VMRF‐DU Ph.D Regulations ‐2022

Mode of Admission – Conduct of Entrance Examination Procedure

As per the VMRF‐DU Ph.D regulations Vide Clause No. 5 reads as follows

5.1. Admission shall be made through an entrance test / interview conducted at National Level by the university. Those who have qualified for fellowship/Scholarship in UGC – NET / UGC – CSIR NET / GATE / CEED and similar level national tests are exempted from the entrance test but have to appear for the interview. However, M.Phil. full-time/part-time candidates are not exempted from appearing in the entrance examination and interview.

5.2. The other candidates desirous of pursuing a Ph.D. degree shall submit the application in the prescribed form through proper channels wherever applicable, on or before the deadline mentioned in each session/quarter of the year to the University. The application form (Annexure I) can be downloaded from the university website www.vinayakamission.com.

• Entrance Examination:
  • Written Examination (MCQ type) – 70 Marks
    • Part A: Research Methodology - 35 Marks
    • Part B: Subject Specific - 35 Marks
  • Interview – 30 Marks
• Qualifying Marks: 50% (45% for reserved categories as per UGC norms)
• The syllabus of the entrance test shall consist of 50% research methodology and 50% subject-specific questions.
• Candidates who secure 50% in the entrance test are eligible to be called for the interview.
• A weightage of 70% will be given to the entrance test and 30% to the interview/Viva Voce.

In the interview, candidates must discuss their research interest/area through a presentation. The interview committee evaluates:

• The candidate's competence for the proposed research
• Feasibility of the research at the institution
• Contribution of the research to new/additional knowledge

5.3. The University maintains a list of Ph.D. supervisors, along with the details of Ph.D. scholars admitted under them. This list is uploaded on the university website.

5.4. A committee constituted by the university/constituent colleges shall determine the suitability of candidates based on entrance test performance, interdisciplinary relevance, and faculty registration availability. The committee forwards recommendations to the Ph.D. section.

5.5. The Ph.D. section will seek the approval of the Vice-Chancellor for the provisional registration of the selected candidates.

5.6. The candidates whose registration has been approved by the Vice Chancellor shall be provisionally admitted to the Ph.D. programme with intimation to the concerned Heads of the Institutions, HODs, research supervisor, the candidate, and the sponsoring institution, if any.

5.7. On receipt of the provisional registration of the candidates, the supervisors of the students shall recommend a panel of six names (Internal & External - each 3) for constituting the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) as per the clause 13 below for their respective students and send the same to the Ph.D. section. The Ph.D. section shall confirm the Research Advisory Committee as in clause 13 below, get the approval of the Vice-Chancellor and communicate the same to the respective supervisors for further action.

I. Constitution of Research Advisory Committee (RAC)

As per the UGC Regulations, there shall be a Research Advisory Committee or an equivalent body as defined in the Statutes/Ordinances of the Higher Educational Institution concerned for each Ph.D. scholar. Accordingly, the VMRF(DU) regulation vide section 13 provisions the constitution of RAC as follows.

13.1. There shall be a Research Advisory Committee for similar purpose as defined in the Statutes/Ordinance of the university, for each research scholar. The supervisor shall furnish for every candidate a panel of 6 experts (3 internal & 3 external) from well-versed academia, with Research Advisory qualifications in the field of proposed research, from the recognized higher education institutions/organizations. The following members shall constitute the “Research Advisory Committee” as approved by the Vice-Chancellor:

• The research supervisor (Convener)
• Two experts selected and approved by the Vice Chancellor of the respective faculty from a panel of six experts (3 Internal & 3 External) recommended by the Research Supervisor:
  • One internal expert from the same department or from other Department of the same institution the candidate has registered
  • One external expert from outside VMRF (DU) institutions (preferably with in a maximum of 500 kms radius of the Institution)
  • The Research Advisory Committee members shall meet the minimum eligibility criteria prescribed for eligible research supervisors.
• The Co-supervisor, if any.

The Research Advisory Committee shall have the following responsibilities:

• To review the research proposal and finalize the topic of research.
• To guide the research scholar in respect of the proposed research work and to identify the course(s) that he/she may have to do.
• To periodically review and assist in the progress of the research work of the research scholar.
• To review the pre-synopsis presentation of the research scholar.
• To act as a member of the Academic Integrity Panel for Plagiarism.

Institutional ethical committee clearance is to be obtained in case of research in Medicine / Dentistry / Nursing / Pharmacy and other areas, wherever necessary.

Constitution of Doctoral Research Committee (DRC) @ Board of Studies (Research)

Since the University is following the centralized admission process for the Ph.D. programs under all faculties, the Boards of Studies (Research) – BOS-Research is constituted at the University level to administer/monitor the Ph.D. program.

Accordingly, the University has constituted the committee with the following members for BOS-Research. The BOS-Research of the University is the advisory board for VMRF (DU) Ph.D. programs and its related matters, and the research activities of Ph.D. scholars under all faculties shall be governed by the committee.

Why

The goal of this policy is to help the scholars be successful during scholar’s course of study. We want to ensure an environment free from harassment and discrimination and to provide the support, mentorship, and opportunities to reach the scholar’s full potential.

Who

This policy is written for PhD scholars. First, this policy is written for scholars who have and/or are experiencing a hostile or unwelcoming work environment. It covers cases where scholars feel that they have been discriminated against or harassed.

Second, this policy is written for scholars who are struggling in their PhD studies. If the scholar is having difficulty finding a research Supervisor, if the relationship with the Supervisor is not working well, or if the scholar feels isolated from peers, they should reach out. If the scholars are worried about a fellow scholar, please contact us. We are here to help scholars recognize the nature of the problem and find a solution. University-level student grievance policy is also written for students who are concerned about their classmates or other students.

What

This policy covers two kinds of issues:

• Harassment and discrimination, including on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other personal identity.
• An unsupportive work environment. This includes a lack of guidance on how to choose courses, find a research Supervisor, formulate and proceed with the scholar’s thesis research, and prepare for their next career step after completing their PhD.

How

If the concern is not about the Supervisor, we encourage them to talk to them first. If the scholar's concern is about the Supervisor or if they wish to speak to someone else, they have several options:

• First, they can contact the Official Points of Contact, The Deputy Director Research of the University, Deputy Director Research, Ph.D Section, in person, by phone, or by email at dy.director.research@vmu.edu.in, whichever form they feel most comfortable.
• Second, they can also reach out to any faculty member or administrator they trust or a PhD RAC (Research Advisory Committee) member, or the Head of the Institution where their supervisor is placed.
• Third, they can contact the following University Student Grievance Redressal Committee through the following online grievance form: https://forms.vinayakamission.com/grievance/Student‐Grievance.php

University Student Grievance Redressal Committee:

Fourth, they can reach out to the University Ombudsman:

Name: Dr. R.S.D WAHIDA BANU
Designation: Principal (Rtd), Government College of Engineering
Email: drwahidabanu@gmail.com
Mobile No: 9443008886

Fifth, if none of the above helps, they can reach out to the UGC grievance through esamadhan: https://esamadhan.nic.in/