PH.D RULES & REGULATIONS

PREAMBLE

The Brainware University will award the following Doctoral Degrees ("Doctor of Philosophy" - abbreviated as Ph.D.): Ph.D. (Humanities and Arts); Ph.D. (Science); Ph.D. (Engineering) and Ph.D. (Commerce and Management) in Arts, Science, Engineering and Commerce & Management Faculties respectively. Later, the University may introduce Ph.D. degrees in other subjects under existing Faculty Councils and / or under new Faculty Councils.

Eligibility

A candidate for admission to the of Ph.D. programme in any of the Faculties must have obtained the Master's Degree with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade 'B' in the UGC 7-point scale (or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed) or an equivalent degree from a foreign educational Institution accredited by the UGC.
Candidates who have successfully completed M. Phil with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade 'B' in the UGC 7-point scale (or an equivalent grade wherever grading system is followed) shall be eligible to do research work leading to the Ph.D. Degree.
A relaxation of 5% of marks, from 55% to 50%, or an equivalent relaxation of grade, may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/differently-abled and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the University Grant Commission from time to time.

Procedure for Admission

The number of seats for Ph.D. for each department shall be decided on an annual basis well in advance and notified in the University website or advertisement.
A candidate shall apply for the admission in Ph.D. course in prescribed form available at the University office / University website. The application form duly filled by candidate should be submitted along with required fee (as fixed by the University).
At the time of application, a candidate shall submit a statement that he/she is not currently enrolled as a student in any course of studies or registered for the doctorate degree in any University and shall undertake not to be thus enrolled or registered so long as he is registered for Ph.D. degree at this University.
A candidate shall have to qualify in the Ph.D. entrance test to be conducted by the University and will have to be successful in the interview on the subject (to be conducted subsequently) to qualify for admission.
A list of candidates qualified in the entrance test shall be published by the University.
Candidates qualified through UGC/CSIR JRF/NET /SLET/GATE will be exempted from entrance test.
In the entrance test, the qualifying marks is 50%. The syllabus of the test shall be displayed in the website well in advance.
The candidate qualifying the admission test will be called for interview. In the interview he/she shall be required to discuss his/her research interest/area through a presentation before a duly constituted Committee.
The candidates who are exempted from the entrance test (clause (I) above) shall have to appear before the interview board as stated in clause (h) mentioned herein above.
After the interview, a list of successful candidates shall be published in the website of the University. The selected candidates shall be admitted provisionally as Ph.D. student of the University on payment of the prescribed fee. The fee deposited will not be refunded for any reason, whatsoever.

Procedure for Registration

A candidate will generally be eligible for registration after two years of admission provided he / she has completed at least two courseworks under approval by his/her supervisor and the Ph.D. Committee.
The Ph.D. Committee will process applications of the qualified candidates. The scheme of the work including a (proposed) title of the thesis should also be submitted to the Ph.D. committee along with the application for registration.
Registration for Ph.D. degree shall be granted to a candidate provided that the Ph.D. Committee is satisfied that:
1. the candidate satisfies the requirements for eligibility as per norms.
2. it shall be possible for the candidate to maintain regular contact with his/her Supervisor throughout the entire period of his/ her work
3. the experimental part (if any) of the work can be carried out at this University or in other recognized University or organization or research institute or Industry where adequate facilities for carrying out such work exist. Carrying out such work outside Brainware University shall require approval of the Supervisor, the respective Ph.D. committee(s) and the Academic Council.
If the candidate is accepted for registration then he/she shall have to register his / her name within the stipulated time prescribed for this purpose by paying a registration fee and other fees determined by the University.
On payment of the fees, the candidate's name and other particulars shall be included in the register maintained by the office of the concerned Faculty.
The University shall maintain the list of all the Ph.D. registered students on its website on yearly basis. The list shall include the name of the registered candidate, topic of his/her research, name of his/her supervisor/joint-supervisor, dates of admission and registration.
A certificate of registration will be issued by the Registrar after completion of the aforesaid formalities.
Permission to pursue Ph.D. degree in a different Subject/Faculty may be granted in special cases on the recommendation of the Ph.D. committee(s) and the Academic Council after judging the proficiency of the candidate in the subject concerned and on payment of the prescribed fee.
In case of failure to register within the prescribed time, the application shall be deemed to have been cancelled unless special permission is granted by the Vice-Chancellor on the basis of a written application by the candidate through the supervisor and Ph.D. committee(s)
Registration shall remain valid for five years from the date of registration
The relevant Ph.D. Committee may, on receipt of application in the prescribed form from the candidate, extend the period of registration beyond five years on the merit of individual cases provided that such extension shall not exceed three years.
If extended, the candidate shall have to pay a re-registration fee to be specified by the University.
A candidate's registration may also be cancelled if he/she does not fulfill necessary criteria as required by the University.

