MADURAI: The Madurai Kamaraj University will henceforth have a foreign examiner as external examiner for Ph.D thesis evaluation. This was discussed and approved at the MKU Academic Council meeting held in the varsity here on 17th March 2022. An elaborate discussion took place on the issue of including a foreign examiner in the evaluation of Ph.D thesis as per the UGC guidelines and State government instructions. The Academic Council members were informed that the university Syndicate has approved to include a foreign examiner for Ph.D thesis evaluation.
MKU Syndicate member Dr.M.Thangaraj has said that the decision taken is in line with the UGC Minimum Standards and Procedure for award of M.Phil and Ph.D degrees Regulations 2016 regarding obtaining the panel of examiners. The matter was placed before the Research Committee of MKU at a meeting held on 6th January 2022. It is now decided that the board of evaluation will have three members. The Ph.D supervisor will be convener, one expert from India and one member from abroad. MkU Syndicate members Dr.M.Thangaraj and Dr.S.Nagarathinam told the Academic Council members that a review meeting held in Chennai on 10th December 2021 had insisted to include one foreign examiner as external examiner for evaluating the Ph.D thesis.
The Academic Council had taken up the resolution and moved accordingly to have one examiner from outside the country. This decision is to ensure quality of Ph.D thesis and Ph.D degrees. The Academic Council members were told that the university Registrars have been instructed to tighten the research degree Ph.D evaluation system to prevent plagiarism. Earlier, Academic Council member Dr.P.Ponramu had questioned the Syndicate members and university administration about the delay in paying remuneration for Ph.D examiners and the resultant delay in thesis evaluation. The Academic Council meeting of MKU today was chaired by senior Syndicate member Dr.R.Lakshmipathy and Registrar incharge Dr.V.S.Vasantha was present along with senior officials of the university.
