PhD Thesis Liable To Be Disclosed Under The Right To Information Act, 2005

A PhD thesis is a work of original research that students must submit to the University to complete their doctoral program successfully. Universities serve as custodians of PhD thesis, entrusted with preserving and disseminating scholarly work to foster academic progress. However, should this role of the University extend to locking away the thesis, barring researchers, and hindering the pursuit of knowledge? This question arose when Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMIU) withheld access to a PhD thesis, attaching commercial value to it. This practice not only contradicts the principles of knowledge sharing, a cornerstone of scientific and social advancement, but also deepens the divide between institutions and researchers lacking access to proprietary academic resources.