Ph.D.

Rules&Regulations-
2023

OSMANIA UNIVERSITY
Revised Ph.D. Rules and Regulations
(With effect from the academic year 2024-2025)

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) shall be awarded by Osmania University

in the Faculties of (1) Arts, (2) Commerce, (3) Education, (4) Engineering (5)
Informatics, (6) Law, (7) Management, (8) Pharmacy, (9) Science, (10) Social
Sciences, (11) Technology, (12) Oriental Languages and in such other faculties as
maybe notified, in accordance with the provisions of these Rules and Regulations as
per the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. Degree,
Regulations, 2022) as amended from time to time.

In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (g) of sub-section (2) of section 25 of

the Osmania University Act 1991, and in supersession of the Osmania University
Ph.D. Rules and Regulation (with effect from the year 2022) and its amendments
,the Osmania University hereby makes the following Rules & Regulations from the
academic year 2024-2025 , namely: -

1. Short title, Application and Commencement:

a. These Regulations may be called Osmania University (Minimum

Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Revised Ph.D.
Rules & Regulations, 2024.

b. They shall apply to every faculty established or incorporated by

Osmania University and its territorial jurisdiction under the section2 (19)
and 4.

c. They shall come into force from the date of the Academic Standing
Committee meeting held on 4thAugust 2023 and revised as per the
Standing Committee meetings held on 25 th June, 2024 and 16th
November, 2024.

2. Definitions:

2.1. In these Rules & Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires;

a. “Act” means the Universities Act 1991.

b. “Adjunct Faculty” means a part-time or contingent instructor, but not

full-time faculty member hired to teach by the Osmania University /
Higher Educational Institution;

c. “Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)” means a measure of the

overall cumulative performance of a student over all semesters. The
CGPA is the ratio of total credit points secured by a student in various
courses in all semesters and the sum of the total credits of all courses
in all semesters. It is expressed up to two decimal places;

d. “Credit” means the number of hours of instruction required per week

over the duration of a semester. A three-credit course in a semester
means three one-hour lectures per week, with each one-hour lecture
counted as one credit or two-hours of practicals;
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e. “College" means an institution engaged in higher education and/or

research, either established by a University as its constituent unit or is
affiliated with it;

f. “Course” means one of the specified units which go to comprise a

programme of study;

g. “Course Work” means courses of study prescribed by the Faculty /

Department / Research Centre to be undertaken by a student
registered for the Ph.D. Degree;

h. “Degree” means a degree awarded by the Osmania University as per

the Clause ‘F’ of section 44 of the Osmania University Act 1959(Statute
No. XVII).

i. “External examiner” means an academician/researcher with published

research work who is not part of the Osmania University where the
Ph.D. scholar has registered for the Ph.D. programme;

j. “Foreign Educational Institution” means–(i) an institution duly

established or incorporated in its home country and offering
educational programmes at the undergraduate, postgraduate and
higher levels in its home country and (ii) which offers programme(s) of
study leading to the award of a degree through conventional face-to-
face mode, but excluding distance, online, ODL mode;

k. “Grade Point” means a numerical weight allotted to each letter gradeon

a 10-point scale;

l. “Guide/Research Supervisor” means an academician/researcher

recognized by Osmania University to supervise the Ph.D. scholar for
his/her research;

m. “Higher Educational Institution” means a university or institution

specified under clause 2 of Regulation 1of these Regulations;

n. “Interdisciplinary Research” means research conducted by a Ph.D.

scholar in two or more academic disciplines;

o. “Open and Distance Learning Mode” shall have the same meaning as
defined under the UGC (Open and Distance Learning Programmes and
Online Programmes) Regulations 2020;

p. “Online Mode”shall have the same meaning as defined under the UGC
(Open and Distance Learning Programmes and Online Programmes)
Regulations 2020;

q. “Plagiarism” means the practice of taking someone else’s work or idea

and passing them as one’s own;

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r. “Prospectus” means any document, whether in print or otherwise,

issued for providing fair and transparent information relating to
Osmania University and programmes, to the general public including to
those seeking admission in its constituent unit or is affiliation with the
Osmania University;

s. “Research Proposal” means a brief write-up giving an outline of the

proposed research work which the Ph.D. scholar shall submit along
with the application for registration for Ph.D. programme.

2.2. Words and expressions used and not defined in these Regulations but
defined in Act and not consistent with these Regulations shall have the
meanings assigned to them in that Act.

3. Eligibility criteria for admission to the Ph.D. Programme:

3.1. Candidates who are eligible to seek admission to the Ph.D. programme
include:

Those who have completed a 1-year/2-semester master's degree

programme after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programme,
or a 2-year/4-semester master’s degree programme after a 3-year
bachelor’s degree programme, or qualifications declared equivalent to
the master’s degree by the corresponding statutory regulatory body,
with at least 55% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade on a point
scale wherever a grading system is followed. Alternatively, candidates
with equivalent qualifications from foreign educational institutions
accredited by an assessment and accreditation agency approved,
recognized, or authorized by an authority established or incorporated
under the law of their home country or any other statutory authority in
that country for assessing, accrediting, or assuring quality and
standards of educational institutions are eligible.

Candidates seeking admission after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s

degree programme should have a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate
or an equivalent grade on a point scale wherever a grading system is
followed.

3.2. Candidates who have completed the M.Phil. programme with at least 55%
marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade on a point scale wherever a
grading system is followed, or equivalent qualifications from foreign
educational institutions accredited by an assessment and accreditation
agency approved, recognized, or authorized by an authority established or
incorporated under the law of their home country or any other statutory
authority in that country for assessing, accrediting, or assuring quality and
standards of educational institutions are eligible for admission to the Ph.D.
programme.

