MULTAN: The Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) is offering doctorate in social sciences programme, the first of its kind in any Pakistani university.

Sources say more than 60 students have been admitted to the programme’s first semester (session 2014-16) where three courses -- globalisation and social sciences, advanced research methods in social sciences and trends and issues in social sciences -- are being taught by Dr Zahoor Ahmed Javed (economics), Dr Fahad Qureshi (economics), Dr Zia Ahmad (English), Dr Sadia (special education), Dr Ishaque Fani (Pakistan studies) and Dr Nadeem Iqbal (special education).

The programme is, however, receiving much criticism from the relevant quarters who cite several irregularities in the programme.

Social Sciences Dean Dr Rana Ayaz says that people raised genuine objections when the ISS was constituted in 2012.

He said he had also raised his voice but the authorities concerned did not take notice.

Sources say the department did not get approval by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to launch the programme.

There does not exist the notification of the approval of curricula. Some people have questioned about the origin of the doctorate programme as “social sciences is a major category which covers subjects like political science, Pakistan Studies, sociology, education and so on”.

They say according to the HEC criteria there should be at least three PhD scholars to start a doctorate programme in a discipline.

They said that before going to arrange three permanent PhD holders, the curricula for the concerned discipline should be prepared and got approved from the board of studies of the relevant subject, board of faculty, academic council and syndicate.

They said that after the approval of the syndicate, the notification of approval is issued and the case is sent to the university senate for final approval.

They said that according to the HEC criteria for admission to a PhD programme, a candidate should have minimum CGPA 3.0 in the semester system or a first division in the annual system in MPhil/MS or an equivalent degree but the ISS administration violated the laid down criteria in admissions.

They say a subject test is also taken before admissions and, according to the HEC, a university committee of three PhD faculty members in the relevant subject with the prior approval of the HEC, conducts the test on a par with GRE subject test. A candidate’s score in admission test should be 70 per cent; however no approval of the admission test was obtained from the HEC.

According to the HEC, the maximum number of PhD candidates under the supervision of one full time faculty member is five which may be increased to eight under special circumstances with the prior approval of the HEC.

The University Academic Council on June 16, 2014 approved curricula for different programmes of the ISS while overlooking the observations of 30 heads of departments. Curricula for doctorate in social sciences were not approved.

BZU Registrar Malik Munir said the notification required to launch the programme had not been issued.

ISS Director Dr Ishaque Fani said curricula for the PhD in social sciences had been approved by the bodies concerned.

He said that there were more than 16 PhD faculty members in the ISS and they had done their PhD in social sciences subjects so the requirement for the relevant subject has been fulfilled. He said they had not violated rules in the programme, including admissions.

HEC Director (media and publications) Aayesha Ikram said gross violations were found in the programme and HEC’s quality enhance department and the BZU administration had been told to ensure that all PhD programmes were in accordance with rules and regulations.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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