Worried about having completed the maximum period of 10 years for submitting your Ph.D. thesis? Are you a B.Tech. student of the old batches wishing to appear for an examination that you missed?
The academic council of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is ready to help. From relaxing norms for submission of Ph.D. theses to allowing candidates short on attendance to appear for examinations, the number of ‘special cases’ ratified by the university is going up.
These approvals come at a time when the Kerala High Court and academicians rue the declining quality of technical education in the State.
As per official records we found that the academic council meetings held on July, 23, 2011, and January 25, 2012, had approved nearly 25 special cases. Even though the academic council enjoys the powers to ratify such requests, the question whether these appeals deserved a relaxation remains unanswered.
For instance, the academic council held in July last year permitted a research scholar who failed to submit the research thesis after expiry of the maximum period of 10 years to furnish her work ‘after completing all formalities’. The candidate was working with the Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry.
In another special case, the council agreed to extend the period of Ph.D. registration of a research scholar affiliated to the School of Engineering after the expiry of the maximum permitted period of 10 years. A part-time research scholar at the Department of Applied Economics, who was removed from the rolls, was also permitted to submit the thesis.
The academic council also ratified the Vice-Chancellor’s decision to relax the shortage of attendance beyond the condonable limit for a candidate who wanted to appear for the B.Tech. fifth semester examination held in November.
Council ratification
The academic council held in January this year ratified the decision to grant one additional chance to write B.Tech. supplementary examination to all students admitted from 1995 to 2002 who had applied, but could not appear/pass the papers. The council meeting also permitted a B.Tech. candidate (2004-08 batch) to appear for a supplementary examination of B.Tech. eighth semester as a special case.
University sources admitted that the academic council approves such decisions mainly based on external pressure and recommendation from various quarters. At least a third of the decisions taken by the academic council in a meeting include requests for relaxation of various norms for examination and admission.
