Vani Jha
The University Grants Commission UGC has launched PhD excellence citations to felicitate young researchers for their outstanding contribution to their research area. To honour the cities, an annual edition will be released. In this connection, the commission has sought the application of universities to disseminate the same and shortlist and nominate research scholars therefrom for citation. Applications will be received through the online portal, which will open on 1 January 2025.
A study based on PhDs awarded from 2011 to 2018 has seen a trend of student rise for PhD degrees. PhD admissions rose from 77,798 in 2010-11 to 1,61,412 in 2017-18.
Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; Medical Sciences; Engineering and Technology; Social Sciences-Including Education and Humanities, etc.) Indian Languages; Commerce and Management. Researchers whose theses had been defended successfully in State, Central, Private, and Deemed-to-be Universities are eligible to avail of this scheme. The UGC shall award ten citations: Two from every discipline.
Eligibility: PhD candidates
- URL of the recommended thesis uploaded on the INFLIBNET website.
- Important research publications/patents from the PhD work
- PhD theses are awarded according to UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of PhD Degree) regulations, notified from time to time.
- A PhD degree awarded through a convocation from January 1 to December 31 in any year shall be included in the citation for the following year.
Every university can nominate as many as five theses in a year, one from each of the five disciplines, from the PhDs conferred through a convocation.
UGC PhD excellence citation: Important dates
The winners of PhD Excellence Award should be felicitated by UGC on September 5 every year to coincide with the celebrations of Teacher’s Day. The timeline for the award ceremony would go like this:
- January 1 – UGC sends a letter to the universities inviting them to submit nominations and open the portal.
- March 31 – The last date of the submission of the nominations by the universities.
- August 1 – Recommendation of winners to the UGC by the selection committee
- September 5 – Citation Ceremony
This selection process will take place for two different committees that are one screening committee at the university level and a selection committee at the UGC level. The commission will prepare five separate committees for five different committees. Each committee would select two candidates from their respective streams.
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Conclusion
The UGC PhD Excellence Citation is a significant initiative that highlights and rewards the exemplary research contributions of young scholars in India. By recognizing outstanding achievements across diverse disciplines, this annual accolade aims to foster a culture of research excellence and innovation. As PhD admissions continue to rise, this recognition not only motivates future researchers but also underscores the importance of high-quality research in shaping India’s academic and scientific landscape. Universities and eligible researchers should seize this opportunity to gain acknowledgement for their impactful work, with the first round of nominations commencing on January 1, 2025.