Allahabad University (AU) is set to offer PhD courses in three foreign languages for the first time, following permission from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC has allowed PhD supervision by teachers even during the probationary period of their appointment. Consequently, AU has prepared a framework to conduct PhD programs in French, Russian, and German.
Last year, AU appointed three teachers as assistant professors to teach French, German, and Russian on campus. However, due to the stipulated one-year probation period, these teachers were unable to enrol students for PhD programs under them. As a result, the three foreign languages were excluded from AU’s combined research entrance test (CRET)-2022.
In March 2023, the UGC granted permission for conditional PhD supervision by teachers during their probation period. This development means that the teachers who teach French, German, and Russian can now have PhD students under them, and these three languages will be included in CRET-2023.
AU will now offer PhD programs in Hindi, English, Urdu, Arabic/Persian, Sanskrit, as well as in French, German, and Russian. The addition of these three foreign languages is expected to boost the quality of research in these fields and provide impetus to research scholars and teachers.
Prof Jaya Kapoor, the AU PRO, stated, In light of the new UGC guidelines, students will be able to enrol for PhD in French, German, and Russian at AU now, and this would give an impetus to quality research in these languages by research scholars and teachers.
The results of CRET-2022 were released on June 15, with 1889 candidates deemed eligible for 734 seats in 43 subjects. The AU administration is now preparing for the second stage of the exam, which consists of interviews.
Once the PhD admission process is complete, the data of vacant seats will be sent to Pravesh Bhawan, initiating the application process for CRET-2023. With the inclusion of PhD seats under newly appointed assistant professors, the number of available PhD seats at AU is expected to significantly increase.
This development at AU signifies a positive step towards promoting research and academic opportunities in foreign languages. By introducing PhD courses in French, German, and Russian, AU aims to cater to the interests and aspirations of students who wish to pursue advanced studies in these languages.
