Autonomy for Excellence in Research

Autonomy For Excellence in Research

AUTONOMY FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH

A.Bharathy & Parna Ray (Ph.d. Scholars)

Lecturers, Department of Management,

Pondicherry University Community College.

ABSTRACT:

Research has come a long way since independence in India, but unfortunately there is a general feeling that in the process of increasing the number, it is the quality of research that has been compromised.  On one hand, Research Scholars today suffer from lack of individual autonomy and on the other hand they utilise institutional autonomy to get away with substandard research outputs using easily available information and malpractices.  This paper suggests that sound research has to be built up with care and opportunities should be provided to young talented persons to produce quality research works.  In order to promote excellence in research – it is imperative that authorities like UGC,  NAAC and Universities intervene to correct our system of lop-sided autonomy.

KEY WORDS:  research a farce, lop-sided autonomy, transdisciplinary research, patent, innovativeness, centralised authority.

THE STATE OF CRISIS IN RESEARCH TO-DAY

Isn’t it a matter of surprise that out of the huge quantum of research in Economics – not one was able to predict in good time – the impending global economic crisis – or suggest solutions for the same?  In fact, the present economic crisis is in a way the result of following obsolete models of consumer behaviour – completely ignoring the possibility that multiple borrowers can simultaneously default. … and this event occurring in a large economy can set off major economic collapse the world over.
Isn’t it unfair towards teachers – in imposing compulsory requirement of having a doctoral degree before getting a job?  This is more of a farce and in any case is neither a healthy practice nor does it contribute to maintaining a high standard in the quality of the research work.
Isn’t the time the authorities came out of their stupor and faced the open reality that research in educational institutions has become a lucrative occupation and Ph.D writing shops have sprung all over the country wherein all types of corrupt practices are being followed?  That too, all this to-day is being done so openly that recently an advertisement had appeared in a leading daily that all relevant support would be provided to candidates pursuing their Ph.D – by this third party institute for nominal service charges.
Is it not time that the brain-drain from our country in prevented through strategic initiatives so that they undertake the same research and development initiatives in our country, rather than in a foreign country, whereby our excellence in research is being very easily patented in foreign countries by their governments?
Booming education sector, since 1990’s, which was mostly prevalent in the undergraduate and post graduate courses is turning towards raining Ph.D degrees.  This has gone to the extent that one Research Supervisor applied for approval of 11 topics – all that were modified versions of his own Ph.D dissertations.  Further to say, for a position of lecturer or research associate anything up to 100 applications may be received of which 40 may be of candidates who have obtained their doctoral degrees from any central or state universities.

These examples in a sense typify everything that is wrong with research to-day.  Researchers have forgotten to research.  They have stopped questioning the age old axioms and theories.  They have stopped being creative and original in their ideas.  They are afraid to step out of the conventional low-risk path.  Otherwise they will be completely ignored and isolated by the mainstream journals, the university registered guides and their peers.  At stake is the Ph.D degree that is today the entry ticket to the lucrative world of academics.

Academicians and would-be- academicians to-day are flocking into research not because of their interest or aptitude but mostly due to compulsion.  Once into the system – they work under the constraints of time, scope, disciplinary boundary, research direction and expected outcome.  They do not have the freedom to pursue any non-conformist idea because no mainstream journal will publish them.  In the absence of individual autonomy or freedom – research today is degraded to the point where quality is being traded with quantity, innovativeness with conformity, and challenge with safety.  In this situation the scope of excellence in research is non-existent.

RESEARCH OVER THE YEARS

Research has come a long way since independence in India.  We can say that research is one of the striking achievements in independent India and there has been a number of researches being

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