New Delhi: Enrolment of women in higher education especially academic research work is below than expectation in India. To address this gender gap, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has has initiated several measures to promote enrolment of women in Ph.D and M.Phil. courses. The measures include lying down provisions in the UGC (Minimum standards and procedure for award of MPhil/Ph.D. for relaxing the maximum duration for completion of PhD or MPhil by women candidates for a further two years and one year, respectively. Earlier, women candidates as like male students had to complete their MPhil in maximum two years and PhD in maximum six years.
Now, women students will be allowed to transfer of research data in case of relocation of an MPhil/PhD due to marriage or otherwise. Further to promote female participation in academic research, women candidates will get maternity leave/child-care leave once in the entire duration of M.Phil./Ph.D for up to 240 days. As it has been observed that a significant number of women students leave their research study after getting married, these above two moves will encourage them to continue their study even after their marriage.
The UGC has further informed that it provides grants to seven Universities and Deemed to be Universities, set up exclusively for women, engaged in teaching and research activities in the country. These universities are namely: (i) Sri Padmavati Mahila Vishwavidyalayam, Andhra Pradesh; (ii) Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Haryana; (iii) Karnataka State Women University, Karnataka; (iv) Smt. Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University, Mumbai; (v) Mother Teresa Women’s University, Tamil Nadu; (vi) Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan; and (vii) Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science & Higher Education for Women, Tamil Nadu.
The UGC has an exclusive Post-Doctoral fellowship scheme for women students. The scheme incentivizes talented women to carry out advanced studies and research. The awardees are given fellowship at the rate of Rs.38,800/- per month for the first two years and Rs.46,500/- per month for further three years. The number of slots available under this scheme is 100 per year. The guidelines of the schemes are at http://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/8868819_revised-final-PDF-W.pdf
The UGC is also providing Swami Vivekananda single girl child fellowship for research in Social Sciences. Under this fellowship single girl children, who are registered in Ph.D programme in Social Sciences, are eligible for receiving Rs. 25,000/- per month for initial two years and Rs. 28,000/- per month till date of submission of Ph.D thesis or five years, whichever is earlier.
The guidelines of the scheme are at http://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7042851_revised-final-SVGC.pdf
This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey yesterday in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
