High Court orders Allahabad University to give due credit to substituted retired PhD supervisor for supervision in thesis
Court directed that the supervisor, who even though had superannuated and substituted by a new supervisor, shall be given due credit for his supervision in the thesis of the petitioner.
In a petition by a Ph.D. student assailing the decision of Allahabad University to change her Ph.D. supervisor, the Allahabad High Court recently directed that the earlier supervisor, who had retired since then, shall be given due credit for his supervision in the student's thesis.
The bench of Justice Ajay Bhanot passed the order in a plea filed by one Preeti Mishra who, represented by Advocate Shashwat Anand, had assailed an order dated October 10, 2021 issued by the competent authority in the Allahabad University changing her erstwhile Ph.D. supervisor.
The petitioner had enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Botany at Allahabad University on October 30, 2017. During her course, her Ph.D. supervisor got retired, and the University nominated another professor as her supervisor. However, the petitioner challenged that same.
Court noted that the standard of Ph.D. programme is governed by the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./Ph.D. Degrees) Regulations, 2016, as per which, the petitioner could have completed her Ph.D. programme earliest by October 30, 2020.
Court underscored that the Ph.D. supervisor of the petitioner Professor Anupam Dixit, who was supervising her research since her enrolment, superannuated from service on July 14, 2019, and the petitioner was granted extension for the academic session till June 30, 2020.
Court held that the decision of the University in nominating another professor as the petitioner's Ph.D. supervisor on account of the superannuation of Professor Anupam Dixit was lawful. "No fault in the aforesaid appointment can be made," court said.
Therefore, in view of the aforesaid observation and the submission of the counsel for the university that the university intends to facilitate its Ph.D. scholars and shall take steps to expedite the processing of the Ph.D. thesis, which the petitioner may submit before her new supervisor, Professor Girijesh Kumar, court held that no relief could be granted to the petitioner as sought.
However, holding as above, the Court directed that Professor Anupam Dixit, who even though had superannuated and substituted by a new supervisor, shall be given due credit for his supervision in the thesis.
Case Title: Preeti Mishra v. Union Of India and Another