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3.3. A relaxation of 5% marks or an equivalent grade may be allowed for

candidates belonging to SC/ST/BC/Differently-Abled, Economically
Weaker Section (EWS), and other categories as per the decision of the
Commission from time to time.

3.4. Eligibility for admission of a foreign student (as Category-III) into the Ph.D.
program of O.U. is decided by the Ph.D. Admission Committee of the
concerned Faculty based on the course content (the detailed syllabus) of
the candidate's P.G. Degree. The candidate shall submit a filled-in
application form to the Dean of the concerned Faculty with a
comprehensive research proposal through the Office of the International
Affairs (formerly, University Foreign Relations Office-UFRO) O.U. The
admission is subject to the approval of the University as recommended by
the Departmental Research Committee and the Dean of the faculty
concerned.

4. Duration of the Programme:

4.1. The Ph.D. Programme shall be for a minimum duration of FOUR (4) years
for Full-time research and FIVE (5) years for Part-Time research, including
course work. However, the maximum duration for completing the Ph.D.
programme shall be six (6) years from the date of joining, which includes
the desirable extensions as specified in Clause 22 of these rules and
regulations that may be considered with the approval of the Standing
Committee of the Academic Senate.

4.2. A maximum of an additional two (2) years can be given through a process
of RE-REGISTRATION as per the approval of Standing Committee of
Academic Senate of the University provided, however, that the total period
for completion of a Ph.D. programme should not exceed eight (8) years
from the date of joining in the Ph.D. programme.

Provided further that, female Ph.D. scholars and Persons with Disabilities
(having more than 40% disability) may be allowed an additional relaxation
of two (2) years; however, the total period for completion of a Ph.D.
programme in such cases should not exceed ten (10) years from the date
of joining in the Ph.D. programme.

4.3. Female Ph.D. Scholars may be provided Maternity Leave / Child Care
Leave for up to 240 days in the entire duration of the Ph.D. programme.

5. Ph.D. Entrance Test:

5.1. A Ph.D. Entrance Test, as mentioned in Rule 6.2(ii), in different subjects

shall be conducted by the Directorate of Admissions Osmania University
subject to the availability of the vacancies as notified by the Dean of the
concerned Faculty.

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5.2. All the candidates who possess at least the minimum percentage of
marks/grades at the P.G. Degree level (as on the last date of submission
of application) as specified above (Rule 3.1) can appear for the Ph.D.
Entrance Test.

5.3. All those candidates who fail to get Ph.D. admission in Category-I and
wish to get admission through Category-II, then he/she needs to get
qualified in the O.U. Ph.D. Entrance Test.

5.4. The concerned faculties shall invite applications for the Ph.D. Program
from eligible candidates and shall provisionally admit the candidates
based on merit-cum-statutory reservations against the notified vacancies.

5.5. Categories of Ph.D. Admissions: To account for regional specificity,

Ph.D. admissions are divided into three categories: Category-I,Category-
II,andCategory-III.Initially,50%of the available vacancies will be allocated
to Category-I, with the remaining 50% reserved for Category-II. If there are
no qualified candidates from Category-I, the vacancies will be transferred to
Category-II. It's essential to note that Category-III is considered supernumerary
and does not impact the distribution of other categories.

5.6. Category – I (Research Fellowship Holders): Under this category,

candidates (Rule 6.2.i) will be admitted directly into the Ph.D. Program by
following the procedure mentioned below:

a. The Dean of the concerned Faculty shall issue a notification

once in an academic year by calling applications for Ph.D.
admission from the Junior Research Fellowship holders (UGC /
CSIR/ICAR/ICMR/DBT or DST-INSPIRE or FIP/QIP Teacher
Fellowships) as Category-I.

b. The research fellowship holder shall submit a filled-in application

form to the Dean of the Faculty concerned with the necessary
required documents.

c. The Ph.D. Admission Committee/Departmental Research

Committee interviews these candidates, and the candidate
explains the research interests after which the committee allots
him/her a research supervisor in the area of interest of the
candidate and generally based on the specialization of the
research supervisor and availability of the vacancies (Annexure-
I).

d. Deans of the Faculty shall inform the research supervisor

regarding the allotment of the candidate for research guidance,
and the research supervisor must give his/her written consent to
supervise the candidate’s Ph.D. work.

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e. The candidates with research fellowships admitted into the

Ph.D. Program must work only as Full-time Research Scholars.

5.7. Category–II:

a. The category-II candidates (Rule 6.2.ii) are those who qualified

with 50% marks in the Ph.D. Entrance test conducted by the
Directorate of Admissions Osmania University in the concerned
subject or allied subjects as approved by the University.

b. The Entrance Test syllabus shall consist of 50% of research

methodology, and 50% shall be subject specific.

5.8. Category–III:

a. Under Category-III, candidates will be considered purely on a

supernumerary basis. Within this category, each supervisor will
be permitted to mentor a maximum of two scholars. The
applicants in Category-III shall approach the Dean of the
concerned Faculty along with the necessary proposal and
documents, and the admission shall be given as per the Rules
applicable on the recommendation of the Departmental
Research Committee of the respective Departments. The
candidates falling under Category-III shall be exempted from the
Ph.D. Entrance Test.

b. Foreign Students: Eligible foreign scholars shall be allotted to

each supervisor on a supernumerary basis, on receipt of a
requisition / application received from the Office of the
International Affairs (formerly, University Foreign Relations
Office-UFRO), and on the recommendation of the Departmental
Research Committee concerned.

c). Corporate / Industry / Professional Candidates, etc.: To forge

collaboration between the Govt. / Corporate / Industry and the
University, one eligible candidate among the following
categories shall be allotted to each supervisor on a
supernumerary basis as under:

i. Civil Servants working in the Government not below the

cadre of Joint Secretary.

ii. Scientists / Researchers working in National /

International level scientific organizations not less than
the rank of Scientist-D.

iii. International / National / State-level top public sector

organizations - working in the rank not less than the
General Manager.