Research Supervisors

The following persons shall be eligible to act as research supervisors:

Any full-time Professor of Brainware University (BWU) / Brainware Group of Institutions (BGI) with at least four research publications in referred journals and with proven experience of research guidance.
Any full-time Associate/Assistant Professor of BWU/BGI with a Ph.D. degree and at least four research publications in referred journals may be recognized as research supervisor
Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Deans of the Faculties and persons holding any other academic/officer position in the University, if they were recognized research guide in any other University prior to joining the BWU can act as research supervisors.
A teacher of a recognized University/College/Institution willing to act as a Joint Supervisor to guide Ph.D. scholars shall submit his/her request on prescribed application form available at University website along with the bio-data mentioning teaching experience, research publications, etc. to the Registrar, BWU. This application is to be approved by the Ph.D. committee(s) and the Academic Council.
Joint Supervisor can be allowed in inter-disciplinary areas from other departments of the University or from other related institutions with the approval of the respective Ph.D. Committee(s).
Former Professors/ Scientists of reputed Universities/Institutes/ Organizations may also apply for enrolment as research guide
Not more than eight candidates may work under the guidance of a Supervisor at a time if he is a Professor. For Associate / Assistant Professor such maximum number of candidates shall be six and four respectively.

Allocation of Research Supervisors

The allocation of Research Supervisor for a selected research scholar shall be decided by the concerned Ph.D. committee depending on the number of scholars per Research Supervisor, the available specialization among the Supervisors and research interests of the scholars.
Allocation of seats to the supervisor will be as per number of seats available with him/her and also keeping in view the available laboratory/ infrastructure, specialization and the research interest of the student.
In case of topics which are of inter-disciplinary nature and, the concerned Ph.D. committee feels that the expertise in the Department has to be supplemented from outside, the Ph.D. committee may appoint a joint Supervisor from outside the BWU on such terms and conditions as may be specified and agreed upon by the consenting Institutions/Colleges.
If the Supervisor of a candidate leaves the University before the completion of the research work or is otherwise unable to see the work through, due to some valid reason(s), the Ph.D. committee may allow the change of the Supervisor.

Coursework :

The coursework is compulsory for all students admitted to a Ph.D. programme. They shall be required to undertake coursework for a minimum period of one semester. The credit assigned to the Ph.D. coursework shall be a minimum of 8 credits and a maximum of 16 credits.
All courses shall be advanced level courses preparing the students for Ph.D. degree
All candidates admitted to the Ph.D. programme shall be required to complete the Research Methodology course. Four (4) credits shall be assigned to the courses on Research Methodology which covers areas such as quantitative methods, research ethics, plagiarism and review of published research in the relevant field, training, field work, computer application, etc.
The candidate will have to complete the courses satisfactorily. These courses must be relevant to his /her area of research. The Ph.D. committee shall keep a record of the coursework suggested.
The candidate, with the approval of the supervisor(s) and with the concurrence of the Ph.D. committee, shall choose courses from the regular M.A./ M. Sc. /M. Tech./M.E./M.Com/MBA and Ph.D. level one semester courses offered by the University or courses from any recognized University / Institute identified and approved by the Ph.D. committee(s).
Grades in the coursework, including research methodology courses, shall be finalized after assessment by the course faculty and the final grades shall be communicated to the Controller of Examinations of the University.
A Ph.D. scholar has to obtain a minimum of 55% of marks or its equivalent grade in the UGC 7- point scale (or an equivalent grade/CGPA in a point scale) in the coursework in order to be eligible to continue in the programme and submit the thesis.
In case a student fails in any Ph.D. coursework, he/she shall be given one more chance to appear in the examination to be conducted by the University.
Candidates already holding M. Phil, degree and admitted to the Ph.D. programme, who have already completed the recommended courses in M. Phil., may be exempted from the Ph.D. coursework by the Ph.D. committee. The candidate shall have to apply to the Ph.D. committee through the Supervisor for such waiver along with supporting documents.
A joint meeting of the Ph.D. committees shall recommend the detailed procedure related to coursework including the assessment procedure and forward it to the Academic Council for consideration and approval.
The evaluation/assessment procedure and other related details shall be published by the Controller of Examination after it is finalized by the Academic Council.

