COIMBATORE: With a Higher Education Department government order clearing their path, MPhil and PhD awardees of the Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) in Chennai would now be eligible for appointments in government services, education institutions and also for promotions.
Earlier, scholars who completed MPhil and PhD from open universities or through distance education mode were not eligible for these positions and perks as a 2009 GO barred such candidates from being appointed as teachers in colleges, universities or in government departments.
In July 2017, TNOU Registrar S Vijayan, in a letter to the State government, said that the University Grants Commission had permitted the TNOU to offer MPhil and PhD programmes under regular mode (full-time and part-time).
TNAU Acts and Statues also permitted the university to offer research programmes. The same was permitted by the university syndicate as well. As per UGC norms, an assistant professor could guide four PhD and one MPhil students, an associate professor could oversee six PhD and two MPhil students while a professor could guide eight PhD and three MPhil students, he pointed out in the letter.
Citing these points, the Registrar requested the Higher Education department to issue a government order, recognising MPhil and PhD degrees awarded by the TNOU under regular mode. This would pave the path for such awardees becoming eligible for appointment in the government departments or as teachers in education institutions.