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5. The mentors will make efforts to enhance the core academic value of their protégés, conduct
group discussions, facilitate short presentations by the protégés, etc. They may advise their
protégés regarding writing research projects, enhancing their language skills, and sensitize them
about plagiarism, predatory journals, and conferences, among other important aspects. UGC has
taken some very concrete steps in this direction in the last three years (UGC-CARE and UGC-
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GARP ). Another significant step is the association of a mentor with the colleges supported by
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the UGC Scheme for Trans-disciplinary Research for India’s Developing Economy, the STRIDE
programme. The Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), Bengaluru and the Indian National
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Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi have also published excellent documents on scientific
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and ethical values. Mentors may use these guidelines while imparting training. Mentors may also
be able to provide emotional support to the newly admitted Ph.D. students and newly recruited
young faculty. A one-page report of each monthly session may be electronically uploaded (on
a website constructed for this purpose by the department) by the protégés and vetted by the
respective mentor.
6. The monthly face-to-face interaction of the protégés with their mentors will go a long way in
nurturing their academic values. In such interaction, non-verbal communication also plays a
very important role. Such face-to-face interactions could be effectively supplemented and
complemented by interaction through email, SMS, and social media. One or two such short
interactions per week would add value to the mentorship programme. Excessive interactions
would make the protégés overtly dependent on the mentors. The mentors may also recommend
additional lectures available for viewing and listening for further information.
7. An added advantage of having alumni mentors is that they will be able to interact also with the
existing faculty of a department and with the supervisors of the protégés. If mutually agreed, their
services could be used by a department for other academic purposes. The alumni have been left
out from our educational system for too long. We have been thinking about them mostly as a
financial resource. It would be a good idea to let our Ph.D. students and young faculty reap the
benefit of the knowledge and wisdom of the alumni as well as senior faculty mentors.

8. Such mentorship programmes may be run with minimal finances, for example, by providing
local travel allowance and a small sitting fee only to the alumni mentors. Mentoring ensures
mutual benefits. For the mentor, it is a great gain that he/she comes in contact with active, young
minds and gathers the valuable experience of mentoring.

Conclusion

While a short account of the mentoring system in ancient India through the gurukula and vihara has
been given here, the advice to the medical graduates given in Charak Samhita, in particular, as well as
the one to general graduates in Taittiriya Upanishad, reflect the core academic values even in modern
times. It is not surprising that the former shows many similarities with the core values reflected in the
Hippocratic oath and also its modern version. Of course, some changes are required in the core
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values discussed in the ancient literature to reflect the social changes that have taken place during the
last 2000 to 2500 years.
The case studies covering eminent mentors and their protégés highlight the important role the
mentors have played in shaping the lives and careers of the protégés. With this background, future
mentoring programmes for Ph.D. students and young faculty have been suggested. These are based on
some guidelines available from the literature studies or experience. Such a program cannot be made
compulsory. Making it compulsory and associating it with the indices such as academic performance
index (API) would result in losing its value.

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