New Delhi: The Academic Council of Delhi University (DU) will meet here on July 24 to discuss the changes proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the M.Phil. and Ph.D. admission process.

The UGC issued a letter to all universities on January 31, 2008, stating that, "The informal methods which are used currently in some of the universities for admissions, need to be discontinued and admission methods to these high-level research courses should be made formal and transparent."

The proposed changes have many amendments to the current system, says J. Khuntia Academic Council member.

"The instructions look at formalizing admission procedures by admitting candidates through an entrance examination and subsequent interview. The composition of the Board of Research Studies (BRS), which is the final authority to ratify or confirm registration, may also be changed", Khuntia added.

According to other members of the Academic Council, the proposed changes have several drawbacks as the role of lecturers has been completely deleted from the BRS. Moreover, out of the six BRS members, the Vice Chancellor will nominate five.