Number of PhDs increased by 49.27 % in last 3 yrs: Tharoor

Dismissing suggestion that students lack interest to take up research activities, the Union Government today said that the PhDs awarded has increased over the last three years to 49.27 per cent.
"As per the data provided by UGC, the number of research degrees awarded has increased from 10,781 in 2008-09 to 16,093 in 2011-12, thus registering a growth of 49.27 per cent over three years," Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor told Lok Sabha today in a written reply.
He said according to UNESCO's Institute of Statistics, India's contribution to the world's research publications has increased from 26,000 in 2002 to 44,000 in 2007.

The number of PhDs of USA and China in comparison though were 41,467 and 48,112 respectively, he said.