Online viva to benefit PhD students
UGC has directed HEIs to conduct viva and interviews through video-conferencing for members of the research advisory committee, faculty members and research scholars
Online Viva for Phd StudentsThe University Grants Commission (UGC) in a recent directive has directed the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to consider conducting viva-voce and interviews of PhD students in an online mode through video conferencing. The university regulator has advised that the institutions may use Google, Skype, Microsoft Technologies or any other reliable and mutually convenient technologies for this.
Speaking to Education Times, Lakshmi Arya Thathachar, chairperson, Office of Doctoral Studies, RV University, Bangalore, says, “The decision to conduct viva-voce for PhD students is a welcome gesture by UGC as it would be convenient for working professionals who pursue part-time PhD programme. They will be exempted from the encumbrance of travel and lodging costs. More importantly due to this, more people would listen in to the viva irrespective of their physical location, thus making the process of knowledge-production more public and participatory.”
“The first cohort of PhD students in 2021-22 will take online entrance examination and viva. The duration of viva would be of one hour,” adds Thathachar.
Yogesh Singh, vice-chancellor, Delhi University (DU), says, “The recent decision of UGC that has mandated online viva-voce for PhD is a welcome step and the students are also affirmative about this decision. We have been conducting viva-voce of the students for quite some time and there is no massive difference between the physical and online modes.”
With online mode, inviting international experts for examining the students during viva will be possible and this will make the evaluation process qualitative, adds Singh.
Speaking to Education Times, Lakshmi Arya Thathachar, chairperson, Office of Doctoral Studies, RV University, Bangalore, says, “The decision to conduct viva-voce for PhD students is a welcome gesture by UGC as it would be convenient for working professionals who pursue part-time PhD programme. They will be exempted from the encumbrance of travel and lodging costs. More importantly due to this, more people would listen in to the viva irrespective of their physical location, thus making the process of knowledge-production more public and participatory.”
The move to an online mode bodes well for the future and enables greater participation in higher education. Also, moving to an online mode makes it easier for working professionals to pursue doctoral studies while being employed at the same time.
“The first cohort of PhD students in 2021-22 will take online entrance examination and viva. The duration of viva would be of one hour,” adds Thathachar.
Yogesh Singh, vice-chancellor, Delhi University (DU), says, “The recent decision of UGC that has mandated online viva-voce for PhD is a welcome step and the students are also affirmative about this decision. We have been conducting viva-voce of the students for quite some time and there is no massive difference between the physical and online modes.”
With online mode, inviting international experts for examining the students during viva will be possible and this will make the evaluation process qualitative, adds Singh.
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