Privileges and obligations of registered candidates :

A registered candidate shall work under the guidance of the Supervisor(s) appointed by the Ph.D. Committee.
A registered candidate shall abide by such regulations as may be prescribed by the Ph.D. committee from time to time.
A registered candidate shall report to his/her supervisor at the institution as per his/ her direction and shall carry out the research work to the satisfaction of the supervisor.
Academic Council shall have the power to cancel the admission of a student at any time, on disciplinary or any other grounds which are considered to be not in consonance with the dignity, diligence and behavior of a research scholar or for nonpayment of hostel or any other dues.

Duration of the programme :

Ph.D. programme shall be for a minimum duration of three years (including coursework) and a maximum of six years.
Every candidate shall submit his thesis after a period of minimum three years from the date of his enrollment in the Ph.D. Programme, but not before two years from the date of his registration, whichever is later.
Persons with disability may be allowed a relaxation of two years for his/ her Ph.D. work by the Academic Council.
A woman candidate may be provided Maternity Leave/Child Care leave once in the entire duration of Ph.D. for up to 240 days; in such a case duration of Ph.D. work shall be extended accordingly.
In case a candidate does not submit his thesis within the stipulated period, he/she may apply for extension of the time permitted to submit the thesis on payment of the prescribed fee. However, such application should be submitted to the Registrar through the Supervisor and the Ph.D. committee.

Submission of Thesis :

The thesis shall be an original contribution to knowledge and must bear the evidence that the candidate carried out innovative investigations in his/her chosen field.
A student must have at least one publication in a referred journal (SCI / Scopus indexed and equivalent indexing in areas other than Science / Engineering) out of his/her doctoral research work prior to submission and shall produce evidence for the same in the form of acceptance letter or offprint to the Ph.D. Committee.
At least six months before final submission of the thesis, a student, who has satisfactorily completed the coursework and other requirements, must present his/her work at a meeting of the Ph.D. Committee in an open seminar, where the Supervisor(s) shall be invited members. The date should be finalized in consultation with the external experts of the Ph.D. Committee. Any suggestion may be suitably incorporated under the advice of the supervisor(s). If necessary, the title can be modified at this stage provided the new title is approved both by the Supervisor and the respective Ph.D. Committee(s). The notice for the meeting should be circulated at least 15 days in advance by the Registrar’s office on receiving intimation from the Ph.D. Committee.
If the Supervisor certifies that the candidate has carried on research for the stipulated period and that the thesis embodies at least two years' work, the Ph.D. Committee may permit a candidate to submit his/her thesis. The candidate has to submit the coursework completion certificate while submitting the thesis for adjudication.
A candidate cannot submit as his/her thesis any work for which a Degree or Diploma or other academic award has been conferred on him/her by BWU or any other University or Institution but may incorporate as part of the thesis such earlier work with proper citation / reference
If the work is interdisciplinary in nature, with supervisors from different faculty councils, then the respective Ph.D. Committees should present the work in a joint meeting of the faculty councils. The major part of work shall decide the branch of Ph.D. degree.
The non-refundable fee for submitting a thesis for examination will be as determined by the University from time to time.
A registered candidate shall have to submit four hard copies (the number may be determined separately in case of joint supervision) and one soft copy of the thesis in pdf format duly recommended by the supervisor(s) embodying the results of the research he / she has carried out, together with four printed and one soft copy of the synopsis of the thesis. The copies of the thesis should be submitted to the Registrar together with a receipt of the fees paid to this University for this purpose. Proof of the candidate's fulfillment of other requirements shall also be submitted at this time.
The format and the color of the cover of the hard copy shall be decided by the Faculty Councils
Every Ph.D. Scholar shall get a plagiarism check on prescribed plagiarism checking software of his draft thesis to detect plagiarism and shall submit the report generated on the plagiarism checking software of his draft thesis along with a soft copy of the draft thesis and declarations about the plagiarism on the prescribed format (policy on plagiarism is available on the website of University) for consideration by the Ph.D. committee.
The thesis should be written in English. A request for using any other language shall have to be submitted to the Ph.D. committee (through the supervisor) stating clearly the reasons for not writing in English. The Ph.D. committee should critically judge the given reasons and may or may not accept the request and the decision shall be binding to all concerned.
The Governing Board/Academic Council shall have the power to revoke any Ph.D. degree conferred duly if the candidate is subsequently proved guilty of plagiarism, falsification / copying of data / information or any other form of academic or ethical malpractice. Such a decision of the Governing Board shall be final and binding to all concerned.

