TLDR: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has introduced new guidelines for PhD candidates in India, effective 2025, requiring them to disclose any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their theses. This disclosure, which includes proper citation and a cap of 20% on AI-generated content, aims to uphold academic integrity and transparency. Additionally, the new regulations mandate the publication of research work in peer-reviewed journals.
In a significant move to enhance academic integrity and the quality of technical education, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has unveiled new guidelines for PhD programs in India, set to be implemented from 2025. These regulations, formulated by a dedicated task force, introduce a mandatory disclosure policy for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in doctoral theses, alongside stricter norms for research publication.
The core of the new AICTE guidelines revolves around transparency in AI usage. PhD candidates will now be required to include an ‘AI disclaimer’ in their theses, detailing any assistance received from AI tools. This must be accompanied by proper referencing and adherence to plagiarism checks. K.R. Venugopal, former Bangalore University vice-chancellor and head of the task force, emphasized the evolving role of AI in academia. “Everyone uses artificial intelligence. In fact, if you don’t allow students to use artificial intelligence, they will be outdated,” Venugopal stated. He further clarified that while AI use is permitted, it should constitute less than 20% of the overall thesis content and must be appropriately cited, similar to existing plagiarism protocols.
These recommendations stem from a comprehensive framework developed by the task force for PhD and DSc programs in technical education, submitted to AICTE in July 2025. Prior to this, AICTE largely followed the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, which did not specifically address AI usage in research.
Beyond AI disclosure, the new guidelines also introduce mandatory publication requirements for research scholars. Candidates must publish articles based on their thesis as first and corresponding authors in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. A notable incentive is that scholars who publish their work in Scopus-indexed Q1 journals may be eligible to submit their thesis in as little as two-and-a-half years. This contrasts with current UGC norms, which do not mandate journal publications. Venugopal highlighted the rationale behind this change: “Unless a candidate has published a paper, how will they guide students in the future to do the same?” He also stressed that the student, not the guide, would be credited as the first author.
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Additional recommendations from the task force introduce flexibility in research timelines and mentorship. The report also proposes new guidelines for awarding the DSc in engineering, technology, applied sciences, and related fields, with a prescribed duration of one to three years for postdoctoral scholars. The committee’s review considered national and global PhD norms, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP). The implementation of these guidelines is contingent upon acceptance by the Ministry of Education and subsequent gazette notification.
