Smriti Irani's ambiguous reply to House on MPhil, PhD via correspondence

HRD minister Smriti Irani gave a ambiguous reply in Lok Sabha to a question on allowing Ph.D and M.Phil through correspondence. 

Irani said UGC has informed that as per their regulation of 2009 M.Phil and Ph.D programmes "shall not be conducted through distance education mode in the country." 

This is contrary to the facts. Only last month, HRD ministry asked UGC to furnish status of regulation of 2011 that allowed open universities to conduct M.Phil/Ph.D programmes. Since UGC had not notified the regulation of 2011, it could not be put in operation. Indira Gandhi National Open University had been demanding that UGC should notify it at the earliest. 

IGNOU had already amended its ordinance allowing M.Phil/Ph.D through distance mode. But when IGNOU sought visitor's approval for its amendment, HRD ministry could not forward it since UGC had not notified the changes in regulations. 
Smriti Irani's ambiguous reply to House on MPhil, PhD via correspondence


In July 2011, UGC in its 479th meeting had amended its UGC (Minimum Standards for award of M.Phil/Ph.D) Regulations-2009. It was decided that an open University may be permitted to conduct M.Phil./Ph.D. programmes through distance education mode, subject to the condition that it does so strictly as per the provisions of the UGC Regulations, 2009. 

It also said the 11-point criteria laid down by the Standing Committee on M.Phil./Ph.D. Regulations, 2009 may be uploaded on UGC website and circulated to all institutions of higher education for information and further action. UGC had also stipulated that for undertaking Ph.D. under distance education mode, the principal guide should be from within the open university, and a joint guide, wherever necessary, may be from outside the university. However, a teacher should not have more than two candidates under his supervision as a joint guide.