Examination of Thesis :

The Ph.D. committee shall prepare a list of six persons (not below the rank of a Professor), who are well known authorities on the subject for appointment as external examiners of a thesis by considering the list submitted by the Supervisor(s). At least two external experts shall be from outside the state of West Bengal.
Such examiners shall neither be teachers of this University nor persons who are supervising candidates for the Ph.D. degree registered at this University.
The final selection of the two external examiners from the panel thus submitted shall be done by the Vice Chancellor.
External examiners and the Supervisor(s) will be requested to state their opinion about the thesis in the prescribed form having the following options:
1. The candidate may be awarded the Ph.D. degree of the University.
2. The candidate may be awarded the Ph.D. degree of the University provided that the following modifications are addressed in a separate addendum. The Examiners present at the viva-voce must certify that the modifications are satisfactorily addressed, failing which the thesis must be resubmitted for examination after addressing the suggested modifications.
3. The candidate may be awarded the Ph.D. degree only after addressing the following questions and resubmitting the thesis.
4. The candidate shall not be awarded the Ph.D. degree of this University
A detailed technical evaluation report signed by the examiner must also be submitted by the all the examiners individually.
A thesis which has been directed to be resubmitted by at least one of the external examiners, may be submitted again after due revision, modification or alteration not earlier than three months from the date of communication of the recommendation to the candidate. A resubmission fee shall have to be paid as decided by the University. External examiners appointed will examine the resubmitted thesis again. A thesis may be resubmitted only once.
If there still remain differences of opinion in the recommendations of the external examiners, all the reports and the thesis will be sent to a third external examiner (recommended by the Ph.D. Committee and approved by the Vice- Chancellor) who will act as special adjudicator and his / her recommendation shall be considered as binding.
If both the external examiners reject the thesis, it shall not be further processed for award of the Ph.D. degree of this University and it will be considered as rejected.

Viva-Voce Examination :

There shall be a viva-voce examination for which notice should be issued 15 (fifteen) days before the examination.
The Vice-Chancellor, on the recommendation of the Ph.D. Committee, shall appoint one expert who is not a teacher of this University and is a well-known authority on the subject (preferably one of the external examiners who evaluated the thesis), along with the Supervisor(s) of the candidate, as examiners for the viva-voce examination.
The examiners at the viva-voce examination may ask questions in order to satisfy themselves that the candidate has adequate knowledge of the particular branch of the subject on which he / she has submitted the thesis. The candidate shall provide answer to all the queries (if any) raised by the external examiner(s) within their adjudication report(s). If there is an addendum as mentioned earlier, the examiners will certify that it is satisfactory.
If the examiners are not satisfied, the candidate may be directed to appear again at the viva-voce examination after three months. Such a candidate shall pay an additional fee duly determined by the University.
A report on the result of the viva-voce examination has to be submitted in the prescribed proforma to the Registrar.
If the examiners of the viva-voce examination recommend that the candidate may be awarded the degree, then all the reports and recommendation shall be placed before the Vice-Chancellor by the Registrar. After obtaining the approval, the Registrar will issue a provisional certificate for the candidate on award of the Ph.D. degree. Information related to the award of a Ph.D. degree should be displayed in the website once the letter is issued.
Any benefit to the candidate, like promotion, enhancement of salary etc., dependent on the award of the Ph.D. degree, shall be effective from the date of issue of the provisional certificate.
The formal degree will be awarded by BWU in the next Convocation

Ph.D. Committee :

There shall be a Ph.D. Committee for each subject under a Faculty Council comprising of:

One Professor of the respective department to be nominated as Chair by the Vice-Chancellor.
Dean of the Faculty Council — member.
One Professor/ Associate Professor nominated by the DAC.
Two subject experts from research institutions or Universities, not below the rank of a Professor, nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.
One senior expert from industry at the Director / CEO level with at least 10-year professional experience nominated by the Chancellor.
Head of the department- Secretary.

If there is no Professor in the subject, then the Vice-Chancellor may appoint a Professor of a related subject under the same Faculty Council as the acting Chair till a full-time Professor of that subject or discipline is available.

The tenure of membership of a person shall ordinarily be three years, however he/she can be re-nominated. Five members, including at least one external member, shall form the quorum.

Ph.D Rules & Regulations