Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research
Deemed University: Rules
and Procedures
(Framed under Bye-law 6.2 of the Rules and Bye-laws of the
TIFR)
The Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research has been conferred the status of a
This document sets down the
basic guidelines under which the
1.
Degrees.
The Institute will conduct
a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programme in the areas of Biology, Chemistry,
Computer and Systems Science, Mathematics, Physics, Science Education.
The Ph.D. degree will be
awarded upon favourable evaluation of a thesis, based on original research,
submitted by the candidate. The programme will require a strong foundation and
a breadth of understanding in the area of research undertaken. The student will
therefore meet appropriate course and other academic requirements, in
addition to writing a thesis on the
research work.
In some of the above
subjects, Master of Science (M.Sc.) programmes will be conducted. The award of
these degrees will be based on satisfactory completion of courses, and
submission of reports or a thesis as applicable.
The detailed requirements
for each degree will be prescribed by the appropriate Subject Boards.
2.
Subject Boards.
Subject Boards will be
constituted for each subject in which a degree is offered by the Institute,
namely Biology, Chemistry, Computer and Systems Science, Mathematics, Physics
and Science Education.
The Subject Boards will be
constituted annually by the Academic Council after seeking nominations from the
relevant Faculties, Departments and Centres. Each Subject Board will have a
Convener.
The tasks of the Subject
Boards are:
(i)
to specify the academic background required for
admission to a degree programme,
(ii) to
conduct entrance examinations and interviews for candidates in the relevant
subject,
(iii) to
prescribe the course requirements of each programme and to plan the courses
offered each year,
(iv) to
prescribe the requirements of a qualifying examination for the Ph.D. degree,
(v) to
carry out the assignment of research programmes or thesis advisors to students
in the given subject, or to suitably delegate the assignment procedures.
(vi) to
conduct all degree examinations, select examiners for the Ph.D. theses and the
viva-voce examination, evaluate the reports and recommend granting of the
degree,
(vii) to
organise Visiting Students' Research Programmes and Visiting Teachers'
Programmes as applicable.
Any of the above activities
may be coordinated jointly by two or more Subject Boards if desired.
The detailed requirements
and procedures for each subject will be put down in a written document called ”Subject Guidelines and Procedures'' formulated by
each Subject Board. In exceptional cases, the Board may recommend to the
Academic Council that some academic background and/or other requirements be
waived.
A Subject Board may appoint
small sub-committees of experts, with additional co-opted members, to make
recommendations to it on any matter where expert opinion is required.
3.
Administration of Degree Programmes.
A Dean of Graduate Studies
will be appointed on an annual basis by the Chairperson of the Academic
Council. The Dean's functions will be to oversee procedural and administrative
matters concerning the Academic Programme, to coordinate the activities of the
various Subject Boards, to facilitate interdisciplinary programmes and to
interface with external agencies. The Dean will be a member of the Academic
Council.
An administrator of the
rank of Assistant Registrar or higher will be entrusted with the work involved
in the running of the Academic Programme, and will report to the Dean, Graduate
Studies. The Assistant Registrar's office will provide administrative support
to the Dean and Subject Boards by maintaining academic records, organising
admissions, making announcements, processing examinations and theses, and
carrying out any such additional work as may be assigned by the Dean.
4.
Course of Study.
The Academic Programmes of
the Institute will follow a two-semester system starting around August each
year. Typically the first semester will last from mid-August to mid-December,
while the second will last from mid-January to mid-May. Additional courses,
Visiting Students' Programmes and other such activities may be held in the
summer period from mid-May to mid-July. A detailed calendar will be approved by
the Academic Council and announced each year.
Every student will be
assigned to one of the Subject Boards. Students working in interdisciplinary
programmes will have a primary Subject Board, which will coordinate with other
Subject Boards as relevant.
A student
who wishes to transfer from one programme to another, coming under different
Subject Boards, may do so if allowed by the two Subject Boards.
In cases of
interdisciplinary programmes and transfers, the Dean's office will facilitate
coordination among Subject Boards.
Ph.D.
programme: A
student joining the Ph.D. programme will take courses for two or more semesters
as prescribed by the relevant Subject Board. These courses, together with
possible additional requirements such as an examination (depending on the Subject
Board), will constitute the qualifying procedure for advancement to candidacy
for the Ph.D. degree.
Students who qualify can
seek registration for the Ph.D. degree, by filling in a form specifying a
provisional thesis title and the name of a thesis advisor. Applications for
registration must be approved by the Subject Board. Full time students with
M.Sc. or equivalent must normally complete this procedure within two and a half
years of joining the Institute and students with B.Sc. or equivalent must normally
complete it within three and a half years of joining the Institute. A residency
period of at least two years after
joining will be a requirement for
submission of the synopsis.
Any regular Academic member
of the Institute with at least two years of postdoctoral experience is eligible
to be a thesis advisor. However, in case of inter-Subject-Board advisors, the
respective Subject Boards will decide whether the person can be a thesis
advisor.
M.Sc.
programme:
Students joining the M.Sc. programme will follow the course requirements laid
down by the relevant Subject Boards.
