look news india
A historic and revolutionary news has come out for the researchers and students who dream of doing PhD in India’s top technical institute i.e. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). IIT is now going to make a big and unprecedented change in the traditional thesis writing system that has been in practice for decades in the field of higher education and research. On the lines of higher educational institutions in China and many leading countries of the world, submitting a thesis of hundreds of pages will no longer be the only option to obtain a PhD degree. Under this new and modern academic framework prepared by the IIT administration, research scholars will now be given three different and practical paths to obtain a doctoral degree. This new decision will have a direct impact on improving the level of research in India, promoting new patents and saving valuable time of students.
#1 Freedom from traditional thesis system and inspiration from China’s successful model
Till now, any PhD scholar in India had to prepare a detailed and complex thesis report at the end of his research period, the review of which took months. Many times, students’ careers were affected due to unnecessary delays and administrative complications in this process. China changed this traditional system in its top universities (such as Tsinghua and Peking University) to focus more on the practical results of research. Learning from this successful Chinese model, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have recognized that research should solve real-world problems, be patentable or published in high-impact international journals, rather than being confined to paper files only. Under this thinking, now the system of awarding PhD is being made completely modern and flexible.
#1 These 3 new and easy ways will be available to get PhD degree
Under this new credit and evaluation system being implemented by IIT, PhD researchers will have three main options to complete their degree:
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1. Publication of High-Impact Research Papers (Research Publications Route): Instead of writing a thesis of hundreds of pages, the researcher will have to publish research papers on his research topic in at least 2 to 3 international peer-reviewed and indexed journals. The PhD degree will be considered only after submitting a compilation of these published papers.
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2. Patent and Technology Transfer (Patent & Innovation Route): If a researcher has invented a new technology, device or software through his research and has filed or got its patent approved, then he will not need a thesis. This path will directly promote startups and ‘Make in India’.
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3. Practical Project and Industrial Prototype (Industrial Prototype Route): Degree can also be given directly on developing a working prototype that provides practical and technical solution to any complex problem of industries and society.
#1 This decision has far-reaching impact on Indian researchers and global rankings.
With this revolutionary step of IIT, a new enthusiasm is being seen in the higher education world of India. Academics and research guides believe that with this new system the average duration of PhD (which earlier used to be 5 to 6 years) will reduce to 3 to 4 years. Due to freedom from the burden of thesis, researchers will be able to use their time in conducting new experiments in laboratories, filing patents and global research networking. This will not only improve the QS World University Rankings of Indian institutions, but India will also emerge as a major hub of Innovation and Intellectual Property (IPR) globally.
#1 When will the new rules come into force and how will one get admission?
After getting the green signal for this new draft by the IIT Council and Senate, preparations are being made to implement it in a phased manner from the upcoming academic session. Initially it will be introduced as a pilot project in technical departments like engineering, computer science, biotechnology and AI, after which it will be expanded to all other streams. Students who want to take admission in PhD in IITs will now have to focus more on their innovation and patent oriented proposals along with qualifying GATE or NET. This new system will not only take the quality of research to global standards, but will also open doors to global research for the youth of India.