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iv. Defense personnel in service with not below the rank of

Wing Commander / Captain (Navy) / Colonel.

v. Working personnel in Private Organizations with an

annual turnover not less than Rs.100 Crores and with the
position not less than Vice-President.

vi. Serving or retired Judges with not less than the rank of
Judges of High Court of the State.

vii. In-service Govt. Degree college Teachers.

6. Procedure for Admission:

6.1. The admission shall be based on the criteria notified by the University,
keeping in view the guidelines/norms in this regard issued by the UGC
and other statutory/regulatory bodies concerned, and taking into account
the reservation policy of the State Government from time to time.

6.2. Admission to the Ph.D. programme shall be made using the following
methods:

i. Candidates (as Category-I) may get admission who qualified for

fellowship/scholarship in UGC NET/ UGC- CSIR NET / GATE /
CEED and similar National level tests based on an interview.

And/or

ii. Candidates (as Category-II) may get admission through an

Entrance Test conducted by the Osmania University in the
concerned subjects.

iii. Candidates who have secured 50 % marks in the entrance test

are eligible to be called for the interview.

iv. A relaxation of 5 % marks will be allowed in the entrance

examination for the candidates belonging to SC / ST / BC /
differently-abled category, Economically Weaker Section(EWS),
and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the
University Grants Commission from time to time.

v. After the declaration of Ph.D. Entrance Test results, the Deans

of the respective faculties will coordinate in consultation with the
selection committee of each department to compile a merit list of
eligible candidates for an interview.

vi. The preparation of the merit list will be based on the number of
vacancies notified in each respective department.

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vii. The concerned Faculty may decide the number of eligible

students to be called for an interview based on the number of
Ph.D. vacancies available in respective departments.

viii. Provided that for the selection of candidates based on the

entrance test conducted by the University, a weightage of 70 %
for the entrance test and 30 % for the performance in the
interview/viva-voce shall be given (as per Annexure-II). In the
case of a tie in the test scores, the order of merit will be decided
based on the age of the candidate, with preference given to the
senior candidate.

ix. After finalizing the list of provisionally admitted candidates

assigned to their respective supervisors, the Ph.D. Admission
Committee / Departmental Research Committee will submit it to
the office of the corresponding Faculty's Dean for provisional
admission.

x. Once the Deans of faculties issue the list of provisionally

admitted candidates, the respective Ph.D. scholars will be
required to fulfill the course requirements for Part-I examination
and subsequently complete the Ph.D. program.

6.3. University shall notify the prospectus well in advance on the institution’s
website specifying the number of vacant seats for admission, subject /
discipline-wise distribution of available seats (as per rules of reservation),
criteria for admission, the procedure for admission, and all other relevant
information for the candidates.

6.4. Rule of reservation shall be adhered to the State-level reservation policy,

as applicable from time to time.

6.5. The Osmania University shall maintain a list of Ph.D. supervisors

(specifying the name of the supervisor, his or her designation, and the
department / school / center), along with the details of Ph.D. scholars
(specifying the name of the registered Ph.D. scholar, the topic of his/her
research, and the date of joining) admitted under them on the website of
the institution and update this list every academic year.

Note: A candidate, satisfying one or more of the above eligibility criteria is not
guaranteed the admission into Ph.D. Program. The Ph.D. admission
shall be subject to the availability of vacancies with the Research
Supervisors in the concerned department, candidate’s academic
record, the performance of the candidate in the Ph.D. Entrance Test,
Ph.D. admission interview / viva-voce and statutory State reservation
policy."

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7. Allocation of Research Supervisor: Eligibility criteria to be a Research

Supervisor, Co-Supervisor, Number of Ph.D. scholars permissible per
supervisor, etc.:

7.1. Allocation of Research Supervisorship: Permanent faculty members

working as Professor / Associate Professor of the Osmania University /
Higher Educational Institution with a Ph.D., and at least five research
publications in peer-reviewed or refereed journals and permanent faculty
members working as Assistant Professors in Osmania University / Higher
Educational Institutions with a Ph.D., and at least three research
publications in peer-reviewed or refereed journals maybe recognized as a
Research Supervisor in the university where the faculty member is
employed or in its affiliated Post-graduate Colleges / institutes. Such
recognized research supervisors cannot supervise research scholars in
other institutions, where they can only act as co-supervisors. Ph.D.
awarded by a university under the supervision of a faculty member who is
not an employee of the university or its affiliated Post-graduate Colleges /
institutes would be in violation of these Regulations.

7.2. For Ph.D. scholars working in Central government / State government

research institutions whose degrees are given by Osmania University /
Higher Educational Institutions, the scientists in such research institutions
who are equivalent to Professor /Associate Professor / Assistant
Professor can be recognized as supervisors if they fulfill the above
requirements.

7.3. Provided that in areas / disciplines where there is no, or only a limited
number of peer-reviewed or refereed journals, the Osmania University /
Higher Educational Institution may relax the above condition for
recognition of a person as Research Supervisor with reasons recorded in
writing.

7.4. Co-Supervisors from within the same department or other departments of

the same institution or other institutions may be permitted with the
approval of the competent authority.

