Delhi Univerity To Discontinue M.Phil From Next Academic Session

The NEP suggested that MPhil programmes should be discontinued as for undertaking a PhD, either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with research would be required. 

New Delhi: The University of Delhi has issued a notification announcing that the Master of Philosophy (M. Phil.) programmes, offered by the versity will be discontinued from the next academic session in line with the National Education Policy-2020. The notification issued by the university stated that the Executive Council of DU had passed a resolution to discontinue the programme run in various departments to be discontinued from the academic session of 2022-2023.

What Does NEP Say?

Under the proposed guidelines of NEP, the higher education institutes will have the flexibility to offer different kinds of Master’s programmes, including a two-year degree programme with the second year dedicated to research, for students who have completed their three-year Bachelor’s programme.

Universities can also offer a one-year masters programme to students who have completed a four-year Bachelor’s programme with research. The NEP suggested that MPhil programmes should be discontinued as for undertaking a PhD, either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with research would be required.

The Resistance from Students and Teachers

The move was met with criticism from a section of students and teachers, who said MPhil course provided students an opportunity to pursue a short-term research programme, and build their CVs

In a Facebook post, Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front and former member, Executive Council, DU said that as opposed to PhD, MPhil is a short-term research degree for students which provided them an exposure to research work and added to their CVs.

“Social scientists believe that students with MPhil did better in their PhDs. This degree is being discontinued not because of any organic need of the system but because of NEP 2020. NEP 2020 is all about widening gap between have and have nots. Either commit to doing a PhD or remain without a research degree. NEP which is floating on advertisement of “choice” is taking away real choices which students had. Students with disadvantageous backgrounds looked upto MPhil as a research degree they could afford before going towards teaching jobs,” Habib, who teaches at Miranda House, said.

In a statment to the Hindu, Mithuraaj Dhusiya, member, Academic Council, DU describes MPhil research degree as a degree by itself separate from, and at the same time above, a Master’s degree. “It is extremely unfortunate that the NEP 2020 has discontinued it,” Dhusiya said.