Bharathiar University PhD thesis format

What Bharathiar prescribes, and what it leaves to you

It is useful to divide the requirements into three groups before you start formatting:

• Prescribed by the regulations: the cover and title page (Annexure I for university departments, Annexure II for affiliated colleges), the wording of the declaration and certificates, the Certificate of Genuineness of Research Publication(s), the 250–275 page limit, a thin flexible cover, the number of copies, the similarity certificate, the publication and presentation requirement, and the thesis language.
• Prescribed only for the synopsis: Times New Roman 12 on one side of A4 paper, and 6 to 10 pages.
• Not prescribed in any document we found: margins, line spacing, the body font, page numbering, heading and table numbering, the order of lists, and the citation style.

The third group is where theses differ most between departments, and where you should agree a style with your supervisor early. The regulations do not settle it for you.

Bharathiar has its own terms, which you will see on every form. The Centre for Research and Evaluation (CRE) sits within the Office of the Controller of Examinations. The Doctoral Committee meetings are called DC-1 and DC-2. The EGRC (Ethics and Grievance Redressal Committee) deals with special extensions. Part-time candidates registered under separate rules are called Category-B.

The cover and title page

This is the most tightly specified part of a Bharathiar thesis. The regulations say the cover “should have only Bharathiar University Emblem”, so no college logo appears next to it. The title is set in Times New Roman, size 16, in blue. The text blocks run from top to bottom in this order:

1. TITLE OF THE THESIS
2. “Thesis submitted to Bharathiar University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN (Subject Name)”
3. “by”, then your name and your register number
4. “Under the guidance and supervision of”, then your guide’s name
5. The university emblem
6. NAME OF THE DEPARTMENT
7. For university departments (Annexure I): BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY. For affiliated colleges (Annexure II): NAME OF THE COLLEGE, then AFFILIATED TO BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY.
8. COIMBATORE – 641 046, TAMILNADU, INDIA, then month and year

A common error is to use the university-department layout when the research was done at an affiliated college, or the other way round. Check which annexure applies to you.

Binding

The regulations say: “The thesis should not be hard bound and it should have a thin and flexible cover.” The Category-B rules add a “plain (without colour) cover”. Many universities expect a hard, coloured cloth binding, so this is the opposite of what scholars coming from elsewhere expect.

Order of pages

The regulations make three preliminary pages compulsory but do not give a complete order for the front matter. The CRE’s online-submission instructions list the three compulsory pages in this order: the thesis certificate, then the declaration, then the genuineness certificate. The table shows what is fixed and what is convention.

Declaration and certificate wording

In the candidate’s declaration, you state that the thesis “is a record of original and independent research work done by me” during the stated period, under your supervisor, and that it has not formed the basis for any other degree, diploma, associateship, fellowship or similar title. You sign it, and your Research Supervisor countersigns it.

In the Supervisor’s Certificate, your supervisor certifies that the thesis is a record of original research you did in the named department and institution under their supervision, with the same “not formed the basis” clause. It is countersigned by the Head of the Department or Director.

The Certificate of Genuineness of Research Publication(s) names your journal paper (journal, volume, number and pages) and certifies that it “incorporate[s] part of the results presented in” the thesis. Copy the wording from the current regulations rather than an older thesis, because it has been revised over time. The thesis checklist also asks for two copies of the certificate and declaration.

Page layout and typography

What is official: the thesis is on A4 paper, and the main text must not go beyond 275 pages of “A/4 size typed matter”, excluding bibliography, tables and diagrams. The regulations say that “exemption from page restriction shall not be entertained under any circumstances.” The synopsis is typed in Times New Roman 12, on one side of A4 paper.

What is convention: the regulations do not specify the rest, so follow what your department expects. Across Indian university theses, the usual choices are:

• Times New Roman 12 for body text (the same as the synopsis), with larger bold headings
• 1.5 or double line spacing for the text, and single spacing for block quotations, tables and references
• a wider left margin for binding, about 1.5 inches (38 mm), with about 1 inch (25 mm) on the other sides
• lower-case roman numerals for the preliminary pages, and arabic numerals from Chapter 1

Some formats that circulate online give different figures. We could not trace any of them to an official Bharathiar document. If your department has a written style sheet, follow it. If it does not, agree the settings with your supervisor before you write, because 275 pages at double spacing is a much shorter thesis than 275 pages at 1.5 spacing.

Chapters, tables, figures and references

The regulations do not set a chapter structure, a numbering system or a citation style, and the university covers every discipline, from Tamil literature to nanoscience. In practice:

• Sciences and engineering usually number headings decimally (1, 1.1, 1.1.1), number tables and figures by chapter (Table 3.2, Figure 4.1), and use numbered citations or APA. The field’s main journals usually decide which.
• Social sciences, commerce and management mostly use APA. See our APA 7 formatting guide.
• Languages and humanities often use MLA or a department style. Theses written in Tamil follow Tamil scholarly conventions for citation.

Whatever you choose, be consistent. Examiners notice a reference list that mixes styles far more than they notice which style it is. Your published papers must also show up in the thesis: the Certificate of Genuineness says your publication contains part of the thesis results.

