Published on October 24 , 2025
Delhi, India
India’s academic landscape is witnessing a paradoxical boom: a surge in PhD enrollments and publications, yet a deepening crisis where scholars struggle to secure spots in reputable journals. As highlighted in recent discourse, this stems from foundational gaps in research training, eroding integrity, and institutional pressures that prioritize quantity over quality. With over 200,000 PhD registrations annually, the fallout includes widespread rejections, ethical lapses, and a mental health epidemic among researchers—70% reportedly battling depressive disorders. This article dissects the core issues, drawing on expert analyses and data, to spotlight how inadequate problem-framing, predatory publishing, and uneven disciplinary support are stifling innovation. Amid global calls for ethical reforms, India’s ecosystem risks isolation unless it pivots toward rigorous, real-world oriented training aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 for quality education.
Key Causes of the Publishing Struggle
PhD scholars’ publication woes are rooted in systemic deficiencies that undermine the research lifecycle from inception to dissemination. Below are the primary drivers:
- Flawed Research Design and Problem Identification: Many scholars dive into theses without critically dissecting literature, leading to vague problems and unoriginal hypotheses. As Albert Einstein quipped, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Without this, studies devolve into fact compilations, ignoring “pain points” from real-world sources like newspapers or journals.
- Inadequate Supervisor Guidance and Institutional Culture: Supervisors often lack tools to mentor on data validation or analysis, while institutions favor STEM outputs for rankings like NIRF, sidelining social sciences and humanities. This creates a false divide between “teaching-intensive” and “research-intensive” setups, where even top NIRF colleges lean on science departments for credibility.
- Proliferation of Predatory Journals: Easy access to low-quality outlets—temporarily listed in UGC CARE before retraction—breeds complacency. Scholars publish hastily for promotions or completions, only to face later disqualifications, as seen in universities accepting retracted articles due to ignorance.
- Disciplinary Disparities: STEM fields boast Scopus/Web of Science entries, but humanities theses morph into unbenchmarked books, amplifying rejection rates and vulnerability in non-STEM arenas.
- Mental Health and External Pressures: Publication mandates exacerbate stress; recent IIT protests against “one paper per semester” rules link them to suicides, with 54% of scholars facing fellowship cuts pre-completion.
| Cause | Impact on Scholars | Example from India |
|---|---|---|
| Weak Literature Review | Superficial gaps lead to rejections | 70% depressive disorders tied to delays |
| Predatory Publishing | Temporary inclusions cause frustration | UGC CARE retractions post-publication |
| Supervisor Shortfalls | “Half-baked” theses | IIT Kanpur suicides linked to monitoring gaps |
| Ranking Pressures | Quantity over quality | 58 IIT retractions for plagiarism (2006-2023) |
Expert Opinions and Insights
Voices from academia underscore the urgency for reform. Dr. P.T. Thomas, Principal of Madras Christian College, warns that without critical reading—reinterpreting results from fresh perspectives—research remains incomplete, likening it to the parable of six blind men describing an elephant. Kasturi Ghosh Chopra of India’s Society for Scientific Values hails UGC’s 30-hour ethics training as a step forward but urges broader discussions on integrity to nurture ethical values beyond token courses.
A spokesperson for India Research Watchdog highlights publication pressure as a “contributing factor” to PhD suicides at IITs Delhi and Kanpur, calling for urgent doctoral monitoring. Internationally, Nature editors critique 19th-century PhD models, advocating escape from master-apprentice dynamics to meet societal needs. A 2024 study reveals normalized plagiarism and “salami-slicing” under publish-or-perish duress, while COPE notes language barriers—English-only journals disadvantaging regional scholars—further marginalize Indian voices.
Statistics and Real-World Examples
Data paints a stark picture of the crisis:
- Retraction Rates: India ranked second globally (2008-2012) with 18 retractions (36.7% of total), behind China; 2023 data shows 58 IIT cases for plagiarism/duplication.
- Mental Health Toll: 70% of PhD students face depressive disorders; 40% made zero progress during COVID due to lab closures and funding halts.
- Publication Gaps: Top NIRF institutions struggle with non-STEM Scopus entries; 54% of scholars lost fellowships prematurely.
- Pandemic Fallout: Surveys show half of affected researchers had <1 year tenure left, demanding 6-month extensions.
Examples abound: IIT Kanpur’s 2024 candlelight vigils for three PhD suicides; predatory journal scams retracted from UGC lists; and humanities scholars converting theses to books without global benchmarking, unlike STEM peers.
Proposed Solutions and Reforms
Reversing this tide demands multifaceted action, focusing on foundational skills and ethical ecosystems:
- Mandatory Pre-PhD Training: Enforce 30-hour UGC courses on ethics, predatory spotting, and critical reviews; require a review article before registration to clarify gaps and reduce supervisor blame.
- Empower Supervisors and Institutions: Integrate research into teaching via inquiry frameworks (structured to open); train faculty on hypothesis building and AI-assisted reviews for efficiency.
- Policy Overhauls: Scrap rigid publication mandates (as a 2019 committee suggested); expand post-doc fellowships, relax age limits, and penalize retractions in NIRF scoring.
- Foster Inclusivity: Multilingual support and regional journal funding to counter English biases; promote real-world problem-solving via design thinking.
- Global Alignment: Encourage Scopus/Web of Science pursuits across disciplines; leverage AI ethically while debating power dynamics in training.
| Solution | Target Beneficiaries | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics Course Mandate | All PhD Entrants | Reduced predatory use; better integrity |
| Review Article Requirement | Pre-Registration Scholars | Clearer problem definitions |
| Tenure Extensions | Pandemic-Affected | 6+ months to recover progress |
| Indigenous Journals | Non-English Scholars | Broader accessibility |
Broader Implications for Indian Academia
This crisis erodes India’s R&D credibility—boasting $50 billion investments yet trailing in quality metrics—potentially isolating scholars from global dialogues. It perpetuates inequities, with non-STEM fields lagging, and fuels brain drain amid ethical scandals. Positively, reforms could spark a renaissance: empowering 70% more impactful publications, curbing suicides via supportive cultures, and aligning with UNESCO’s SDG 4. As one expert notes, addressing “gray areas” in daily struggles builds resilient researchers, not idealized ones. Ultimately, this isn’t just about papers—it’s about fostering inquiry-driven minds to tackle climate, inequality, and tech ethics.
