Doctoral Research Output in Social Sciences in India

What is it about?

Presents a trend of doctoral research activities undertaken in social sciences across the institutes of higher learning in India. The study is based on the secondary data compiled from the bibliography of doctoral dissertations, published on an annual basis by the Association of Indian Universities in India, in the field of social sciences during 2010-2014. The study revealed that in all, 5788 doctoral degrees were awarded across 171 institutes of Higher Learning in India in as many as 17 different social science subject disciplines, with an average of 340.47 doctoral degrees in each subject field. On an average, each individual, institution has awarded 33.84 doctoral degrees. Education, commerce and economics are the three leading subject disciplines, in which maximum doctoral degrees were awarded, while as Tourism stands at the bottom. Similarly, at the state level, the maximum doctoral degrees were awarded from Gujarat, which is followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, while as at institutional level; Dr B.R. Amedkar Marathwada University, Jawaharlal University and Maharishi Dayanand University are the three leading institutes across the country, which awarded the maximum number of doctoral degrees.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Conventional subject disciplines like Education, Commerce, Economics, and Political Science are still quite popular and preferred subject disciplines in social sciences in India, given the number of doctoral degrees awarded in these subject disciplines during the period of study. Management Studies, Psychology, Sociology and Law are the other leading subject disciplines being pursued with great interest by scholars at the doctoral level. However, less than 100 doctoral degrees have been awarded in the subject disciplines like Tourism, Business Administration, Social Work, Anthropology and Journalism and Mass Communication which is an area of concern. These subject disciplines need to promote the doctoral research activities among students. Subject disciplines which fail to add new knowledge to the existing lot are bound to suffer and may ultimately find no takers. Subject disciplines like Physical Education and Sports, Library and Information Science, Public Administration and Home Science need to equally promote the research at the doctoral level.