7.5. Adjunct Faculty members shall not act as Research Supervisors and can
only act as co-supervisors.

7.6. In case of interdisciplinary / multidisciplinary research work, if required, a

Co-Supervisor from outside the Department / School / Research Centre /
College / University may be appointed.

7.7. An eligible Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor can

guide up to eight (8) / six (6) / four (4) Ph.D. scholars, respectively.

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7.8. During any one academic year, the Ph.D. Admission Committee shall not
allot more than 50% of total number of candidates allottable.

7.9. In case of relocation of a female Ph.D. scholar due to marriage or

otherwise, the research data shall be allowed to be transferred from the
Osmania University / Higher Educational Institution to which the scholar
intends to relocate, provided all the other conditions in these Regulations
are followed, and the research work does not pertain to a project
sanctioned to the parent Institution / Supervisor by any funding agency.
Such scholar shall, however, give due credit to the parent institution and
the supervisor for the part of research already undertaken.

7.10. Faculty members with less than three years of service before
superannuation shall not be allowed to take new research scholars under
their supervision. However, such faculty members can continue to
supervise Ph.D. scholars who are already registered until superannuation
and as a co-supervisor after superannuation, but not after attaining the
age of 70 years.

8. Admission of foreign students in Ph.D. programme:

8.1. Each supervisor can guide up to two foreign research scholars (admitted
under category-III) on a supernumerary basis.

8.2. The Departmental Research Committee must ensure that a candidate

allotted to a research supervisor is not his/her relative.

8.3. A vacancy with the supervisor may be considered to have occurred only
when existing candidate working under him/her submitted the thesis OR
his/her registration is cancelled or on the expiry of his/her Ph.D. course
duration.

9. Co-Supervisor:

9.1. Interdisciplinary research allows for co-supervision, which means that a

scholar's research can be overseen by two supervisors, provided they are
from different departments. In such cases, obtaining written consent from
both supervisors is mandatory.

9.2. Scholars who are under the guidance of a supervisor affiliated with a
recognized National Research Laboratory (e.g., IICT, NIN, etc.) have the
option of having a Co-Supervisor. This Co-Supervisor can be from the
same subject or an allied subject, as approved by the University.
However, it is essential that they hold a position as a Scientist or Faculty
member at either Osmania University or the affiliated National Research
Laboratory.

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9.3. It's worth noting that the roles of supervisor and Co-Supervisor can be
interchanged between the University and the research center. For
candidates registered with a Supervisor from a University Department, a
Co-Supervisor from the same or an allied subject may be assigned,
provided that the Co-Supervisor is employed in a Recognized Research
Institution.

9.4. All matters concerning the allotment of a Co-Supervisor to a candidate is

decided by the Ph.D. Admission Committee /DRC at the time of
admissions OR as and when the need arises.

10. Allotment of Ph.D. Scholars: At any point of time, the total number of Ph.D.
scholars under a faculty member, either as a supervisor or a co-supervisor, shall
not exceed the number prescribed in clause 7.7.and clause 8.1.

11. Research Advisory Committee and its Functions:

There shall be a Research Advisory Committee consisting of Head of the

Department, Chairperson, Board of Studies and Two (2) senior faculty
members of the concerned department for each Ph.D. Scholar. The Research
Supervisor of the Ph.D. scholar concerned shall be the Convener of this
committee, and this committee shall have the following responsibilities:

a. To review the research proposal and finalize the topic of research.

b. To guide the Ph.D. scholar in developing the study design and

methodology of research and identify the course(s) that he/she
may have to do.

c. To periodically review and assist in the progress of the research

work of the Ph.D. scholar.

d. Each semester, a Ph.D. scholar shall appear before the Research

Advisory Committee to make a presentation and submit a brief
report on the progress of his/her work for evaluation and further
guidance. The Research Advisory Committee shall submit its
recommendations along with a copy of Ph.D. scholar’s progress
report to the Osmania University / Higher Educational Institution
concerned. A copy of such recommendations shall also be
provided to the Ph.D. scholar.

e. In case the progress of the Ph.D. scholar is unsatisfactory, the

Research Advisory Committee shall record the reasons for the
same and suggest corrective measures. If the Ph.D. scholar fails
to implement these corrective measures, the Research Advisory
Committee may recommend, with specific reasons, the
cancellation of the registration of the Ph.D. scholar from the Ph.D.
programme.

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12. Full-Time Ph.D. Research Scholars:

12.1. Full-time Research Scholars: Candidates registered as Full-time Research

Scholars shall work and conduct research on full-time basis during the
stipulated tenure of the course. Candidates with fellowship belonging to
Category-I and admitted into Ph.D. Program must work as Full-time
Research Scholars only.

12.2. The tenure of the Ph.D. course for a full-time Research Scholar is
minimum of FOUR (4) years from the date of joining report given to the
Dean of the concerned Faculty.

12.3. A full-time research scholar shall not accept any employment during the
tenure of the course. However, any appointment in research/consultancy
schemes is not considered as employment for the purpose stated.

12.4. If a full-time research scholar secures employment during the tenure of

the course, they may request to convert to part-time status. The
conversion is subject to approval from the Departmental Research
Committee, the scholar's research supervisor, and the Head of the
concerneddepartment.Thescholarmustmaintainsatisfactoryprogressin
research and comply with part-time regulations (Clause 14). Breach of
conditions may lead to termination of admission.

