I would say that when a person earns a degree as high as a Ph.D. it reflects the level of commitment, abiity to grasp knowledge and understand and figure out things which he/she has or developed. A degree is just a certificate given to that person. If you tell me that certain Mr. X is a Ph.D. I would be impressed with all these things (which I have mentioned above) some others. Infact, not only Ph.D it applies to all levels of study. I think that this structure is to help a child's/person's mind develop and a developed person can, in future, choose where to divert his resources. People who don't have a Ph.D degree can still be as good a someone who has a Ph.D but it just takes time for others to find this out which simply means that a degree is just a reflection of a person's abilities.
Yes, I very much welcome wide and in-depth discussion of periodically revalidating Ph.D's. However, I would caution against this exercise degenerating into a sterile, routine, strait-jacket ordeal making for interruption of original trails of thinking by brilliant middle-aged men and women and loss of their man/woman hours and thus a waste of precious human resources. Yes, as editor of a monthly professional journal, now for the 23rd year, I find ever increasing volume of submissions and of poorer quality. Though more than a thousand persons subscribe to it I wonder how many read it. Nowadays more and more articles are submitted but less and less are read. Yes, professional journals are for publishing than for reading!
Again, now and then I get spurts of submissions from particular regions of India,even far flung ones like Uttaranchal. One of the contributors lets the cat out of the bag by getting into my network of professional contacts and confessing that he/she is to face a promotion interview next month and pleading for publication or, at least, a letter of acceptance. Tatkal publications! I have since dispensed with the practice of releasing letters of acceptance which I used to do earlier whenever an article has been processed and accepted. D.Raja Ganesan Ph.D.,Editor, Experiments in Education, Chennai
Who is the author and what are his credentials.. has he passed a bachelors exam?,, then he should have a fair idea pf how a Ph d degree is gained.. not by having a few publications in a journal for sure! Rediff should read over articles before publishing it online. What does this author want to gain from this publication which seems to have stemmed from a conversation he has with someone else!!!..talk about original ideas!!
I am working towards my PhD and like most here on this forum am appalled in fact amused by the ideas of this author. He does not understand that PhD is not just about learning, but about creating knowledge.
How can knowledge created expire? Can the author not see that new knowledges are built from old knowedges, nothing arises from out of the blue. Knowledge is a continuum.
excellent idea..why does the author start at PhD...i wud suggest that every one shall write his class 10 class board exams every 5 years, to keep the validity of their school qualifications...perhaps the author and the rediff editor shud do that. also I would sincerely suggest the author and rediff editor to do PhD to understand what it means...then post such articles.
Dear Mr Srinivasan: I am not a Ph.D holder, but I am appalled at what you say. You are effectively equating a Ph.D to something like a certification (Chartered Engineer, Professional Engineer etc.), which, to me appears quite daft. Periodic revalidation of professional certifications like Chartered Engineership is required, as the governing laws change, technology advances, and hence the environment under which the practice of the profession operates, alters. The revalidation ensures that the certified person is knowledgeable about these changes. The only way you can ensure that holders of Ph.D's are current is through a strict evaluation of their publications. There is no licence to cancel a Ph.D earned through earlier meticulous work.
Please do not suggest ideas - however well meaning you might want to be - that will put power in the hands of the 'managers' and make the lives of genuine scientists and engineers harder than they are now. In case you wish to change the way the Ph.D system works, please go to a good university like IISc or IIT or IIM or other universities of high standard, and get a Ph.D yourself, then talk about change. The all-knowing MBA's and their equivalents like yourself are already doing enough harm to the Indian technology base, please do not compound it further. We simply do not need your ill-conceived thoughts, thank you very much!!
RE:Why not have an expiry date for PhDs?
by chandra sekher on Jan 19, 2008 05:24 AM Permalink
Well said Krishna Padmanabhan! This man needs to first understand what Ph.D is. A Ph.D is granted after about 5years of SUCCESSFUL research work. Its like a degree granted after successfully completing a course. Its not a profession (doctor, CA etc) where someone needs to prove his ability every few years. This man is saying something like, P.T.Usha should return her Medal since she can't run anymore.
RE:Why not have an expiry date for PhDs?
by Insane on Jan 19, 2008 05:50 AM Permalink
why not have expiration for other professional degrees. It needs a lot to get a PhD degree besides research for 5 years. It can not be downplayed with an expiration. Though I am aware of 'farzi' Phds, but there are always black sheeps in the herd.
6. UGC/AICTE in India should act in revisiting PhDs granted by various state Schools by revising the processes and procedures. I personally know many faculty members in such State schools who have generated dozens of doctorates without publishing a single paper. Such farce MUST be stopped. 7. PhDs in India or elsewhere are difficult to gain without hardwork. I do not say about many State schools which have doubtful pedigree of its faculty where PhDs are not awarded but rewarded! 8. Retaking a PhD every year or after some years is not an easy proposition. Even it may not be easy for those who are of other designation like MD/MS in medicines. 9. Example of IAS is stupid. As the exam passed by them is only for entry into the services and has no significance thereafter. Every service has its own orientation programs and every officer undergo them at periodic regularity.
RE:RE:Some Good but Some Not-so-Good Observations--2
by on Jan 19, 2008 05:07 AM Permalink
Mr. S.R should go and get the details from IITs. Nowadays, No fresh engineering graduate is willing to do PhD after Masters. There is no point. Only those who in teaching profession are applying for PhD. As the author thinks of having advantage, strictly it is NOT. Once you are in industry, you should be par with the latest technology and competete with your colleagues.
I agree with SR on some counts and disagree on several others. 1. PhD of India and a PhD of US/Canada is different in content, durations and contributions, in general. North American PhDs are rigorous and relevant, whereas same is not the case with India or even UK and Europe. Models are different. 2. Journal publication in India and in North America follows same pattern as SR points out, existing faculty get involved as members of editorial boards and reviewers. However, the quality of peer reviewers tends to play very significant role in the ultimate status of the journals. This reflects why some journals are acceptable for tenure/promotion and rest are ignored. Bad journals exist everywhere with poor quality publication. 3. Top departments acquired this adjective because of faculty in those departments used to publish in top journals mostly those in which they do not have any say. 4. Despite very high quality of researches done at several Schools in North America, their own PhDs are not rewarded by them for appointments etc. They get recruited by others of same level of high quality. In India, mostly, own PhDs are preferred. 5. An observation by SR on %u2018academic staff college%u2019 courses for faculty of JNU is incomplete and faulty. Indian UGC system has made it mandatory for every faculty to undergo such orientation and refresher courses of certain duration prior to promotion. It is across the board and not alone in JNU. 6. UGC/AICTE in India should act in r
