The decision was taken at a recent academic council meeting where the university reviewed the students who had been enrolled for years but had not made any progress, officials told Hindustan Times .

“As per the rules, each supervisor can accept only a certain number of students. The academic council decided to disqualify 553 students as the supervisors could not accept new students due to the lack of progress of the existing students,” said a senior official of Mumbai University.

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Many PhD students cannot get their degrees because of slow research progress. Illustration photo: Freepik

In recent months, the school has received many complaints from students who passed the doctoral entrance exam but were not assigned a professor for 1-2 years. In some cases, it has lasted nearly 10 years, leaving lecturers with no room to accept new students, the official said.

As per the rules of the Higher Education Commission of India, the time limit for completion of a PhD (including compulsory courses) is 3-6 years. Students can apply for an extension of up to 2 years by re-applying, bringing the total time limit to 8 years. Female and disabled researchers can get an extension of 2 years, bringing the total time limit to 10 years. All 553 disqualified researchers exceeded this limit.

A senior professor and PhD supervisor at MU said many students have difficulty continuing their research after completing their coursework. “Some students find that research is not their passion. They postpone each stage and their research does not progress,” the professor said.

Another lecturer added: “While lack of interest is a major problem, some students face personal difficulties such as having to move, change jobs or priorities after enrolling. These situations make it difficult for them to continue their studies, despite their desire.”

Many of the disqualified PhD students agree with this assessment. One PhD student shared: “I had to take a break after two years. My supervisor reminded me but I did not respond, thinking that I would return within eight years. But that did not happen.” Another PhD student in the Faculty of Natural Sciences said she could not continue her research because she moved with her family and started working three years after registration.

The decision by the University of Mumbai highlights the importance of completing research on time and managing faculty resources, and reflects the challenges PhD students may face during their studies and research.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/553-nghien-cuu-sinh-tien-si-bi-huy-tu-cach-hoc-vi-tien-do-nghien-cuu-cham-2465480.html