The “Ph.D. Excellence Citation” narrowly mirrors the purposes of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasizes discovery and development of new knowledge as a stepping-stone toward an India vision of becoming a global knowledge superpower. In this light, this new honor is poised to enhance research quality in the country through the promotion of rigorous scholarship.
UGC Vision for Research Excellence

Speaking to The Hindu regarding the move, UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar explained the significance of this new recognition and how it will spur a research-friendly culture”. “This effort will identify outstanding doctoral research work across disciplines. In line with National Education Policy 2020, which reiterates the need for new knowledge creation and its exploration in shaping India’s future, the ‘Ph.D. Excellence Citation’ is the endeavour to identify exemplary research work at Indian universities,” said Kumar to IANS.

NEP 2020 finds the bedrock of India’s educational and intellectual growth in research. It envisions making India so as to create a world academic superpower in coming decades. Keeping in view this vision, the UGC Ph.D. Excellence Citation should aim at creating an ecosystem that cultivates excellence among young scholars of research.
Rising Interest in Pursuing a Ph.D.

This citation was based on a proper study conducted by the UGC on Ph.D. awards between the years 2011 and 2018. In this time span, the paper revealed an exponential increase in students who were choosing to acquire a research degree.

The total admission figure for Ph.D. showed an increase from 77,798 in 2010-11 to 1,61,412 in 2017-18, with an average annual growth rate of 10%. The rise once again highlights the increased interest among students in doing research work and makes a strong case for reaching out and rewarding excellence in this area.

Promoting an Ecosystem of Quality Research

It should, according to the UGC, aim to enhance a sound research ecosystem that identifies and promotes outstanding Ph.D. work. Hopefully, it would motivate more students to do high-quality research, urging universities to focus on putting together innovative academic schemes.

The recognition will be open to all the research scholars who have successfully defended their theses at Indian universities such as state, central, private, and deemed-to-be universities. Besides, universities covered under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, which are also NAAC accredited, can join the programme too.

Each participating university will nominate annually up to five Ph.D. theses, one from each of five different disciplines. The nominations will be of the Ph.D. degrees awarded during a convocation ceremony held between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

Eligibility criteria for Ph.D. Excellence Citations

Ten Ph.D. Excellence Citations will be awarded every year: two in each discipline. To be eligible for the award, a thesis should have original thinking and innovative approaches to a specific research problem or topic. The guidelines emphasize the importance of the UGC that its nominated research can contribute to increasing knowledge in the field it is working with but also help for practical applications that tackle societal or industrial problems.

The award recipients for the excellence citation for PhD will now be felicitated every year on 5 September, that is, on Teacher’s Day, making the award even more significant as it is now in consonance with a day that celebrates the contributions educators have made to society.

Enhancement of Research Capacity in India

As the nation progresses towards the future, the reinforcement of its research capacity has been considered the need of the hour to achieve globalization and competitiveness. The “Ph.D. Excellence Citation” is one such initiative that incentivizes quality research and also pays respect to young scholars’ contributions to the respective disciplines. The UGC is looking to upgrade the quality of research in Indian universities, stimulate innovative thinking and intellectuals through exemplary Ph.D. work.

The initiative will serve as an encouragement for scholars to push the boundaries of research in their work and contribute to the academic and scientific landscape of the nation,” said Dr. Shri Jagadesh Kumar, explaining why it was important to set up a scheme like this. “The UGC Ph.D. Excellence Citation forms part of the overall effort to create a quality research ecosystem in India”. In his words, “the organization hopes this will inspire more students and universities to focus on high-quality research that addresses both the theoretical and practical challenges.”

Conclusion
By introducing the Ph.D. Excellence Citation, UGC is taking one giant leap towards India creating a world-class research ecosystem. Recognition and celebration of outstanding Ph.D. work will make the initiative shine with regard to rigorous academic research, leading to new knowledge emerging, which will drive progress in every walk of Indian life. As universities across this nation begin preparing to nominate their very best doctoral theses, this bold program promises to be a game-changer in facilitating innovation and excellence in research.