Pune University: Online Viva Voce examination help save Rs 1.5 crore

Pune: Due to the prevalence of COVID-19 pandemic Savitribai Phule Pune University's PhD viva was postponed. However, Pune University decided to conduct online viva. It not only prevented the spread of COVID-19 as well as it managed to save Rs 1.5 crore. By the first week of August, 102 people have registered to go online.

Many students are pursuing PhD and MPhil in Pune University and other institutions and universities in the country. Of them, some of the research students have submitted their dissertations to the university. But the question was how it would happen? The UGC has issued a circular in this regard instructing the universities to consider online option.

The cost of travel and accommodation of the guide and external examiner would be huge. Some examiners come from any state in the country, so the cost of air travel is huge. They also stay here for at least three days on the pretext of his viva. All this process costs the university at least Rs 1.5 crore. Now online viva will put a brake on all these expenses.

External examiner, subject matter experts, Research Authority Committee, all the professors in the respective departments, as well as practitioners of the respective subjects will be participating in the online viva process. But the UGC has clarified that the external examiner should be from outside the student's college or research institute.

Six months’ extension for research Universities and research institutes in the state have been closed since March due to the prevalence of COVID-19. This has left many students' research work behind or stalled. Therefore, students should be given an extension as a special matter, demanded the members of the Senate of the University to Nitin Karmalkar. By accepting this demand, the university has decided to give an extension of six months.

"Pune University is preparing to go online. There will be 102 interviews by the first week of August. Its schedule has also been fixed. The schedule of others is also being decided. Earlier it used to cost Rs 1.5 crore. Now it will be reduced", said, Uttam Chavan, Vice-Chancellor, Pune University.