Udaipur, February 17, 2025 - Shri Jagdishprasad Jhabarmal Tibrewala University (JJTU) in Rajasthan has been banned from admitting new PhD students for five years, starting from 2025-26. The University Grants Commission (UGC) took this action after receiving complaints about irregularities in PhD admissions.

The university awarded a very high number of PhD degrees between 2016 and 2020. It gave 1,830 PhDs in just five years, with 408 degrees in 2020 alone. It allegedly appointed PhD guides from outside the university, which is against UGC rules.

UGC’s Action

A committee reviewed the complaints and found JJTU did not follow proper rules. The university was given a chance to explain, but its response was not satisfactory. As a result, UGC decided to stop PhD admissions at JJTU for the next five years.

University’s Response

A trustee of JJTU said the ban is unfair. He argued that:

• UGC has no rule limiting the number of PhD students.

• The university followed the correct ratio of research scholars per guide.

• They missed submitting a report from a Rajasthan government-appointed committee, which had cleared them of wrongdoing.

JJTU plans to appeal against the ban and submit the missing report.

Many College Teachers from Mumbai Preferred JJTU for their PhDs

• Mumbai University’s PhD process took longer.

• There were fewer PhD guides available in Mumbai, especially for commerce subjects.

• JJTU was seen as an easier and faster alternative.

Impact of the Ban

JJTU must immediately stop enrolling new PhD students. The university’s PhD degrees have faced issues in Maharashtra, where they were sometimes not accepted for career advancement schemes. JJTU is now hoping for a reconsideration from UGC after submitting the missing documents.

Source: Media Reports