13. Hostel Facility:

13.1. Hostel facility, including dining, for full time research scholars is subject to
the availability of vacancy in the designated hostel from the date of
registration into Ph.D. Program or till the date of submission of Ph.D.
thesis, whichever is earlier, and it is subject to satisfactory progress
reports submitted once in every six months as certified by the Research
supervisor and the Dean of the concerned faculty.

13.2. A Hostel facility, as mentioned above, shall be provided only to those

Research Scholars who register with the Research Supervisors working in
Osmania University (Campus and Constituent Colleges only).

13.3. For those Research Scholars who registered with the Research
Supervisors working in other recognized Research Centers / Institutions,
NO HOSTEL facility will be provided in the hostels of Osmania University,
even if the Co-Supervisor is from Osmania University.

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14. Part-Time Ph.D. programme:

14.1. Ph.D. programmes through part-time mode will be permitted, provided all
the conditions stipulated in these Regulations are fulfilled.

14.2. Candidates who are eligible for Ph.D. admission/registration and

employed in organizations in the area of study related to domain
knowledge of concerned subject and eligible for leave required for Ph.D.
Program will be designated as Part-time Research Scholars.

14.3. The tenure of the Ph.D. course for a part-time Research Scholar is FIVE
(5) years from the date of joining report given to the Dean of the concerned
Faculty.

14.4. The candidate who wishes to pursue the Part-time Ph.D. programme
should produce the “No Objection Letter” from their competent authority in
the organization where the candidate is employed, clearly stating that:

a. The candidate is permitted to pursue Ph.D. course and

candidate seeking admission as part-time research scholar must
give an undertaking that he/she would take leave for a minimum
of six months for attending the classes of the Ph.D. Course
Work during the tenure of the Ph.D. course, and a letter from the
employer that the required leave of six months will be
sanctioned for the purpose stated, as additional documents at
the time of registration. Without the permission letter from the
employer, the Ph.D. admission cannot be granted.

b. A part-time research scholar is not eligible for any hostel facility.

c. His/her official duties permit him/her to devote sufficient time for

research.

d. If required, he/she will be relieved from the duty to complete the

course work.

15. The Fee Structure for Ph.D. Programme is as follows:

Faculty of Engineering/Technology/Science/Pharmacy and Rs.20,000/-

informatics Per annum

Faculty of Rs.15,000/-
Arts/Commerce/Education/Management/Law/Social Per annum
Sciences / Oriental Languages

In addition, all the scholars admitted in Ph.D. programme must pay the fees for
different purposes as prescribed by the university from time to time.

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16. Change of Research Supervisor:

16.1. The Supervisor/Co-Supervisor of the candidate once allotted and

approved shall not ordinarily be changed. However, the Dean may, after
ascertaining the facts, permit change of Supervisor/ Co-Supervisor in
exceptional circumstances like demise / non- availability of the approved
Supervisor / Co-Supervisor for a continuous period of six months or more
due to ill health or residing outside India. Such a change in Supervisor/Co-
Supervisor is subject to availability of vacancy with new Supervisor/ Co-
Supervisor and is permitted only once.

16.2. All requests for change of Supervisor/Co-Supervisor should originate from

the candidate with necessary documentary evidence.

16.3. The candidate will have to work with new supervisor for a period of at
least one year before submitting his / her thesis.

17. Change of Status of Research Scholar:

A candidate is permitted to change his/her status from full-time to part-time

research, or vice versa, for any valid reason and upon approval by the Dean
of the concerned faculty. In such cases: If the candidate changes his/her
status from full-time to part-time, for example, after two (2) years, the
remaining tenure of the Ph.D. course for such candidate shall be five(5)years
minus the period already spent as a full-time scholar. Similarly, if a part-time
research scholar changes his/her status to full-time, the remaining tenure of
the Ph.D. course for such a candidate shall be five (5) years minus the period
already spent as part-time. Candidates who change their status from part-time
to full-time or vice versa are not entitled to hostel admission.

18. Ph.D. Course Work: Credit requirements, number, duration, syllabus,

minimum standards for completion of Ph.D. coursework:

18.1. After provisional admission into the Ph.D. Program all the registered
candidates has to take up the Ph.D. Course Work in the respective
Department / Research Centres for a period of one semester and this is
mandatory for all candidates.

18.2. However, a candidate with an M.Phil. Degree completed in regular mode

is exempted from the Ph.D. Course Work and the Ph.D. Course Work
examination, provided that they have undergone the same Course Work
in M.Phil.

18.3. The Credit requirement for the Ph.D. coursework is a minimum of 12

credits, including a “Research and Publication Ethics” course as notified
by UGC vide D.O. No. F.1-1/2018(Journal/CARE) in 2019 and a research
methodology course. The Research Advisory Committee can also
recommend UGC recognized online courses as part of the credit
requirements for the Ph.D. programme.

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18.4. The Ph.D. Course Work shall comprise of TWO theory papers and each
theory paper shall have 60 contact hours of classes.

Paper-1:Research Methodology and Publication Ethics (100 Marks/6

Credits): Common to all the candidates admitted in a
department. The syllabus of this paper includes the research
techniques / methods of the concerned subject.

Paper-2:Broad field of specialization (100 Marks/6Credits): The syllabus of

this paper includes the current concepts/trends in the
concerned specialization of the subject. The broad
specializations in a department shall be restricted to
maximum of five (5).

18.5. Ph.D. scholar must obtain a minimum of 55% marks or its equivalent
grade in the UGC 10-point scale in the course work to be eligible to
continue in the programme and submit his or her thesis.

18.6. All Ph.D. scholars, irrespective of discipline, shall be required to train in

teaching / education / pedagogy / writing related to their chosen Ph.D.
subject during their doctoral period. Ph.D. scholars may also be assigned
4-6 hours per week of teaching / research assistantship for conducting
tutorial or laboratory work and evaluations.

