New Delhi: As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) Report 2018-19, 1,69,170 students have been enrolled in PhD programme in universities, colleges and other higher educational institutes in India. There is a sharp jump in PhD enrolment over the last five years. In 2013-14, the PhD enrolment stood at 1,07,890.
Meanwhile, the number of PhD degree award per academic year have been doubled over the last five years. The total numbers of candidates received Doctoral Degree were 40,813 in academic year 2018-19. Total number of candidates received PhD Degree were 21,830 in 2013-14.
The top states who have produced PhD degree holders are as followed: Tamil Nadu (5,844), Karnataka (5020), Uttar Pradesh (3,996), Assam (3676), and Andhra Pradesh (2,615).
Andhra Pradesh has seen almost nine-fold increase in awarding PhD degree in an academic year. In 2013-14, a total number of 292 candidates were awarded PhD in Andhra Pradesh while the PhD awards jumped to 2615 in Andhra Pradesh.
The surge in enrolment in doctoral programmes can be attributed to three reasons: Large scale recruitment is going on for faculty posts in higher educational institutes; Post PhD, candidates are getting lucrative career opportunities in research, education and other fields; and As per Faculty Regulations of the UGC, A PhD degree will be mandatory for teaching positions in Universities from July 2021.
