UGC bans UP-based university from enrolling PhD students for next 5 years over violation of rules

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to debar a university in Uttar Pradesh from enrolling PhD students for the next five years, starting from the 2025-26 academic session. The decision has been taken after the university failed to comply with the provisions of UGC regulations.

Monad University, Kasmabad, Hapur district has been banned from offering PhD programmes from the academic year 2025-26 to 2029-30.

The commission has advised prospective students and their parents not to take admission in the PhD programmes offered by the university from now onwards. It clarified that in the absence of UGC approval, PhD degrees awarded by the university shall not be treated as recognized or valid for the purpose of higher education and employment.

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The university, too, has been informed about the decision and been directed to immediately discontinue the enrollment of students to its PhD programmes.

Violation of UGC regulations

UGC formed a standing committee to monitor whether universities are following the procedure and awarding PhD degrees in accordance with the regulations. One of the mandates of the committee is to suggest corrective measures and recommend action to be taken against erring institutions. The committee found non-compliance with the UGC rules and recommended discontinuation of PhD programmes offered by the university.

“After analyzing/examining/evaluating the information/data submitted by the Monad University, the Standing Committee has found that the university did not follow the provisions of the UGC PhD Regulations and also the academic norms for the award of PhD degrees,” the commission said.

While the UGC panel gave an opportunity to the university to explain why they failed to comply with the provisions of the UGC PhD Regulations, it did not find the response received from the university satisfactory. The committee, thus, recommended that the UGC may debar the university from enrolling students.

In January this year, UGC banned three Rajasthan universities from enrolling PhD students for the next five years over the very same reason.