19. Ph.D. Course Work Examination and Evaluation:

19.1. Ph.D. Course Work examination shall be conducted for the admitted
candidates after the one semester of Ph.D. course work.

19.2. The pattern of the Ph.D. Course Work syllabus and the pattern of the
Ph.D. Course Work examination question paper shall be uniform for the
respective faculties.

19.3. The medium of examination for the Ph.D. Course Work examination shall
be English for all subjects except those in which the official medium of
instruction is a language other than English.

19.4. The Chairperson Board of Studies (BoS) in the concerned subject shall
communicate the syllabi to the Controller of Examinations for the purpose
of conducting the Ph.D. Course Work examination.

19.5. The Chairperson Board of Studies shall arrange for the evaluation of the
answer scripts. The Ph.D. Course Work examination is of three-hour
duration and is for 100 marks per theory paper. Each answer script is
assessed by two examiners who shall be recognized Ph.D. Supervisors.
The marks awarded to the answer script shall be the average of these two

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evaluations, and if the difference in the marks between two evaluations

exceeds 20% of the maximum marks, such a script shall be assessed by
a third external examiner. The marks awarded to the script shall be the
average of two higher marks out of the three evaluations. The minimum
pass marks for Ph.D. Course Work shall be 55% marks in each paper.

19.6. If the candidate does not pass in two consecutive Ph.D. Course Work
examinations conducted in the concerned subject, his/her Ph.D.
registration shall automatically get cancelled. For this purpose, the two
successive examinations conducted after the admission of the candidate,
and for the batch of students of which he/she belongs to, be counted.

20. Progress Reports:

20.1. After the completion of the Course Work and the Ph.D. Course Work
examination, every candidate shall submit half-yearly progress report to
the Dean duly forwarded by the Research Supervisor. The half-yearly
Progress Report should cover, among others, the aspects such as the
review of literature, data collected, techniques developed, progress in
research, discussion of the work done including any findings, etc. If
necessary, this progress report may be forwarded to the Departmental
Research Committee by the Dean for further examination.

20.2. If a candidate fails to submit two consecutive half-yearly progress reports

in time and/or if the progress of the candidate is not satisfactory for two
half-year periods, the Department Research Committee shall recommend
to the Dean of the faculty for the cancellation of his/her registration in
consultation with the concerned Research Supervisor.

21. Seminar Presentations:

21.1. During the tenure of the Ph.D. Program, candidate shall present three
seminars of which the first one is presented after the Ph.D. Course Work
examination results. This seminar designated as “Research Design
Seminar” will be a comprehensive literature review of the research topic
and the plan of work.

21.2. This seminar shall be conducted within three (3) months from declaration
of such results in the main Campus department where the candidate is
concerned registered. The Head, Chairperson Board of Studies and the
Research Supervisor of the Candidate shall certify the conduct of the
seminar.

21.3. The second one is “Research Progress Seminar”, where the candidate
presents the progress of his research work. The Head, Chairperson Board
of Studies and the Research Supervisor of the Candidate concern shall
certify the conduct of the seminar. The second seminar shall be
conducted within three (3) years from the date of joining/registration.

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21.4. The last seminar designated as “Pre-Submission Seminar” is presented

by a candidate whose Ph.D. thesis is ready for submission. This seminar
deals with the entire Ph.D. work of his/her carried out by the candidate
and is presented in the Department where he/she is registered and any
feedback, comments and suggestions from the participants be included in
the final manuscript of the thesis. The draft copy of the Ph.D. thesis must
be available during this presentation.

21.5. The pre-submission seminar shall be held within six (6) months prior tothe
thesis submission duration. The presentation of this pre-submission
seminar shall be certified by the Head of the Department, Chairperson
Board of Studies, and the Research Supervisor of the candidate and three
(3) certificates (Research Design Seminar, Research Progress Seminar
and Pre-Submission Seminar) must be enclosed at the time of thesis
submission.

22. Extension of Registration:

22.1. Scholars seeking extension of registration shall submit a written request,

along with the progress report of the work done and the prescribed fee,
duly recommended by the supervisor(s), the Chairperson Board of
Studies, and the Head of the concerned Department in the University. The
request must be submitted to the Dean at least two months before the
expiry of the registration period, failing which the request for extension is
liable for rejection.

22.2. Based on the recommendations of the Supervisor(s), the Chairperson

BoS, and the Head of the Department, the Dean may extend, not
exceeding one (1) year at a time, the Ph.D. registration of a scholar for a
maximum period of two (2) years in case of a full-time, and one year (1) in
case of part-time research scholar, provided that he / she has been
continuously engaged in active research, the progress of the research
work in the previous years has been satisfactory as certified by the
supervisor(s), and that he / she has No-Dues in the library / department /
college / hostel as certified by the concerned authority.

22.3. The registration of a research scholar whether full time or part-time shall
automatically stand cancelled after the completion of SIX (6) years from
the date of joining.

23. Publication of a Research Paper:

A Ph.D. Research Scholar and Supervisor shall jointly publish at least TWO
(2) research paper related to his/her Ph.D. work in a Peer- reviewed Journals
(Listed in Scopus/Web of Science/ UGC-CARE List) before the submission of
thesis for adjudication and produce the evidence of the same in the form of
the reprint in original. These research papers shall be enclosed in the thesis
as an appendix.

