CHENNAI: The PhD students of the University of Madras are up against the wall with delay in conducting viva voce and awarding degrees as the vice-chancellor post of the varsity has been vacant since last August.
Though the absence of a vice-chancellor has been affecting numerous activities in the university, PhD scholars are allegedly the worst hit as many of them are losing chances to apply for post-doctoral studies and join the workforce as they are not getting the degrees on time.
K Prakash(name changed), who was pursuing PhD in Psychology from the university, completed his thesis in December 2023. However, his viva voce was only held this April. On top of that, he is yet to receive his provisional PhD degree. “My viva voce was delayed by almost four months and it took another month to get my degree. Usually, we will get the degree letter a week after the viva voce. But due to the absence of a VC, all processes in the university are delayed,” said Prakash.
“After I came to know that my viva voice would be delayed, I joined a university as a faculty on the condition that they would revise my salary after completing my PhD. Even though I completed PhD, the salary is not hiked as I am yet to submit my provisional degree,” he added.
Another scholar, S Kavitha’s plight is also not so different as her viva voce is yet to be conducted. “I submitted my thesis in January but they are yet to conduct my viva voce. I had a job offer in hand but could not join due to the delay. This is just adding to the financial woes of my family,” she said.
Viva voce is the last step in the PhD research where a panel of experts will ask questions to the candidates on their research before approving their degree. The VC alone can give approval to the viva voce panel. The students are alleging that in the absence of the VC, the usual process of finalizing examiners for viva voce, which takes two to three weeks, is taking four to five months.
After vice-chancellor S Gowri’s term ended last August, a four-member convener committee, which includes the higher education secretary, IIT Madras professors and DoTE commissioner, was formed to take care of the VC’s functions. However, faculty and students of Madras varsity allege that the committee members hardly visit the varsity. “Each file has to be taken to four different people living at four different places in the state for their signature. Hence, there will be delays in each and every work,” said a senior administrative official of the university.
“The varsity has been functioning without a VC for the last 10 months and it is affecting its activities. It’s high time a VC should be appointed,” said Abdul Rahiman, Secretary of the Teachers’ Collective of the University of Madras.