2 percent between 2016-2023. charge campus accom-
Another report titled ‘Cauvery River: modation.
Land Use Dynamics Biodiversity and According to
Hydrological Status’ reveals that the IIT-M insiders — the
state has lost 57 percent of its natural IIT-M management
cover over the past five decades. Con- from Director to PRO
trary to popular belief, there’s more refused to talk to your
to forestry than planting trees. Forest correspondent — this
managers need to be well-versed in directive has been
forest floor flora and fauna and ecolo- issued to ensure that
gy diversity. Pity the state government Ph D scholars “don’t
isn’t aware about the critical impor- fritter away taxpay-
tance of inducting specialists rather ers’ money by enjoy-
than generalists into this increasingly IIT-M doctoral scholars: workload objection ing a prolonged paid
important service. holiday”.
Reshma Ravishanker (Bengaluru) journals. Another gazette notifica- Criticism of IIT-M’s new research
tion of November 7, 2022, (adopted paper mandate has intensified amid
TAMIL NADU by the Academic Council on April 6, growing reports of a rising number
Research scholars’ 2023) stipulated that five research of suicides of Ph D students enrolled
papers in refereed journals are re-
at the prestigious IITs. In early
row quired from Ph D students. January, students at IIT-Kanpur
Against this backdrop, the one
held a candlelit vigil to mourn the
death of a woman doctoral student
research paper per semester stipula-
he top-ranked indian institute tion of IIT-M has come as a rude — the third suicide at the institution
of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) shock to the institute’s doctoral since December. Likewise, IIT-Delhi
Thas introduced a controversial students. Numerous telephone calls reported three student suicides and
mandate (January 15) requiring Ph and emails to the IIT-M manage- one by a Ph D scholar earlier in
D scholars to publish a paper every ment to clear this confusion elicited 2023. And last November, IIT-M
semester. This policy change has no response. took the unprecedented step of sus-
sparked a backlash from students. In this connection, it’s pertinent pending a professor in the wake of
Over 300 scholars staged a demon- to note that IIT-M’s Ph D ‘students’ the death of a mechanical engineer-
stration on the IIT-M campus on are not students in the ordinary ing Ph D student, bringing the total
January 17 protesting the adminis- sense of the word. They are postgrad- number of suicides at the institute
tration’s unilateral implementation uate scholars awarded generous — by since 2018 to 12.
of new academic regulations for M.Sc Indian standards — scholarships Doctoral scholars typically
and Ph D students. ranging between Rs.12,400-37,000 “publish one or two papers before
According to the protesting stu- per month to conduct research to submitting their thesis. The new
dents, the IIT-M circular contradicts add to the stock of national knowl- system requiring Ph D scholars to
UGC (University Grants Commis- edge. In developed OECD countries publish papers on regular basis will
sion) guidelines for Ph D students. where close collaboration between impose great pressure and stress
New UGC guidelines permit any the academy and industry is norma- on students. This could also result
student who has completed a four- tive, innovative research studies are in the focus of scholars shifting to
year undergrad degree programme converted into commercial goods quantity over quality, compromising
to register for doctoral study. and services valued at billions of the rigour and significance of their
Moreover in November 2022, UGC dollars. research. Further, research in certain
abolished the compulsory require- However, one of the biggest rack- fields may not lend itself well to fre-
ment of scholars getting research ets in Indian higher education is of quent publication,” says Rajendra
papers published in peer reviewed unemployed/unemployable gradu- Bhoopathi, professor emeritus and
journals before submission of their ates being inducted into doctoral former head of mechanical engineer-
final thesis. Subsequently in January research programmes and spending ing at Anna University, Chennai.
2023, the commission mandated the years researching arcane subjects Meanwhile, a former Director
publication of at least one research such as African studies and Hindi of IIT-M questions the legality of
paper in refereed/peer reviewed development, while drawing large the new circular. “Rules governing

MARCH 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 25