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24. Cancellation of Ph.D. Admission/Registration:

24.1. The Dean may cancel the registration of a Ph.D. scholar, if the candidate
fails to satisfy the conditions stipulated in the admission order, within the
prescribed period

24.2. The Dean may cancel the registration of a Ph.D. Scholar on the
recommendation of the Supervisor, Chairperson, BoS, and the Head of
the Department under any one or more of the following circumstances:

24.3. Where the progress of the research work has been found to be
unsatisfactory in two consecutive Half-yearly reports or when two
consecutive progress reports are not submitted.

24.4. Where a candidate discontinues his/her research or when he/she accepts

any employment without the written consent of the Dean.

24.5. The University may cancel the admission of a research scholar at anytime
for proven misbehavior or misconduct of the candidate in the University or
elsewhere.

24.6. If a research scholar is found guilty of committing any irregularity,

malpractice, plagiarism, etc. in research, his/her result will be withheld /
cancelled by the Controller of Examinations, even after the publication of
the result.

24.7. If the stipulated period of Ph.D. course is completed as per Ph.D. Rules
and Regulations in effect.

24.8. Any violation of this regulation will automatically lead to the cancellation of
his/her admission in Ph.D. Course.

25. Submission of Ph.D.Thesis:

25.1. A full-time research scholar is eligible to submit his/her Ph.D. thesis at the
completion of three (3) years of research and after four (4) years in case
of Part-time research scholars from the date of joining the Ph.D.
programme.

25.2. A research scholar, full-time or part-time, whose registration has expired /

cancelled, is not eligible to submit the thesis.

25.3. After the completion of his / her Ph.D. research work, each candidate is
required to submit to the Controller of Examinations, the following along
with the prescribed application form and fee:

25.4. When submitting the thesis for evaluation, the Ph.D. scholars shall
provide:

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a. An undertaking declaring no plagiarism and

b. Certificate from their respective Research Supervisors attesting to

the originality of the thesis and confirming that it has not been
submitted for the award of any other degree/diploma to any other
Higher Educational Institution.

25.5. Four soft bound copies of the thesis incorporating a certificate from the
Supervisor to the effect that the thesis is an original work of the candidate
and a declaration by the candidate to the effect that the thesis either in
part or full does not constitute any part of any
thesis/dissertation/monograph submitted by him/her or any other person
to this or any other University/ Institute. The candidate is also required to
submit a soft copy (on CD) of the thesis.

25.6. A Demand Draft drawn in favour of the Controller of Examinations for the
prescribed fee.

25.7. Memorandum of marks of Ph.D. Course Work Examination and copy of

the PG and UG Degrees.

25.8. A reprint of the papers published in a Peer-reviewed Journals (Listed in

Scopus/Web of Science/ UGC-CARE List) as an enclosure in the thesis.

25.9. A copy of the admission letter/ extension (if any) / change of title (if any) /
etc., the Ph.D. course work memo along with a proof of having paid the
prescribed fees and satisfied all terms and conditions stipulated at the
time of admission.

25.10. A copy of the permission letter for change of title / topic / supervisor, if
applicable any).

25.11. Certification from the Head of the Department, Chairperson Board of

Studies, and the Research Supervisor, that the candidate has:

a. Presented the three seminars during the tenure of the Ph.D. work,
b. Certificate that he/she has conducted the research work in an
institution recognized for the purpose by the University, and
c. Followed all the leave particulars in case of part-time Research
Scholar

25.12. No Dues Certificates from the Chief Warden, Principal of the concerned
Campus College, Head of the concerned Department and the Librarian of
the Department Seminar and University Librarian.

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25.13. The thesis submitted for adjudication shall conform to the following
specifications:

i. It must be typed on both sides of A4 size paper using font type

“Times New Roman”, font size 12 with 1.5 line spacing. For
drawings and maps, these restrictions do not apply. Binding
should conform to the norms fixed by the University Library.

ii. The Research Supervisor of the candidate shall certify and

submit six (6) copies of the synopsis of the thesis along with a
panel of twelve (12) examiners in a cover marked “confidential”
to the Chairperson Board of Studies at least three months
before the actual submission of the Ph.D. thesis.

iii. It shall be mandatory for the Chairperson Board of Studies, to

take the approval of the members of the Board of Studies for the
panel of examiners, who are recognized as Ph.D. supervisors as
suggested by the Supervisor.

iv. The Chairperson Board of Studies shall then forward the

approved panel of twelve (12) names along with the six (6)
copies of the Synopsis for further action to the Controller of
Examinations within a fortnight. Ph.D. Supervisors recognized
by Osmania University and persons related to the candidate
shall not be included in the Panel of Examiners.

v. The Panel of Examiners lapses after a period of six (6) months

from the date of approval, in such case, a new panel must be
suggested by the Chairperson Board of Studies.

vi. University will endeavor to complete the entire process of

evaluating a Ph.D. thesis, including declaring the viva-voce
result, within a period of six (6) months from the date of thesis
submission.

26. Ph.D. Thesis Evaluation/ Adjudication:

26.1. Before submitting thesis at the Examination Branch, O.U., the thesis shall
be checked with Plagiarism Software (as approved by the University) and
a certificate should be enclosed in the thesis stating similarity index (10%)
as per the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Academic
Integrity & Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions)
Regulations-2018, dated 23-07-2018.

26.2. Three independent Examiners/Referees appointed for the purpose by the

Vice- Chancellor, shall evaluate/ adjudicate the thesis.

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26.3. The Controller of Examinations, while communicating the appointment to

the Examiner/Referee, shall send a copy of the synopsis of the thesis and
seek his/her willingness to adjudicate it based on the synopsis submitted.
After obtaining the consent of the Examiner, a copy of the thesis will be
sent with a request to submit his/her report in a prescribed format.

