Supervisor and scholar responsibilities – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, D and E correctly describe shared responsibilities in the supervisor–scholar relationship. Supervisors guide design and ethics, scholars communicate progress and both parties must uphold honesty, integrity, respect and timely feedback. Statement C is false because insisting on first authorship regardless of contribution violates authorship ethics and can amount to coercive or honorary authorship. Therefore, the correct combination includes A, B, D and E while excluding C.

Option A:
Option A includes A, B and D but omits E, ignoring the relational dimension of mutual respect and feedback that strongly influences the quality of supervision. Without E, the interpersonal aspect of the supervisory role is underemphasised.

Option B:
Option B lists B, D and E but leaves out A, thereby not acknowledging the key responsibility of supervisors to provide methodological and ethical guidance. This omission makes the description of roles incomplete.

Option C:
Option C contains A, D and E but omits B, so it fails to mention that scholars themselves must take responsibility for regular progress communication. As such, it underplays the active role of the student in the relationship.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it gathers all four true statements and excludes C, which endorses unethical authorship behaviour. It reflects both professional responsibilities and the relational qualities that contribute to successful supervision.