Kerala State Higher Education Council calls for a State policy on academic research

Demands modification of UGC guidelines to address the problem of shortage of research guides

The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has recommended to the government the formulation and implementation of a State policy on academic research to create a research culture and an environment conducive for research. The advisory body also called for the modification of the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations to address the problem of shortage of research guides and, thereby, enhance seats for Ph.D programmes. A six-member expert panel chaired by the council executive body member J. Rajan, which studied the problems of researchers in the State, observed that the decision — by adopting UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil/Ph.D degrees) Regulations, 2016 — to disallow retired faculty to become research supervisors had adversely affected research in State universities.