JNTU-Hyderabad backtracks on Rs.5,000 PhD guideship fee

JNTU-Hyderabad has withdrawn its notification seeking a Rs 5,000 guideship fee from private college faculty for PhD supervision following widespread criticism. The university said the recognition process has been postponed pending administrative review and refunds will be initiated.

Hyderabad: The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) – Hyderabad revoked the notification seeking applications, with the guideship fee of Rs.5,000, from private colleges faculty for research supervision.

After ‘Telangana Today’ story on backlash against the newly imposed guideship fee, the university revoked the notification that was issued on January 29 and disabled the online registration link.

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In a fresh notice, JNTU-Hyderabad R&D Cell Director, Dr. A Chennakesava Reddy said the process of recognition / renewal of PhD supervisors is postponed until further orders.
“This decision has been taken as per the directions of the competent authority, pending administrative review. All concerned are advised to await further instructions, which will be communicated in due course through the official portal,” he said.

According to a senior official, the university will ascertain the number of registrations and initiate refund of the guideship fee paid by the applicants.

Earlier, the R&D Cell of the first technological university in the country sought necessary documents and an affidavit executed on a non-judicial stamp paper from private faculty, priced research scholars allotment at Rs.5,000. The applicants were to be submitted on or before February 13 (5 pm).

This controversial move had raised eyebrows among the academics, who said not just in the university’s history no varsity in the country ever offered such guideship recognition for faculty for money.

Apart from university officials, the registration notification did not go down well with private college employees who demanded the university revoke it immediately, stating that such imposition of the fee was against the rules.

A few years ago, the JNTU-Hyderabad opened the doors for the private-affiliated colleges faculty to enrol as PhD supervisors. It has also rolled out strict norms, including two years of teaching after PhD publication, and mandated publication of a minimum five papers, which are not related to PhD thesis, in reputed journals to be eligible for the supervisor position. Further, the applicant should continue six years of service in the same college.