Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Research first: On the UGC move on research papers by Ph.D. scholars

Research first: On the UGC move on research papers by Ph.D. scholars

The compulsion (बाध्यता) to publish has led to poorer quality of research

The University Grants Commission’s decision to remove the mandatory (अनिवार्य) requirement of getting research papers published in peer (समकक्ष, समान पद का)-reviewed journals before submitting a PhD thesis (निबंध, प्रसंग, मान्यता) is a bid to stem the unhealthy practice of many scholars (विद्वान, छात्र, शागिर्द) paying substandard (रद्दी, अवमानक), predatory journals to publish their papers without sufficient review, which has weakened the quality of India’s doctoral (A thesis or research work that is written to obtain a doctor’s degree) education. Seen from this angle, the UGC’s move is indeed the right one. Studies have shown that a majority of doctoral students publish in such journals, rather than go through the more time-consuming process of submitting their drafts to reputed journals, awaiting review and revising. Given the insufficiency of scholarships and stipends, many students are also in a hurry to complete their doctoral degrees rather than taking the time needed for quality research. The removal of a compulsory requirement is also in line with global regulatory standards. However, while paper publication is not mandated in most countries, it is certainly considered essential for any top researcher, with many theses consisting in their entirety of published papers. The UGC has also emphasised (जोर देना, महत्त्व देना) that it would be advisable for scholars to publish papers in high-quality journals for their own sake, as it would add value to their PhD for any post-doctoral opportunities. The regulator hopes that by removing the mandatory requirement, it can help create a more conducive (अनुकूल) atmosphere for self-motivated research by students and universities, as is found in the IITs which do not have such a requirement.

The removal of the mandatory requirement is also an acknowledgement of the diversity in academic disciplines; in some branches of the humanities, the publication of a monograph (प्रबंध, विशेष निबंध) is a more accepted method of communicating with academic peers than journal papers, while top computer science researchers may value conference (सम्मेलन, बातचीत) presentations over journal publications. Patents (Exclusive rights regarding manufacturing, using, or selling, granted by an authority to the inventor of something) obtained are also seen as a better indication of the quality of research in some disciplines. Removing the mandatory requirement will thus allow for more innovation (नवीनता, नवपरिवर्तन). There is, however, some concern that the removal of mandatory requirements will result in a further dilution of quality, as the worth of a researcher and a university is judged on the basis of papers published and cited (उद्धृत करना, तलब करना), with funding also dependent on such benchmarks. To encourage students to publish in reputed journals even without a mandatory requirement from now puts the onus on university research advisory councils and doctoral supervisors to up their game. Given that a reason students rush to publish is the need to quickly complete their PhDs due to financial constraints, higher levels of funding are urgently needed to ensure that the UGC’s move does not backfire (उलटना, जवाबी हमला).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Scholar (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्वान, छात्र, शागिर्द
English Meaning - A learned or erudite person.

2.Compulsion (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - बाध्यता
English Meaning - The action or state of forcing or being forced to do something.

3.Mandatory (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य
English Meaning - Compulsory or required by law.

4.Thesis (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निबंध, प्रसंग, मान्यता
English Meaning - A subject for the essay.

5.Substandard (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - रद्दी, अवमानक
English Meaning - Of a lower quality or quality not meeting the set norms.

6.Emphasize (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - जोर देना, महत्त्व देना
English Meaning - To give emphasis to something.

7.Conducive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनुकूल
English Meaning - Making a certain situation or outcome likely or possible.

8.Monograph (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रबंध, विशेष निबंध
English Meaning - A treatise on a particular subject.

9.Innovation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - नवीनता, नवपरिवर्तन
English Meaning - A new idea or something different introduced.

10.Conference (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - सम्मेलन, बातचीत
English Meaning - A meeting of two or more persons for discussing matters of common concern.

11.Cite (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - उद्धृत करना, तलब करना
English Meaning - To call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before a court)

12.Backfire (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - उलटना, जवाबी हमला
English Meaning - To bring a result opposite to what was expected.

13.Peer (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - समकक्ष, समान पद का
English Meaning - A person who is equal in abilities to another.

14.Doctoral (Adjective)

English Meaning - A thesis or research work that is written to obtain a doctor’s degree.

15.Patent (Noun)

English Meaning - Exclusive rights regarding manufacturing, using, or selling, granted by an authority to the inventor of something.