Reminiscence of experience gained out of adjudicating MPhil/PhD theses (Life Sciences &Allied fields) of fifteen Indian Universities

Dr N Irabanta Singh
Introduction
The writer joined Manipur University as Associate Professor of Life Sciences in 1984 after working as Lecturer in Botany, St. Edmund’s College, Shillong, Meghalaya (1972-81) and Assistant Professor in Microbiology at the Manipur Agricultural College, Iroisemba (1981-84). He was elevated as Professor of Life Sciences in 1992 and placed in Higher Academic Grade from 2014. He served the University as Head, Life Sciences Department (1996-98); Dean, School of Life Sciences (1012-15); Chairman, Board of studies and member of the Academic Council, Senate, Syndicate and executive member of Manipur University. He was also Co-Ordinator, Bioinformatics Infrastructure Facility funded by DBT/GOI in the Life Sciences Department, Manipur University. He retired from the service of the Manipur University in February 28,2015 but continued his research activities till date. During last 35 years (1983-2018) he had adjudicated 60 (sixty) research theses in different branches of Life Science and allied field from 15 (fifteen) Indian Universities as given below:
Table 1: M.Phil./Ph.D. theses of Indian Universities adjudicated by Prof. N. Irabanta Singh
Sl.No.    Name of the Scholar and sub. of the thesis    Specialized subject area    Name of the University    Degree &Date of appointment
1    S.G.Pillai(Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D. 10th March,1983
2    S.B.Jogdand (Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D.23rdJan.,1986
3    G.N.Rao (Botany)    Plant Pathology    Andhra University,Waltair    M.Phil.10thFeb.,1986
4    Pranita Baruah(Botany)    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    M.Phil.3rd Nov.,1987
5    B.M.Rajeshwar(Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D.4th July,1988
6    S. S. Rao (Botany)    Environmental Science    Andhra University,Waltair    M.Phil.14th July,1988
7    K.S.Sonawana(Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D.22nd Dec.,1988
8    J.N.Abraham    Aerobiology    Bangalore University,Bangalore    Ph.D.16th June,1989
9    Saraswati Rao(Botany)    Aerobiology    Andhra University,Waltair    Ph.D.28th Feb.,1990
10    V.G. Ban(Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D.8th Nov.,1990
11    Daisy Senapoty(Plant Pathology-Agri)    Plant Pathology    Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat    Ph.D.15th Dec.,1995
12    C.H.Narasimha Sarma (Botany)    Aerobiology    Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)    Ph.D.27th April,1996
13    Pulin Ch.H.Sarma(Plant Pathology)    Plant Pathology    Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat    Ph.D.21st Nov.,1997
14    Manab Deka(Biotechnology)    Biotechnology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.27th Jan.,2000
15    Jamshed Ali (Botany)    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.1st Sep.,2000
16    Bibhas Deb (Botany)    Plant Pathology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.18th July,2001
17    Simran Roy(Life Science)    Microbial Ecology    Assam University, Silchar    M.Phil.22nd Feb.,2002
18    T.C.Sarma(Botany)    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.7th Sept.,2002
19    Sakhi Dutta (Eco&Envt.Sc)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.8th Dec.,2003
20    Abhijit Datta(Life Science)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    M.Phil.19th Jan.,2004
21    D.Padmini Venkata Ramana (Life Science)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    M.Phil.24th Jan.,2004
22    Bembrekar,S.K.    Aerobiology     Swami Ramanad TeerthMarathwada University,Nanded (M.S)    Ph.D.9th Sept.,2004
23    Kamal Chaudhury(Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.25th Jan.,2005
24    Binika Hazarika(Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.18th March,2005
25    S.Kalita (Botany)    Biosystematics    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.24th June,2005
26    D. Sharma (Ecology)    Aerobiology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.11th Nov.,2005
27    Rajashree Phukon(Biotechnology)    Microbiology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.17th March,2006
28    H. Barma(Biotechnology)    Microbiology    Gauhati University, Guwahati    Ph.D.9th  May,2006
29    S. Roy (Eco&Envt.Sc)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.14th Aug.,2006
30    P.V.Saroja(Botany)    Aerobiology    Osmania University,Hyderabad    Ph.D.7th Oct.,2006
31    Saranga Ranjan Patgiri (Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.20thDec.,2006
