PhD scholars seek extension due to COVID-19

Islamabad : The apathy with which students of advanced MS, M Phil and PhD are treated is unprecedented.

All through the year, they keep on knocking at one door or the other to get their cases processed and counter unnecessary delays in award of degrees but no one listens to them.

Fort the first time they seek an extension of a year in submission of their theses because COVID-19 had severely affected their research capabilities, but the Higher Education Commission (HEC) refuses to listen to them this time too.

“Fail to understand the purpose of this body other than spoiling the standards of higher education and establishing its monopoly in universities,” says a tormented PhD scholar, fearing more punitive steps by the authorities against him if his name is reported.

Another says that the problem is intense for social sciences scholars as this pandemic has changed the fabric of the society.

He said now the society has gone digital to a great extent necessitating the need to review many research projects that were going on before COVID-19.

“Unfortunately, people totally blind in social sciences are occupying key slots at HEC and they lack the capacity to understand needs of social sciences,” he said.

He said MS and PhD students of social sciences disciplines are suffering the most due to this pandemic and they duly deserve extension of at least one year in submission of their theses as they have to rearrange a lot of things.

He said the apathy of the HEC is destroying future of these scholars and the government should intervene to save them.

He said the HEC needs to pay attention to the long delays that are caused due to its unrealistic policies in processing of their theses.