UGC Launches ‘PhD Excellence Citations’ to Honour Exceptional Doctoral Research

In a significant initiative to acknowledge and celebrate the high-quality PhD work among young research scholars, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is gearing up to award ten prestigious 'PhD Excellence Citations' annually. This recognition is a testament to the importance of your research and its potential impact on the academic community.

According to UGC Chairman Professor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, the citations will be awarded beginning next year and are intended to acknowledge "outstanding doctoral research."

Theses in five disciplines; sciences, including Agricultural and Medical Sciences; engineering and Technology; Social Sciences, including Education and Humanities; Indian Languages; and Commerce and Management—will be conferred.

In the subsequent year, research scholars who earned their Ph. D.s through a conference between 1 January and 31 December of the previous year will be eligible for the citation. The citation is available to individuals who have earned their Ph. D.s from state, central, private, and deemed universities.

The UGC approved guidelines for these citations at a meeting last week. They will soon be made public to solicit feedback.

The selection process for the 'PhD Excellence Citations' is designed to be transparent and fair. According to the guidelines, universities can submit up to five theses annually, one from each of the five disciplines. A screening committee at the university level will shortlist candidates, and the UGC will establish five selection committees for each of the five streams. These committees will select two awardees from each stream, ensuring a rigorous and impartial selection procedure.

Universities must evaluate criteria such as the thesis's originality, methodology, clarity and structure, impact, presentation, defence of the thesis, and contribution to the existing corpus of knowledge in the field.

In January, the UGC will invite universities to submit nominations through an application portal. The victors are anticipated to receive their citations on 5th September annually.

The UGC's findings, derived from a comprehensive study on the Ph. D.s awarded from 2011 to 2018, have significantly influenced the guidelines for the 'PhD Excellence Citations '. The data revealed that 30% of the Ph. D.s awarded during this time were in the field of science, while 26% were in Engineering and Technology, 12% in Social Sciences, 6% in Indian Languages, 6% in Management, and 5% in Medical Sciences and Education. This information underscores the relevance and impact of the UGC's initiative in recognizing and promoting high-quality doctoral research.

To recognise high-quality PhD work among young research scholars, the UGC is preparing to award ten PhD Excellence Citations annually.

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