MPhil PhD Admissions

M. Phil. Programme in Social Sciences

Location: Guwahati

Intake: 16

Eligibility

Candidates are requested to check the eligibility criteria before filling the application form. Candidates found ineligible will be rejected at any stage in the admission process and no grievances will be entertained in this regard.

Applicants will be shortlisted for the Research Aptitude Test (RAT) on basis of them meeting the following considerations with regard to educational qualifications, work experience and research proposal:

• Educational Qualifications: The minimum academic qualification for admission to the M.Phil. & Ph.D programmes is a Second Class Master’s or equivalent degree in the relevant subject awarded by a recognised university in India or abroad, with at least an average of 55 per cent of aggregate marks, or a grade point average of 3.5 under the seven-point scale of the University Grants Commission (UGC). In the case of SC/ST/OBC(non-creamy layer)/differently-abled candidates, the minimum eligibility is an average of 45 per cent of aggregate marks, or a grade point average of 2.50.

• Candidates who are likely to complete all the requirements of their final year Master’s Degree examinations by July 1, are also eligible to apply for M.Phil, provided they have successfully completed their first year Masters degree. In such cases, admission will be provisional. If a provisionally admitted student successfully completes the admission formalities such as clearing the Research Aptitude Test, but fails to score the minimum required mark/grade at the end of the final year examination of his/her Master’s degree, the offer of provisional admission will be automatically cancelled.

• Work Experience: A minimum of five years of post graduation work experience is required for Direct PhD programmes. In case of the M.Phil Programme, there is no requirement of work experience. However, candidates with one to two years of work experience, will be preferred.

• Research Proposal:

  Submission of a research proposal is a compulsory requirement for admission to the M.Phil and Ph.D. Programme. A research proposal consisting of approximately 1,000 words should accompany the proposal and indicate the Specification of the broad field of study, Statement of the research problem and scope and objectives of the study, rationale for and the significance of the study, methodology to be followed, references, and the candidate’s research/work experience in that area, if any.

• Candidates who have an M.Phil or equivalent degree awarded by a recognized university in India or abroad are also eligible for a PhD

Description

Unit for Research and Development

The Unit for Research and Development (URD), TISS, Guwahati Campus offers M. Phil. and Ph. D. programmes in social sciences. The M. Phil. programme will be two year programme. The first year of the programme consists of two semesters of coursework followed by one year for completing an M. Phil. dissertation. The coursework for the programme is on theories and practices in social sciences and research methods. The dissertation topic selected by students will specifically be on any aspect of social change and development. The broad research areas that the students of the programme can work on are:
• Social identity, development and change
• Tribal society and identity politics
• Migration and livelihoods
• Social movements, conflicts and peace
• Ecology and development
• Democracy, governance and social justice
• Gender
• Public health
• Labour and social security

Facukty Research Areas:

 (Name of the Faculty,Designation,Area of Expertise/ Research Interest)

Dr. Sanjay Barbora
Associate Professor
Agrarian change, Media studies, Urban studies, Human rights and Migration

Dr. Jagannath Ambagudia
Associate Professor
Ethnic/Tribal Politics, Development and Deprivation, Social Discrimination and Marginalisation, Community Conflicts,  Migration Studies, Policy Studies

Dr. Abhinandan Saikia
Assistant Professor
Environment Management, Agroforestry, Knowledge System, Theories of institutions and institutional change, Diffusion and Innovation studies

Dr. Santhosh M. R.
Assistant Professor
Political Economy of Health, Access to Medicines and  Treatment,Implications  of Liberalisation and Privatisation, Gender and Health, Health Equity Issues, Traditional Medicines and Knowledge

Dr. Debdulal Saha
Assistant Professor
poverty, development, informal sector, urban economy, labour market, technology and its impact on work, employment, global value chain, industrial relations and trade union, rural employment diversification, producers' collectives, smallholdings, and plantation economy

Dr. Joseph Riamei
Assistant Professor
Governance, Ethnicity and Conflict Studies in South East Asia, State, Democracy and Tribes, Youth and Development, Social Work with special Focus on Indigenous People's Episteme, Human Rights, Peoples Movement, Rural Livelihood Issues

Dr. Namita Brahma
Assistant Professor
Conservational Based Livelihood, Environment related Studies, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Ecological Monitoring, Livelihood based Entrepreneurship Development in Fringe Villages adjacent to Forest Areas

Dr. Prashant Kesharvani
Assistant Professor
Mental Health, Technology and Human Interaction, Community and Group Processes and Health System Research