Similarity check: DrillBit, 10% and the 15-day rule

Bharathiar runs its similarity checks centrally on DrillBit. The rules on the CRE plagiarism-check page are specific:

• The acceptable maximum is 10%.
• The file you submit for checking should contain the chapters only, without the front matter.
• The certified plagiarism certificate is valid for only 15 days from the date it is issued. Many scholars get caught by this: they get the certificate, wait for a signature or a fee receipt, and have to check again.
• The certificate is signed by the Supervisor, the Head of the Department, the University Librarian and the Director in charge of CRE. You submit the original.

Under the university’s academic-integrity regulations, quoted work, references, bibliography, contents, preface, acknowledgements, and generic terms and equations are excluded from the count. The penalty levels follow the UGC 2018 scheme. Above 10% and up to 40%, you must revise and resubmit within six months. Above 40% and up to 60%, you are debarred for a year. Above 60%, your registration is cancelled. Our plagiarism limits guide explains how to read the report.

Synopsis, publications and submission

Publications and presentations

You need at least two research papers before submission. For the sciences, the journals must be SCI, SCIE or Scopus-indexed, or peer-reviewed and refereed. For arts, humanities, social sciences and languages, they must be SSCI, AHCI or Scopus-indexed, or peer-reviewed and refereed. You also need two paper presentations at conferences or seminars. Papers in conference proceedings do not count as publications. Papers accepted but not yet published are enough for the synopsis stage.

Pre-PhD presentation and the synopsis

You give a pre-PhD presentation in your department, open to all faculty and research students. The Doctoral Committee then certifies the quality of the work and of your publications. The synopsis may be submitted only on the Committee’s recommendation. The regulations allow 6 to 10 pages, typed on one side of A4 paper in Times New Roman 12. The title must be the same as the thesis title. The synopsis must include the panel of examiners in a sealed cover: two panels of four to six examiners each, one foreign and one Indian, with their consent letters. Without the panel, the synopsis is not accepted.

The official documents disagree on the number of synopsis copies. The regulations say six. The current CRE checklist says four soft-bound copies (six for Tamil) plus a PDF on CD. Ask CRE which applies when you submit.

The thesis

• Submit the thesis within six months of the synopsis. A late fee applies for each further six months.
• Submit five hard copies and a soft copy on CD in PDF format. Write your name, subject, dates and title on the CD with a marker.
• Also upload the thesis online. The file must be under 10 MB.
• The thesis may be written in Tamil if an English translation is attached. For all subjects other than languages, it is normally written in English.

Evaluation and open viva

The thesis is sent to one foreign and one Indian examiner, and your supervisor is also an examiner. When the reports are in, there is a public viva-voce before the Indian external examiner, with your supervisor as Convener. It is held within 30 days of the consolidated report, with at least seven days’ notice. The viva is in English, but members of the public may ask questions in Tamil. For theses written in Tamil, examiners from outside Tamil Nadu replace the foreign examiners. The CRE documents we reviewed mention the CD and the online upload but do not describe a Shodhganga step, although Bharathiar theses do appear on INFLIBNET’s Shodhganga. Ask CRE how your thesis is deposited.

Pre-submission checklist

These are the official requirements CRE checks. For the layout choices the university does not prescribe, make sure your supervisor has approved them.

• The cover shows only the Bharathiar University emblem. The title is Times New Roman 16 in blue, and the Annexure I or Annexure II wording matches where you did your research.
• The thesis has a thin, flexible cover and is not hard-bound.
• The main text is no more than 275 A4 pages, excluding bibliography, tables and diagrams. No exemptions are given.
• The Declaration, the Supervisor’s Certificate and the Certificate of Genuineness are in the prescribed wording and signed by everyone required. You also have an extra copy of the certificate and declaration.
• The thesis title matches the synopsis title word for word.
• You have at least two papers in journals of the required indexing for your faculty, and two conference or seminar presentations. Conference proceedings do not count as papers.
• You have given the pre-PhD presentation, and the Doctoral Committee has certified the quality of the work and the publications.
• The DrillBit similarity certificate shows 10% or less, is signed by all four signatories, and is no more than 15 days old when you submit.
• You have five hard copies and a soft copy on CD (PDF), with your name, subject, dates and title written on the CD. The upload file is under 10 MB.
• If the thesis is in Tamil, an English translation is attached.
• You are submitting within six months of the synopsis, or you have allowed for the late fee.

Common mistakes

• Using a hard, coloured binding because other universities do. Bharathiar wants a thin, flexible, plain cover.
• Putting the college logo on the cover. Only the university emblem is allowed.
• Using the wrong annexure for the title page: the university department version for work done at an affiliated college, or the other way round.
• Going over 275 pages and expecting an exemption. The regulations say no exemption will be given.
• Letting the plagiarism certificate expire. It is valid for 15 days, so time it with your other paperwork.
• Counting a conference-proceedings paper as one of the two required publications.
• Copying a senior’s layout without checking it with your supervisor. It may follow old rules or another department’s conventions.

If you want your formatting, references and front matter checked before CRE sees them, our thesis editing and proofreading service includes a format review against the current regulations. It changes presentation only, not your research.