The Obscure State of PhD in India

Indian System of Higher Education

After India gained independence in 1947, its education system faced numerous hurdles. At that time, only 17 universities and 636 colleges were present —catering to a little less than 2.4 lakh students. The literacy rate stood at an alarmingly low figure of 14%. On the contrary, today, State Public Universities (SPUs) alone educate more than 3.25 crore students. We have 495 State Public Universities with over 46,000 affiliated colleges and are educating 81% of the total student population. SPUs have expanded at the fastest rate among all other academic institutions (497% in the last decade).

Apart from SPUs, India also has central universities, autonomous institutes including institutions of national importance and deemed-to-be universities, and private universities.

On a global scale, India has the highest growth rate amongst the G20 nations. With the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the goal is to double the enrollment by 2035.

The stats provided in the official sites of Government of India look promising. However, does soaring enrolment imply increasing employment? Are there enough employment opportunities for this vast and booming population pursuing higher education?

Problems in the structure of PhD in India

While in the past India has been ranked fourth globally in producing PhD graduates, only a small percentage of its institutions offer PhD programs. Many scholars choose easy research topics, leading to poor-quality and unoriginal work. According to a government assessment, just 15.8% of all articles produced by Indian scholars are published in the top ten journals worldwide. According to an article on Economic Times, (dated Jul 28, 2023) between 2019 and 2023, over 32,000 students dropped out of premier higher education institutions in India, with numbers peaking during the COVID-19 period. Persistent issues like low stipends, limited job prospects, prolonged PhD durations, and harassment by research guides continue to drive many doctoral students to quit.

There seems to be a paradox as the government wants to make higher education more accessible, resulting in a rush of students graduating with doctorates; yet, there are not enough suitable jobs that require the specialized experience and knowledge of PhD holders. All the while,

Academic freedom in India is reported to be under threat due to increasing government interference, political pressure, and ideological restrictions, which undermine universities and critical inquiry. Academic freedom includes the right to teach, research, publish, and express opinions without censorship, both within and beyond academic institutions. According to the UN, it is a fundamental right, not limited to educators or traditional universities.

The current system lacks strong, consistent guidelines, and entrance exams like UGC NET may not effectively assess research potential. By publishing research in indexed peer-reviewed journals scholars present their findings to a larger global audience, taking Indian scholarship abroad. If scholars stop publishing in Indexed journals, not only our research ranking but the overall university ranking will drop. Frequent changes by the UGC—such as loosening eligibility and publication requirements—risk compromising research quality. The solution lies in establishing long-term, stable regulations with strict monitoring and quality checks to improve the overall standard of doctoral research in India. The regulations should be changed keeping in mind the setup of the global research leaders like the USA. More funded projects should be rolled out where fresh post-graduates can participate to learn and contribute to the research scape as well.

With several cases of scams in merit and reservation and paper leaks coming forth from the centralized tests (NTA held NEET ,UGC NET, and UPSC) held in the country in 2024 itself, more uncertainty loom over the Indian academic space than ever. Many universities organize tests under each department to enroll PhD students due to lack of trust and doubt of insufficiency in the objective nature of NET question papers. Candidates appearing for these individual tests often are not notified of the professor who is available for guideship. So, unlike in developed countries, the candidates in India walk into the universities not knowing whether the their area of interest will align with their prospective supervisor or not. The quality of question in UGC NET which is the central test for selection of qualifying candidates for PhD, Assistant Professor, and Junior Research Fund (JRF) is a topic of discussion better left for another time.

Academic freedom in India is under threat due to increasing government interference, political pressure, and ideological restrictions, which undermine universities and critical inquiry. Academic freedom includes the right to teach, research, publish, and express opinions without censorship, both within and beyond academic institutions. According to the UN, it is a fundamental right, not limited to educators or traditional universities.

Admission Criteria

In India, aspiring PhD candidates must meet a minimum qualifying score in the UGC NET (for non-STEM disciplines) or CSIR NET (for STEM fields). Clearing the basic cutoff allows candidates to apply for PhD programs across institutions. A higher qualifying score makes them eligible for assistant professorships, while the highest level secures a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), valid for two years from the exam date and intended to fund doctoral studies. However, securing a PhD position also requires candidates to clear institution-specific entrance exams or interviews. Although holding a JRF significantly improves one's chances, it does not guarantee admission; performance in the individual selection process remains crucial. Factors such as academic background, the strength of the research proposal, publication record, and prior work experience can all influence the final selection outcome.

Additionally, PhD admission advertisements often do not disclose the number of available seats or the professors who are eligible for guideship, leaving applicants uncertain about their chances of selection. In many cases, faculty members tend to favor candidates who have completed their master’s degrees from the same university, and recruitment processes in several institutions appear biased in their favor. Although candidates can file an RTI (Right to Information) request to learn their scores, the evaluation criteria are not always clear or consistent. While some professors give preference to applicants with relevant field experience, others may adhere strictly to government-mandated guidelines to ensure fair selection. Still, the overall process often lacks transparency.

Lonely Roads, Delayed Stipends & Uncertain Futures: Inside the Indian PhD Experience

Even though there is considerable struggle in getting a post doctoral enrollment, enduring the 5-6 (or more) year journey —especially in science and tech— is. Most students are unaware of what to expect, which leads to shock, stress, and disillusionment once they begin.

Many pursue PhDs hoping for financial stability via stipends. However, stipends are often delayed for 4-6 months and then credited as a bulk amount, making it difficult to plan finances or support families. Comparatively, peers in jobs have stable incomes, while PhD scholars remain financially constrained and uncertain.

A PhD is valued as the highest form of academic degree. However, it does not guarantee job placement or career clarity. There's often no campus recruitment, and PhD is not always recognized as work experience in industry roles. By graduation, peers have stable careers, while PhD holders may still be struggling.

Research work is unpredictable; months of effort can be lost if an experiment fails. Scholars must often redo failed work without any fault of their own, leading to frustration and time loss.

PhDs often stretch beyond 5 years (sometimes 6–8), leading to fatigue. It’s not like a job—there’s no option to take breaks or change positions. Scholars must keep going on the same track.

Work environments in academia can be discouraging or even hostile. Many face neglect, lack of guidance, and even harassment from guides or lab mates. There's a lack of emotional support, and the absence of constructive mentoring leads to self-doubt and isolation. In the worst of cases, a research fellow can change their guide, which is a whole other ordeal.

The PhD journey is deeply lonely. Friends and family may be supportive but often don’t understand the experience if they are not from a research background themselves. Talking to fellow researchers and building a network of other PhD students can provide relief, validation, and support. Shared experiences can lessen the feeling of being alone or misunderstood.

Although not always, but delay in approval of research proposals as well as some modifications in the study may solely be due to personal grudges between guides.

Having a side hustle or creative outlet helps emotionally and financially. It offers a break from academic stress and can serve as a backup income when stipends are delayed. Even if not monetized, such outlets are important for mental health and self-expression. It is even better to opt for a part-time PhD program and have a full-time job so as to have job/financial security.

So, only pursue a PhD if you're 100% sure you want a career in academia or research. Wishing to see a 'Dr.' prefix to the name is not reason enough to go on this journey. Being academically good does not guarantee being suited for a PhD, either. One must have a reading and writing habit, lacking which can result in procrastination and a badly written research paper. Consistency, strong will, and mental preparedness to rise back up after failures help manage expectations and reduces stress.