32    Sarat Borkataki (Botany)    Ethno botany    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph. D28th Dec.,2006
33    Ms. B. Samatha (Botany)    Env. Biology    Andhra University,Visakhapatnam    Ph. D6th Feb.,2007
34    Mr. Arunava Das(Eco&Env. Sc)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph. D27th Feb.,2007
35    Suparna Dutta (Biochem &Biophysics)    Microbiology    University of Kalyani, Kalyani    Ph. D3rd Aug.,2007
36    Rohit Chandra Daimnari (Botany)    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph. D31st Aug.,2007
37    Rani Hazarika (Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph. D16th Oct.,2007
38    Eva Saikia (Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph. D11th Nov.,2007
39    Ananta Borah(Botany)    Botany    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph. D8th March  2008
40    K.Lalchandama(Eco & Envt.Sc)    Microbiology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.27th May,2008
41    P. K .Mishra(Biotechnology)    Biotechnology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.18th July,2008
42    N. Baruah(Zoology)    Pathology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.12th Aug.,2008
43    K. Jyoti (Botany)    Aerobiology    Osmania University, Hyderabad    Ph.D.1st April 2008
44    D. Singha(Eco & Envt.Sc)    Biotechnology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D.9th June,2009
45    Prasanta Dutta (Life Science)    Plant pathology    Dibrugarh University,Dibrugarh    Ph.D.14thAug,2009
46    A.Uddin (Botany)    Botany    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.20th Oct,2010
47    P. K. Dare (Eco & Envt.Sc)    Aerobiology    Dr.B.R.AmbedkarMarathwada University    Ph.D.10thMarch,2011
48    Ch.Amit Kumar(Botany)    Microbiology    Andhra University, Visakhapatnam    Ph.D.23rd May,2011
49    Reena Choudhury (Botany)    Microbiology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.22nd Sep.,2011
50    S.R. Sarma (Botany)    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D.5th Jan.,2012
51    G. Sajeeth (Botany)    Microbiology    Andhra University, Visakhapatnam    Ph.D.12thMarch,2012
52    G. Biswas( Botany)    Biotechnology    Calcutta University    Ph.D.12thMarch,2012
53    S.Bera (Agronomy)    Weed    Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishya Vidyalaya, Mohanpur (W.B)    Ph.D.3rd Nov. 2012
54    K.Bhattacharjee (Botany)    Aerobiology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D15th Dec.,2012
55    Ms. D.Saharia(Botany)    Palynology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D23rd Aug.,2013
56    Mr.S.Suresh Kumar (Botany)    Aerobiology    Pondicherry University,Puducherry    Ph.D8th Oct.,2013
57    Ms.Sadhana Medhi    Plant Pathology    Gauhati University,Guwahati    Ph.D16th Dec.,2013
58    Mr.Kamala Haripal (Life Sc.)    Ecology    Sambalpur University,Orissa    Ph.D10th Jan,2016
59    Mr.N.C.Das(Eco & Envt.Sc)    Plant Pathology    Assam University, Silchar    Ph.D20th Jan,2016
60    Ms.Anita M.Katgaye (Botany)    Palynology    Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur     Ph.D13th July, 2018
Discussion: The review of literature portion of 60 (sixty) theses are not satisfactory. Because it is usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of the researcher.We need not try to list, all material published but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of our research in question. We have to use an overall introduction and conclusion to the scope of our coverage and to formulate the questions of problem chosen. Usually we will have the option of grouping items into sections. This helps us to indicate comparisons and relationships we may be able to write a paragraph or so to introduce the focus of each section.
Conclusion
Sixty M.Phil./Ph.D theses of the 15 Indian Universities (Andhra University,Waltair;Assam University, Silchar; Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat;Bangalore University, Bengaluru; Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishya Vidyalaya, Mohanpur (W.B);Calcutta University, Kolkata; Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh; Gauhati University, Guwahati; Dr. B.R.Ambedkar University, Aurangabad (M.S); Osmania University, Hyderabad; Sambalpur University, Sambalpur (Orissa); Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded (M.S.); Kalyani University, Kalyani (W.B.); Pondicherry University, Puducherry and Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur) were adjudicated by the writer during 1983 to 2018.
The writer is a retired Professor(Higher Academic Grade),Life Sciences, Manipur University, Canchipur.