HYDERABAD: In the recently-released admission notification of Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) for the academic year 2018-19, the varsity has scrapped the MPhil course citing dismal response to it.
The notification is for admission into regular Ph.D, postgraduate undergraduate diploma certificate courses offered by the Hyderabad campuses. The regulation will be applicable for all its satellite campuses, polytechnics and colleges for teacher education across the country.
In the 2017-18 academic year for the 11 departments of the varsity, there was zero enrolment in six for MPhil. “Last year, we had some 10-15 students taking up MPhil. In view of the response, the academic council has decided to withdraw the course. This is one of several reforms we have initiated this year,” said PF Rahman, director of admission of MANUU.
In addition, the Urdu University has also introduced eight new polytechnic programmes along with setting up of two new polytechnic institutes at its campuses in Kadapa and Cuttack.
Meanwhile, the notification released on February 16 has left a section of students shocked when they realised that the programme that served as a bridge course between the postgraduate and the research course was suddenly removed without prior intimation.
According to the revised Universities Grants Commission (UGC) notification released last year, students could directly take admission into Ph.D after completion of their post graduate degree. While this move was lauded by the academic fraternity, removal of M.Phil, particularly in the case of MANUU, a linguistic minority central university, is likely to affect the student community from the underprivileged families. As expected, the student community has not taken the latest development well.
Calling it a jolt to the student community, Tajamul Islam, a Ph.D student of the varsity said, “M.Phil helped so many underprivileged students to pursue Ph.D in MANUU and other universities. The course gave them an edge to fulfil their dreams.”Fasiullah, studying M.A in English Literature, pointed out that with NET and SET being the criteria for qualifying the research course, Muslim students from rural areas, first generation learners and those from economically backward classes might find it difficult to compete at the national level. “Accessing higher education will become difficult for these students,” he said. Meanwhile, the Student Union too has decided to rake up the matter and has submitted a representation to the administration.
“We have been trying to meet the vice-chancellor Dr Mohammad Aslam Parvez to raise our concerns. The administration has told us that this is the impact of the seat and funds cut administered by UGC. We will ask the management to reconsider this regulation,” said Attaullah Niazi, president of the student union. A protest could be on the anvil if the administration does not adhere to the demand, he added. Director of admission, MANUU PF Rahaman told Express that as the decision to do away with the course had already been taken by Academic Council, there was little hope of its revocation.