University of Calicut PhD thesis format

What does Calicut University prescribe for PhD thesis format?

Very little, if you compare with most other universities. Calicut has no thesis manual. The typing rules came from a Research Council decision, which the Academic Council approved on 30 March 2022 and which was issued as U.O. No. 9330/2022/Admn. The Shodhganga rules were added by later orders.

Cite this data: PhD Desk, “University of Calicut PhD thesis format”, last reviewed 1 November 2026, https://phddesk.in/guides/thesis-format-calicut-university

References are the only place where Calicut fixes a font size. In the documents we read there is nothing on the typeface, size or spacing of the main text, and nothing on margins or paper size either. Most of the Indian theses use A4 paper, 12 pt type and 1.5 line spacing, with some extra space on the binding side. Settle these with your supervisor, because Calicut has not made any of them a rule.

On citation style the order uses the word “preferably”, so Harvard, Vancouver or APA is only a preference. If MLA or Chicago is normal in your discipline, discuss about it with your supervisor and RAC. Once they agree, follow the same style in every chapter. A Malayalam thesis also doesn’t happen by default. Item 6 of the same order makes it something you apply for and get permission.

What must a Calicut PhD thesis contain?

Calicut has not published any model thesis, and there is no fixed order for the preliminary pages. Some items, though, must be there inside the bound volume.

• A certificate from your supervisor, signed and sealed, and your signed declaration. Both go in the hard copy as well as the soft copy (U.O. No. 13780/2023/Admn, 7 September 2023).
• The declaration in the current format (circular No. 93933/RESEARCH-C-SO/2023/Admn, 9 January 2024). It has to name the software used for the plagiarism check at CHMK Library and say that the similarity index is within the permissible limit. Its last line reads “I also declare that the thesis is free from AI generated contents.” You and your guide both sign it. Before signing that line, read our guide to AI tools in a PhD.
• Abstracts in English and Malayalam, one page each, in both copies (U.O. No. 13780/2023/Admn). In the order, five keywords “may be given”, which sounds optional. But CHMK Library checklist is treating them as compulsory, so give them.
• A “Recommendations” chapter. This became compulsory by U.O. No. 8621/2022/Admn (16 April 2022), after the Shodhganga team at INFLIBNET said they would not host theses without one. A short chapter is okay for it. Say there what the next scholar can take up, and who will get use from your findings.

There is one confusion in the abstract rule. Clause 8.4 of the Regulations 2023 says “a two page abstract of the thesis should be included in the thesis.” But the 2023 order is talking of one page for English abstract and one page for Malayalam. One way to read both together is one page in English plus one page in Malayalam, and the CHMK Library checklist also wants abstracts in both languages. Still, ask your research centre which reading they are following.

Even if your thesis is in chemistry, give proper attention to the Malayalam abstract. A circular dated 2 March 2026 (No. 39470/RESEARCH-C-SO/2026/Admn) says “serious errors” were noted in Malayalam abstracts of theses that were placed before the Syndicate for award of the degree. As per this circular your guide has to verify the abstract thoroughly. If you put the English text in a translation app, mostly the technical words come out wrong.

Calicut has not given any separate order on page order. What comes nearest is the split-file list of CHMK Library, which goes title page, preliminary pages (declaration, dedication, certificates, acknowledgements, lists), contents, abstracts, chapters, and then bibliography and appendices. Remember it is only meant for the files. No order says the printed thesis must follow it. How chapters are usually arranged is covered in our thesis structure guide.

What similarity limit does Calicut accept for a PhD thesis?

The limit is 10%, and at Calicut the core chapters also come under it along with the rest. Look at the current Certificate on Plagiarism Check, which is linked from the Final Thesis page. That certificate divides the thesis in two parts and gives an acceptable maximum of 10 for each part.

• Non-core: introduction, theoretical overview, review of literature, materials and methods, methodology.
• Core: analysis, results and discussion, and after that the summary, conclusion and recommendations chapters.

This comes from U.O. No. 12218/2023/Admn (4 August 2023). By that order the university adopted the UGC’s 2018 plagiarism regulations and dropped its own older policy. Later in U.O. No. 927/2024/Admn (18 January 2024) the Academic Council has ratified this change. Under the older policy, the introduction and literature review could go up to 25% or 35%, and materials and methods up to 25%. The 10% limit applied only from results onwards. If some senior is telling you the review chapter can be at 25%, they are quoting the old rule.

Attach the full report to the certificate. The report show what was included and what was excluded. It is signed by you, your supervisor and the person who did the check. The head of the department or institution also signs as chairperson of the Doctoral Committee, and that signature certifies the committee has compared the report with the thesis. Some languages, Malayalam for example, cannot be checked by any software. In those cases the Doctoral Committee checks manually and attaches one more certificate.

Two things are not mentioned in the documents. One is which software CHMK Library uses, and the other is for how long a certificate stays valid. You will have to ask the Library for both. UGC bands and exclusions are explained in our plagiarism limits guide.

How is the PhD thesis submitted at Calicut University?

