Speaking to
Education Times
, Bratya Basu, West Bengal Education Minister, says, “The West BengalEducation department will not accept new directive imposed by the UGC. The state will follow its independent education policy suggested by our experts.”
“The MPhil degree is significant as it often serves as a bridge between a Master’s degree and the Ph. D. programme and it’s important for those who are inclined towards research and academia as it provides training in research methodologies, critical thinking and academic writing,” said Basu, emphasising on the importance of the degree. If the students in West Bengal opt to enrol in MPhil, the authorities will not stop them.
“Sometimes regional educational bodies (both autonomous and others) have their own evaluation criteria and perspectives on certain degree programmes. The future of the MPhil programme in West Bengal in the next academic year might depend on several factors such as university autonomy and student demands, etc.”
“For students currently undertaking MPhil courses, the situation has become uncertain as UGC’s non-recognition could potentially impact job prospects in sectors and positions that require UGC-approved qualifications. The future of MPhil students will depend on the decision made by the universities following the mutual agreement between the UGC and regional educational bodies,” Basu adds.
The derecognition of the MPhil degree came in from the academic year 2022-23, based on the NEP2020 regulations.
Speaking to
Education Times
, Prof Manish Ratnakar Joshi, secretary, UGC, says, “It has come to our notice that some universities are still inviting admission for MPhil programme despite the degree being already scrapped. We have sent notice to those universities to stop the admission process immediately.”
“If any state government refuses to follow the UGC guidelines then they will be playing with students’ future as the degree will not have any value when it comes to employment. The students should be wiseenough to abide by the UGC guidelines on MPhil degrees and not take admissions for such redundant courses,” adds Prof Joshi.