UGC bars JJTU from enrolling PhD students for 5 years over violation of norms
JJTU is the fourth Rajasthan-based private university to be barred by UGC from admitting students to the PhD programmes from the academic year 2025-26 to 2029-30
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday debarred Shri Jagdishprasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University (JJTU) in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu from offering PhD courses for the next five years for “violating the academic norms and compromising integrity”.
JJTU is the fourth Rajasthan-based private university to be barred by UGC from admitting students to the PhD programmes from the academic year 2025-26 to 2029-30.
UGC had on January 16 barred OPJS University (Churu), Sunrise University (Alwar), and Singhania University (Jhunjhunu) from enrolling new PhD students for the next five years for not complying with the provisions of UGC’s PhD regulations and academic norms for the award of PhD degrees.
The decision to bar JJTU from enrolling new PhD students came after a UGC standing committee found that the higher education institution did not follow provisions of UGC’s PhD regulations and also academic norms for the award of PhD, the commission said in a notice.
UGC’s PhD regulations 2022 specify the eligibility criteria, duration, and admission requirements for PhD programmes and rules for awarding PhD upon satisfactory completion of coursework. The regulations also ask universities to establish research advisory committees and proper infrastructure to offer PhD programmes.
“The University was given an opportunity to explain why they failed to comply with the provisions of the UGC PhD regulations, however, the responses received from the JJTU were not found satisfactory,” UGC said.
Based on the panel recommendation of barring JJTU from enrolling PhD students for five years, UGC debarred the university from enrolling scholars in PhD. programmess for the next five years and informed its decision to the university and directed the higher education institution to discontinue enrolling PhD students immediately.
The UGC has also advised prospective students and parents “not to take admission in PhD programme offered by these universities as their degrees shall not be treated recognised or valid for the purpose of higher education and employment”.
JJTU officials did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.
“The UGC has debarred the university from admitting students to its PhD programme due to violations of PhD regulatory norms. After due process, the UGC has taken this decision. Compliance with UGC regulations is mandatory for all higher education institutions,” UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar told HT.
Earlier on January 16, Kumar had told HT that UGC was evaluating the quality of PhD programmes at 30 other universities. “We randomly select universities across the country and ask them to provide all the details related to PhD admissions during the last five years. The details include everything from the admission process to the awarding of a degree. The committee checks several parametres on Phd courses to see whether the UGC PhD regulations were followed in letter and spirit and the decision is taken after a process,” Kumar added.
