Phd. Program

Normal Progress

The following are the precise requirements and timeline for all the PhD students:

First year of the JRF programme:

As part of Ph.D. programme all students must undergo basic course-work during the first couple of semesters - which have been approved by the RFAC. The students must pass all the courses with an appropriate grade to be able to continue in the program.

Semester I :

Three of the core courses and one elective course.

Semester II :

Two of the core courses and Two elective courses.

If a student is familiar with some of the above core courses then she or he may pass an exam for those courses and take up some reading course in their area of interest.

The grades assigned are A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F = fail. A JRF can not have an F grade. Moreover CGPA for the eight first year courses should be at least 2.75 to be promoted to the second year.

Second year of the JRF programme:

In order to continue in the PhD program by the end of the second year the registration of the JRF must be complete. This involves among other things preparing a write-up consisting of research problems which the student plans to pursue for his thesis duly approved by the supervisor.

Tentative supervisor:

After successful completion of the first year of study, each student must, with the help of the RFAC committee, convince a faculty member (in his/her subject) to agree to be a tentative supervisor . This tentative supervisor should initially advise the student on an appropriate `study programme' in the second year, consistent with the student's strengths and taste. This `study programme' should then be agreed upon by the RFAC committee before the start of the second year's course-work.

Tentative Supervisor to Ph.D. Supervisor:

During the third semester the student should find a PhD supervisor who may or may not be the tentative supervisor. In order to be eligible to continue in the program, each student must pass a qualifying examination conducted by a committee constituted by RFAC and headed by the proposed PhD advisor. This exam will be an interview and will typically judge how well the student has undergone the study programme suggested by the supervisor, as well as gauge the general level of the student's preparedness for undertaking a doctoral programme.

Students of the Ph.D. programme would typically take the qualifying exam at the end of the third semester. If a student passes the qualifying exam, the report of the committee of this exam will name the future thesis supervisor of the student and the student must complete the registration with consultation with the PhD advisor.

Third year of the JRF programme:

Before the end of THREE years of the fellowship, a research proposal for the thesis should be submitted and the Research Fellow should defend the proposal at a seminar conducted for the purpose. The thesis-proposal will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the supervisor, the Dean of Studies or his/her nominee and two other experts, one of whom should be from outside the Institute. The extension of the fellowship at the end of the 3rd year should take this committee's report also into consideration. The said committee, with the supervisor as a member, will be formed by the Dean of Studies, in consultation with the RFAC.

Thesis submission

By the end of five years of the fellowship, Research Fellows are expected to submit their thesis or should have done substantial research work on their proposed research topics for the thesis and the research already done by them should form a basis for their thesis.

Extension of the fellowship beyond five years will be governed by the amount of research work done by research scholar and may be granted only on the evidence of commendable work already completed and on the basis of recommendations of a committee set up by the Dean of Studies, in consultation with the relevant RFAC, especially for this purpose. Research work published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals will be given importance in this matter. In case such an extension is recommended by the committee, it should also recommend the period for which the extension is to be granted. However, under no circumstances, the period of such an extension can be more than One Year.

RFAC Commitee:

This is a committee of faculty members. The committee shall assist the research scholars in completing various formalities and it will monitor their progress until registration.