Academic activity resumes at Andhra University’s TDR hub after 18-month hiatus, ETEducation
Visakhapatnam: After an 18-month hiatus, academic processes are set to resume for nearly 730 research scholars at the Andhra University Trans-Disciplinary Research Hub (TDR Hub). The prolonged suspension of pre-PhD exams, viva-voce evaluations, and thesis submissions had left scholars in academic limbo.
The TDR Hub, established under the National Education Policy 2020, is Andhra Pradesh’s first initiative of its kind, designed to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and problem-driven research.
Over four years, around 730 scholars were admitted to PhD programmes under the TDR Hub framework, which departs from traditional department-based models by encouraging collaboration across engineering, humanities, sciences, and design. Andhra University stated that the Hub aims to move “beyond discipline-specific approaches to address common societal and industrial problems.”
Admissions follow UGC norms, with most scholars qualifying through national and state-level entrance tests such as NET, SET, and AP-RCET. Except for about 40 executive quota entrants, all others were admitted via standard routes. The Hub’s supervision model includes retired professors, scientists, industry experts, and faculty from affiliated colleges, reflecting its interdisciplinary ethos.
The academic freeze stalled viva-voce evaluations, delayed thesis submissions, and halted research activity, prompting multiple rounds of protests by affected scholars. The pre-PhD process typically includes a research methodology course, written exams in two subjects, and a seminar/viva-voce before scholars proceed to research reviews and thesis submission.
In response to mounting concerns, Andhra University formed a special committee to streamline procedures and ensure compliance with UGC norms, including guide eligibility. This led to a temporary halt in new admissions while the committee worked to standardize protocols and clear the backlog.
Vice-chancellor Prof GP Rajasekhar confirmed that the academic senate had approved the committee’s proposals, which were later discussed in the Board of Research Studies. “Researchers will now receive updates on the next steps through the principals’ offices of their respective colleges. This clears one of the biggest bottlenecks,” he said.
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