Before you submit

Clause 8.3 of the Regulations 2023 needs at least one paper in a UGC-CARE-listed journal and two presentations at conferences or seminars, with reprints and certificates as proof. As per a circular of 26 October 2022, the paper must carry the name of the University of Calicut. Details are in our publication requirement guide.

After that is the pre-submission presentation in the department (clause 8.2). You can hold this presentation before three years are over, but the thesis can be submitted only after three years from registration. The title gets finalised before the presentation (clause 8.2.1). Title-change orders stopped on 29 July 2023, so if the RAC changed your title, the pre-submission minutes have to record it. For preparation, see our pre-submission seminar guide.

What goes to the Directorate

The checklist on the Final Thesis page has 25 items in total. The ones that touch the thesis itself are given here.

• Two copies of the thesis. You keep a third copy and give it only if they ask for it.
• The thesis PDF by email to [email protected]. The Directorate stopped asking for a CD or DVD by a circular of 13 November 2023.
• The synopsis as a PDF only, four pages maximum, also sent by email. If your draft has gone above four pages, take help of our synopsis guide for cutting it.
• A panel of at least ten examiners. Nobody on it can be below Associate Professor, and nobody can be from Calicut or its colleges. Five have to be from outside Kerala, though this is not insisted on for Malayalam. Clause 8.6 of the regulations would allow experienced Assistant Professors too. The checklist is stricter, so go by the checklist.
• The plagiarism certificate, plus no-dues certificates from the department, hostel and CHMK Library. You also need attendance statements for the last two years and a challan for the fee, which is ₹6,790 from 1 June 2026.

Evaluation is done by your supervisor and two external examiners. If one of the reports is unfavourable, a third examiner comes in (clauses 8.5 to 8.7). Scholars registered from 13 December 2016 till the 2023 regulations took effect continue under the 2016 regulations (clause 15.1). Even for them, the format orders above apply to any thesis submitted now.

What does CHMK Library need for Shodhganga?

CHMK Library needs its own set. Clause 16.1 of the Regulations 2023 says the university sends an electronic copy to INFLIBNET after evaluation and before the degree is announced, and CHMK Library is the one handling this. Its checklist on library.uoc.ac.in asks for the following.

• A bound copy of the full thesis. Also printed abstracts in the thesis language and in Malayalam, with five keywords for each.
• A CD carrying the full thesis as PDF/A, not more than 15 MB, and exactly same as the printed copy with all signatures. On the same CD put the signed no-correction certificate, abstracts, synopsis, plagiarism certificate and your ORCID iD. All these files should be in Unicode (UTF-8) encoding only.
• Separate PDF for each chapter and part, each one under 2 MB. CHMK Library has fixed the file names also, and they are 01_title.pdf, 02_prelim pages.pdf, 03_content.pdf, 04_abstract.pdf, 05_chapter 1.pdf onwards, 10_annexures.pdf, 80_Recommendation.pdf and 90_Plagiarism_Report.pdf.

Notice that the CD is still needed here, though the Directorate has dropped it. Most trouble comes from the 15 MB limit. Lot of photos or maps means you will have to compress them, and still the PDF has to match the printed copy. Fix this when you make the first PDF itself. Leaving it till after the viva-voce only adds tension.

Maybe you need to hold back public access because of a patent or a book. For that there is an Embargo Policy (U.O. No. 1675/2026/Admn, 31 January 2026), and you apply through the Directorate with endorsement from your supervisor and RAC. INFLIBNET takes the decision, and even then the title and abstract remain public. More on this in our Shodhganga guide.

Calicut PhD thesis checklist before printing

Every item below is taken from a Calicut order, circular or checklist mentioned above. For margins, heading styles and such layout points there is no Calicut rule, so sit with your supervisor once and fix them.

• Thesis printed on both sides, with no plastic in any form in the thesis and synopsis.
• References in 10 or 11 pt with single line spacing, all in one style (Harvard, Vancouver or APA, unless your RAC has agreed to another).
• There is a chapter titled Recommendations.
• One-page abstracts in English and Malayalam are bound in with five keywords, and your supervisor has gone through the Malayalam one line by line.
• Declaration is in the January 2024 format, names the software used at CHMK Library, and has the line saying the thesis is free from AI-generated content.
• Supervisor’s certificate is signed and sealed. That certificate and your declaration are both there in the hard copy and in the PDF.
• Plagiarism certificate shows 10% or less for non-core and core chapters both, carries the Doctoral Committee’s verification, and has the report attached.
• PDF is PDF/A and Unicode, and matches the printed copy page for page. For bookmarks the order only says “may be done”.
• Two bound copies kept ready for the Directorate, and a third one kept aside. Thesis PDF, synopsis PDF (four pages at most) and panel of examiners ready to email to [email protected].
• CHMK Library set kept ready separately, with the bound copy, abstracts, the CD holding the full thesis under 15 MB, and chapter-wise split files under 2 MB each.

Before printing, our thesis formatting service can make your references, headings, numbering and PDF bookmarks consistent if you want. We work on the presentation side only, and the research and writing remain yours.