Dr. Rajdeep Singha
Assistant Professor
Political Economy and Development, Labour, Poverty and Livelihood, Industrial Economics

Dr. R. K. Debbarma
Assistant Professor
Political Theory; space, place and identity politics; violence

Dr. Razdan Sarim Rahman
Assistant Professor
Livelihoods, Microfinance / Microcredit, Entrepreneurship, Rural Development

Dr. Shivani Chauhan Barooah
Assistant Professor
informal work, decent work, women and work, older people and their issues, education, migration and migrant workers, urbanization and governance, human resource management

Dr. Subeno Kithan
Assistant Professor
Anthropology/sociology of religion, nomadic/pastoral communities, culture and communication

Dr. V. Sawmveli
Assistant Professor
Sociology of gender, law and religion, Cultural Studies, Research Methodology (qualitative) Sexual Violence issues especially in North-East India. The role of state, public institutions, legal and religious institutions

Dr. Stephen Pamei
Assistant Professor
 Urbanization, Ethnicity/Tribe, and Issue of Development

Dr. Ilito H. Achumi
Assistant Professor
Tribes, Middle Class, Class and Tribe, Identity, Memory and Remembering

Distribution of Credit Hours:

Programme Structure

The duration of the M. Phil. programme in Social Sciences shall be two years, spread over four semesters and roughly coinciding with the academic calendar of the Institute.

The M. Phil. programme shall carry a total of 46 credits and will have six components:

·      Basic Courses (BC): 8 credits (four courses with 2 credits each)

·      Auxiliary Course (AC): Non-credited but compulsory, to enhance academic writing skills.

·      Thematic Courses (TC): 8 credits. Four courses to be chosen by a student from an inter/trans-disciplinary areas of Social Sciences that are offered by the faculty members at TISS, Guwahati Campus.

·      Survey of Literature (SL): 6 credits. As a prelude to embarking on the study, the survey of literature familiarizes the scholar with the literature available on the problem chosen for the study, identifies gaps, and enables the scholar to formulate an alternative hypothesis.

·      Dissertation (DI): 24 credits. Provides an opportunity for the student to practice the craft of research by using the knowledge acquired during the course work. It embodies the outcome of the practice or process of research. The dissertation constitutes the product of research.

M. Phil. Programme

1.    Semester I Courses: There will be four basic courses (8 credits) provide the foundation for the theoretical understanding of development, research methods and one non-credit course in research writings.

2.    Semester II Courses: Scholars will have to choose four thematic courses (8 credits total) that deal with inter/trans-disciplinary research from a basket of courses that are  offered by faculty members working on different Masters programmes (Social Work with specialisation in Counselling, Public Health, Community Organisation and Development Practice, Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship; Peace and Conflict Studies; Ecology, Environment and Sustainable Development; Labour Studies and Social Protection; and Sociology and Social Anthropology). Prior to embarking on their dissertation, students will be expected to make a presentation on survey of literature (6 credits) and research proposal before a committee and their peers.

3.    Semester III & IV- Dissertation: The coursework in the first year of the programme intended to prepare students for research, and the research undertaken by students in the second year culminate into a dissertation thesis (24 credits) submitted by the students at the end of the programme. The students will conduct the fieldwork at the beginning of the Semester-III. The usual process of M. Phil. dissertation evaluation rule will be applicable.

Semesterwise Courses:

Courses for M. Phil. Programme in Social Sciences

Semester I

Course/ Credits

BC01: Philosophical Foundations of Social Science Research/ 2
 
BC02: Social Theory and Research/ 2
 
BC03: Quantitative Research: Theory and Practice/ 2
 
BC04: Qualitative Research: Theory and Practice/ 2
 
AC01: Workshop on Academic Writing Skills
–
 Semester II
Core thematic areas of research will be identified. Each scholar will have to chose four Thematic Courses under the themes offered
2+2+2+2
 
Survey of Literature - 6
 
Proposal Presentation
 
 Semester  III and IV
Fieldwork and Dissertation/ 24
 
Total
46

 
 

Fee Structure:

Fee Structure for Integrated M.Phil and Ph.D Programme and Direct Ph.D Programme

(Prices in INR and subject to revision)

The full fees and deposits should be paid within the stipulated time after the announcement of the admission results. In addition, Rs. 50/- towards bank processing charges should be paid in any branch of the State Bank of India. If students fail to pay the fee on time, their candidature can be cancelled. Once the students details have been entered into the Online platform, a scanned copy of the fee receipt must be submitted via the online platform. Non-adherence to the above will be considered as equivalent to non-payment of fees.

*subject to revision