Doctoral-Level Research in Indian CFTIs

Current Status and Future Prospects

Abstract

This case study focuses on the status of doctoral-level research in top Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs) in India. It investigates trends in doctoral thesis submissions, subject distribution, rights allocation, and completion duration by analysing 10,879 doctoral thesis contributions from nine CFTIs ranked among the top 20 universities in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of 2024. The findings reveal significant disparities in submission rates and subject focus across institutions, with Technology and Science being the dominant fields. Furthermore, there are notable variations in intellectual property rights policies, with some universities primarily endorsing institutional ownership, while institutions like IIT Guwahati show a higher incidence of author self-ownership. The findings might be of significance to policymakers, doctoral research programme designers, and faculty members in understanding the research focus of CFTI and niche research areas. The study concludes by offering recommendations to enhance the visibility and documentation of doctoral research and suggests reforms in institutional policies to improve ETD submission rates and optimise research dissemination.