JNM journalist Hardeep Jamwal, Jammu
Serious questions have been raised about the state of the research system at Jammu University. The latest report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) revealed that there are significant delays in the evaluation of PhD theses, forcing researchers to wait up to four years in many cases for degrees instead of six months.
According to the report, a total of 764 researchers submitted their theses between 2017-18 and 2021-22, but only 162, or 22 percent, were evaluated within the stipulated timeframe. Delays were recorded in the remaining 78 percent of cases, ranging from 30 days to 1,481 days, or nearly four years. The situation worsened year after year—62 percent of theses were not reviewed on time in 2017-18, 84 percent in 2018-19, and 93 percent in 2019-20.
The CAG report also revealed that oversight of research projects at the university was extremely weak. Due to the lack of regular reviews by the Dean of Research Studies, many projects remained directionless. Eight of the 86 projects were not completed within the stipulated timeframe, while five projects costing approximately ₹2.11 crore were abandoned midway. The funds spent on these projects also yielded no concrete results.
The report also revealed violations of UGC regulations. Standards were not followed in the appointment of PhD guides, and the academic coordinator was appointed research supervisor. Meanwhile, seven Centers of Excellence proposed in 2020 have not yet been launched, leaving the university’s major projects confined to paper.
The impact of research work was also found to be extremely limited. Of the 54 projects completed during 2017-22, only eight resulted in published research papers. Most of the research proved neither academically effective nor did its benefits reach the government, industry, or society.
Irregularities have also been revealed in development projects. Eleven projects worth approximately ₹144.86 crore were initiated without technical approval, leaving many projects incomplete. Furthermore, equipment worth crores of rupees lies idle at the university—machines worth ₹1.63 crore are idle, equipment worth ₹7.5 million is unused, and a heating system worth ₹6.2 million has been inactive for a long time.
The state of infrastructure is also poor. Proposed toilets for women are incomplete, and allocated funds were diverted for other purposes. Disagreements have also been found in the construction of hostels—the building remains unfinished despite an expenditure of ₹5.31 crore.
Overall, the CAG report exposes weaknesses in the university’s research, financial management, and infrastructure. The question is whether concrete steps will be taken to remove these shortcomings or will the researchers have to endure a long wait like this.
