To be allowed to continue in the program and submit the thesis, a Ph.D. candidate must earn at least 55% of the possible marks or its equivalent grade on the UGC 10-point scale (or an equivalent grade/CGPA in a point scale wherever grading system is followed). Since UGC's 2009 rules, PhD students have been able to begin their studies. It became mandatory in 2015, and it has been rigidly enforced ever then throughout all of India's educational institutions. This class must be completed successfully.

In the scientific and engineering fields, grades don't matter much, although a score of 60% or more is regarded satisfactory. However, in my experience, employers place a premium on a strong academic record for applicants in the arts and literary fields. To be on the safe side, a PhD candidate should aim for at least a 60% average. Your research reputation will be influenced more by your soft skills, personality, and other non-academic factors than by your grades. Several factors contribute to this:

As a researcher, your grade point average is irrelevant. While a high GPA is impressive, it is the work you produce and the venues in which you publish that will ultimately determine your success. If you look at the CVs of prominent professors in your profession, how many of them really show their MS/BS degrees?

Second, I would venture to predict that your advisor would be less than thrilled with a perfect 4.0 GPA since it indicates that you are devoting time and energy into academics rather than research. I remember seeing this on a university or college site and want to share the link as soon as I locate it.

 

While strong academic performance is certainly a prerequisite for acceptance into a PhD program, it is by no means a guarantee of acceptance. Admissions committees also take into account a candidate's prior research experience, letters of reference, and the quality of their research proposal. An applicant with a lower GPA but an impressive research history and a well-developed research proposal may stand out from the crowd and get accepted. Each admissions committee will use its unique set of criteria to make decisions, so it's crucial that candidates familiarize themselves with the specifics of the school to which they're applying and play up their strengths there.

 

During one of my graduate classes, one of my teachers urged us as follows: "Please do your homework." "Grades don't matter in this game (the doctoral program). No one cares about your grades unless you have a bad dissertation, and no one cares about you unless you have a good dissertation.

Yes, he was correct. I have been on several hiring committees since then, and I cannot recall ever reviewing a candidate's academic records. Your first job offer will depend on how well your dissertation is written.

•You either succeed, receive an MPhil, or fail. But there's a long way between turning in your thesis to receiving your diploma. Here in the United Kingdom, the viva voce, or oral defense, comes after your thesis has been read and evaluated by both an internal and an external examiner. 

Several suggestions are made between the thesis and the oral defense:

C1: MPhil, no corrections required; 

C2: MPhil with minor corrections; 

B1: Pass with major corrections, requires resubmission but no further oral examination

; B2: Pass with major corrections, requires resubmission and a second oral examination;

 B3: Pass subject to doing further research, resubmission, and a further oral examination. Possible need for a follow-up oral interview.

 The PhD process is notoriously challenging, and there are several barriers to "finishing" that might prevent students from achieving their goal. The dissertation is the least significant portion of graduate school, although many students (and observers) focus on it anyhow. Except under extreme circumstances, nobody will ever read it. Despite this, hundreds of students will devote their whole twenties to solving this issue, despite the fact that sometimes it's better to just walk away.