26.4. The format consists of threeparts.Part-1: A Detailed Evaluation, Part-2: A

Detailed Report mentioning the strengths and weaknesses of the thesis,
and Part-3: A Final Recommendation.

26.5. A candidate needs to score a minimum of 55 per cent of the points inPart-
1 to be eligible for the viva-voce examination. As a final recommendation,
the examiner must state in clear/ unequivocal terms whether, in his/her
opinion,

i. The thesis can be accepted for award of Ph.D. degree in its

present form
ii. The thesis be accepted subject to revision/corrections
suggested and be verified by the Research Supervisor.

iii. The thesis be revised/resubmitted for re-evaluation by same

adjudicator.

iv. The thesis is rejected.

26.6. After all the three (3) reports are received, a decision is to be taken for the
conduct of a viva- voce examination before the award of the Ph.D.
Degree, as per the following guidelines.

i. If the reports of all the three examiners are favorable (i.e.,

accepting the thesis as it is), the candidate is permitted to take
the Ph.D. viva-voce Examination.

ii. If any one /two of the examiners suggest a revision, the thesis
shall be revised accordingly and resubmitted for approval to the
same examiner(s).

iii. If two or all the three examiners reject the thesis, it will be
rejected for the award of Ph.D.degree and the registration of the
candidate shall stand cancelled.

iv. If anyone of the examiners rejects the thesis, the thesis shall be
sent to another examiner from the existing panel of examiners
approved by the Vice-Chancellor. If this examiner also rejects
the thesis, the thesis is deemed to be rejected and the
registration of the candidate shall stand cancelled.

26.7. In the event of any adjudicator’s report not received even after 3 months
from the date of Submission, the thesis may be referred to a fourth
Examiner from the same panel for adjudication.

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26.8. Minor corrections suggested by the examiner(s) shall be intimated to the

Research Supervisor of the candidate by the Controller of Examinations
before the conduct of the Ph.D. Viva-voce Examination. These corrections
must be incorporated in the thesis and errata are enclosed in the thesis
and shown to the Ph.D. Viva-voce Board of Examiners.

27. Ph.D. Viva-Voce Examination:

27.1. The Ph.D. Viva-voce examination of the candidate is conducted only after
all the three examiners recommend the award of Ph.D. Degree. The
Controller of Examinations shall instruct the Chairperson Board of
Studies, to conduct the Ph.D. Viva-voce examination by constituting a
Board of Examiners.

27.2. The Ph.D. Viva-voce examination shall be conducted in the concerned

Department by a Board of Examiners, and comprise the following five (5)
members: a) Chairperson Board of Studies, (b) Head of the Department,
(c) Two faculty members of the Department who are recognized
supervisors and working in the area related to the thesis work, approved
by the Vice-Chancellor out of the four (4) suggested by the Chairperson
Board of Studies, and (d) the Supervisor of the candidate, who shall be
the Convener.

27.3. If no eligible faculty member is available in the Department for inclusion in

the Board of Examiners, an external expert may be invited for the
purpose.

27.4. After the Board of Examiners is constituted for the conduct of Viva-voce
examination, the Head of the Department shall obtain two copies of the
thesis and make it available to the members of the Board to enable them
to conduct the Viva-voce examination.

27.5. The Viva-voce examination is open to the students and faculty of the
Department, and to the scientists in the concerned/allied subject. The
Chairperson Board of Studies of the concerned Department shall display
on the notice board the date and time of the Viva-voce examination one
week in advance.

27.6. The Board of Examiners, who conduct the viva-voce examination shall
either recommend for the award of the Ph.D. Degree or recommend that
the candidate be asked to take the Viva-voce examination a second time
giving reasons thereof. The second Viva-voce examination shall be
conducted by the same set of examiners, and not earlier than three (3)
months but not later than six (6) months from the date of the first Viva-
voce examination. The Dean of the concerned Faculty shall participate in
the second Viva-voce examination and record his/her observations and
send it directly to the Vice-Chancellor.

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28. Declaration of the Ph.D. Results and Award of Ph.D. Degree:

28.1. After completion of the Viva-voce examination, the adjudication reports of

the thesis by External Examiners and the report of the Viva-voce Board of
Examiners shall be immediately sent to the Controller of Examinations in a
cover marked as “Confidential”.

28.2. After successful completion of the viva voce examination and

incorporating the suggestions made by the Board of examiners/
participants the candidate must now submit two (2) hard bound copies of
the thesis and two (2) soft copies of the thesis. The hard bound copies
shall be made available to all, one (1) in the University General Library
and the other in the Department Seminar Library.

28.3. A soft copy of the thesis shall be sent to the UGC, New Delhi within 30
days of award of the Ph.D. degree for hosting the same in INFLIBNET,
accessible to all Indian Universities/ Institutions. Another soft copy is for
hosting the thesis in the O.U. website. The Controller of Examinations
declares the Ph.D. result of a candidate only on receipt of two (2) hard
bound copies of the thesis and two (2) soft copies of the thesis.

28.4. Issuing a Provisional certificate - Prior to the actual award of the Ph.D.
degree, the degree- awarding Institution shall issue a provisional
certificate to the successful Ph.D. scholar.

Note: All other matters that have not been covered by the Rules mentioned above
shall be referred to the Standing Committee of Academic Senate, whose
decision will be final.

(These Ph.D. Rules and Regulations-2023 were approved by the Standing

Committee of Academic Senate at its meeting held on 4 thAugust, 2023, 25th
June, 2024 and 16th November, 2024)

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