TIFR
Scientific Staff and non-TIFR Members
i. Scientific staff: Scientific Staff working for TIFR will be
permitted to work for a degree at TIFR provided their guide is a TIFR member
and they fulfil exactly the same academic requirements as are set down for TIFR
students. However in view of the fact that such people have other
responsibilities, they may be permitted extra time to complete the
requirements, at the discretion of the Subject Board.
Each such member will be
enrolled on a case to case basis, with the respective Department Chairperson
(for Natural Sciences) or Dean (for Mathematics, Technology & Computer
Sciences) making a recommendation to the Dean, Graduate Studies, who will refer
it to the relevant Subject Board for their opinion. Upon receiving a
recommendation from the Subject Board, the Dean, Graduate Studies will forward
it to the Chairman, Academic Council for approval.
ii. Non TIFR Members: Non-TIFR members will be permitted to work for a
degree in TIFR provided their guide is a TIFR member and they fulfil exactly
the same academic requirements as are set down for TIFR students. However they may
be permitted extra time to complete the requirements at the discretion of the
Subject Board.
They will have to bring a
letter of approval from the appropriate authority of the institution where they
are working and submit it to the Subject Board. The Subject Board will make a
recommendation to the Dean, Graduate Studies, who will forward it to the
Chairman, Academic Council for approval.
5.
Examination Structure.
Ph.D programme: The candidate must
complete course requirements and pass the qualifying examination as stipulated
by the Subject Board. Candidates should submit a synopsis of the thesis before
submission of the actual thesis. The thesis should be submitted any time after
or along with the synopsis, but before the expiry of six
months from the date of
submission of the synopsis. If the thesis is not submitted within six months
after submission of the synopsis, a new synopsis will have to be submitted. The
thesis will be submitted to the Assistant Registrar's office, after obtaining
prior approval from the thesis advisor and the Subject Board.
The Subject Board will
choose two external examiners for the thesis, who may be from, but need not be
limited to, a list of three to six names suggested by the advisor. The advisor
will also be an examiner.
The thesis will be
forwarded to the examiners by the Assistant Registrar's office, to which each
examiner will be asked to send a report. The report should recommend one of the
following:
(a) The thesis be accepted as submitted.
(b) The thesis be accepted with minor revisions not requiring
re-examination.
(c) The thesis needs major
revision and re-submission.
(d) The thesis be rejected.
The report of the examiners
will be considered by the Subject Board, which will announce a Panel of
Examiners for the viva voce examination. This panel will include at least one
of the external examiners, and the thesis advisor. The examination will be
preceded by an open thesis seminar.
The Panel of Examiners will
then send a joint evaluation of the examination to the Subject Board, who will
forward it to the Academic Council. In clear cases, the Subject Board may
advise the Dean to issue a provisional certificate. The Council will
subsequently take a formal decision on the award of the degree.
M.Sc.
programme:
The award of these degrees is based on completion of course work and examinations,
with an additional minor or expository thesis where specified. M.Sc. and M.Phil thesis submission will be handled in the same manner
as the Ph.D. thesis submission.
For successful candidates,
the Subject Board will communicate the results of the examinations to the
Academic Council, along with a recommendation for the award of the degree. A
provisional certificate may be issued by the Dean on the advice of the Board.
6.
Constitution of Subject Boards.
The Departments, Centres
and Faculties listed below for each Subject Board will nominate the members,
including a Convener, of the corresponding Subject Board. After receipt of the
nominations, the Academic Council will formally constitute the Subject Boards
and appoint their Conveners.
Biology: The Board will deal with
the areas of research relevant to the Department of Biological Sciences, Mumbai
campus, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences,
Chemistry: The Board will deal with
the areas of research of the Department of Chemical Sciences, Mumbai campus. It
will have members nominated by this Department.
Computer
and Systems Science: The board will cover the research work being pursued at
the Mumbai campus and the Pune campus and will
consist of members nominated by the
Mathematics: The Board will deal with
the research areas at the Mumbai campus and the
Physics: The Board will handle the
areas of research at the five Physics departments on the Mumbai campus
(Astronomy and Astrophysics, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science,
High Energy Physics, Nuclear and Atomic Physics, and Theoretical Physics), as
well as the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics at Pune.
It will include at least two members from each of the Departments and the NCRA,
who will be nominated by their respective Departments or Centres.
Science
Education:
The board will deal with the research being pursued at the Homi
Bhabha Centre for Science Education in Mumbai. It
will consist of six members, nominated by the HBCSE.
While most members of
Subject Boards will be TIFR members from the corresponding Department, Faculty
or Centre, some members may be nominated from other Departments, Faculties or
Centres, or even from outside the Institute.
7.
Registration and Tuition Fees.
The Ph.D. registration of a
student will be normally valid for a period of five years. In the case of an
Integrated M.Sc.-Ph.D. programme, the registration
will be valid for a period of six years. Under exceptional circumstances, an
extension may be approved by the Academic Council.
Students in the Ph.D. and
M.Sc. courses may be charged appropriate tuition fees for each semester, as
well as registration and examination fees. The fee structure will be laid down
by the Academic Council and updated as desired. Scientific staff and external
members will be charged fees only from the date of registration.
October 1, 2010