Software Requirements Specification (SRS) for the Ph.D. Ecosystem Platform for the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department.
✅ 1. Introduction
1.1 Purpose
To build a centralized Ph.D. Ecosystem web application for Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department to streamline and digitally manage the entire lifecycle of Ph.D. research scholars.
1.2 Stakeholders
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Research Scholar
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Research Guide/Supervisor
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Department Admin
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University Admin
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Center for Academic Research (CAR)
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Controller of Examinations (CoE)
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Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department (State Dashboard Viewer)
✅ 2. Functional Requirements
2.1 User Management & Roles
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Role-based login and access:
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Scholar
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Guide
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Department
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University
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CoE
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CAR
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State Admin
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2.2 Application Workflow
| Stage | Description | Actor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Application Registration | Scholar applies with required details | Scholar |
| 2. Selection & Admission | Application reviewed, guide assigned, admission confirmed | Department, Guide |
| 3. DC Formation | Doctoral Committee setup with member approval | Department, Guide, Scholar |
| 4. DC Meeting Scheduling | Meeting logistics and reports | Scholar, Guide |
| 5. Course Work Completion | Course registration, marks entry, and completion status | Scholar, Guide, Department |
| 6. Course Work Correction | For resubmission/failures | Department |
| 7. Research Progress Meeting | Periodic updates every 6/12 months | Guide, Scholar, DC |
| 8. Research Publications | Submission of publication details (Journal/Conference) | Scholar, Guide |
| 9. Synopsis Submission | Upload synopsis with approval steps | Scholar, Department |
| 10. Examiner Panel Formation | Nominated by guide, approved by CoE (Indian & Foreign) | Guide, CoE |
| 11. Thesis Submission | Upload of thesis document | Scholar |
| 12. Evaluation and Reports | Reports collected from examiners | CoE |
| 13. Viva-Voce Scheduling | Date, Venue, External examiner setup | University, Guide |
| 14. Viva-Voce Completion | Recording of result and feedback | Department |
| 15. Viva Report Submission | Uploaded report for final approval | Guide, CoE |
| 16. Convocation & Degree Award | Final status and certificate generation | University, State Dept. |
✅ 3. Dashboards
3.1 Scholar Dashboard
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Application progress
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DC schedule & reports
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Research milestones
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Publications uploaded
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Submission status (thesis/synopsis)
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Notifications
3.2 Guide Dashboard
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Assigned scholars
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DC formation & meetings
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Coursework status
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Research progress
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Publications tracker
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Examiner nominations
3.3 Department Dashboard
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Scholars by department
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Course registrations & exams
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Research monitoring
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Schedule control for DC & viva
3.4 University Dashboard
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Department-wise scholar tracking
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Thesis evaluation status
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Examiner coordination
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Convocation management
3.5 CoE Dashboard
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Panel approvals (Indian/Foreign)
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Thesis reports
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Viva results
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Final report status
3.6 Higher Education Department Dashboard
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Statistics across universities
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Department/Guide/Scholar count
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Research output tracking
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Degree award analytics
✅ 4. Non-Functional Requirements
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Security: Role-based access control, data encryption
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Scalability: Support for all public universities in TN
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Performance: Load-balanced for large concurrent users
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Audit & Logs: All actions traceable
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Notifications: Email & SMS alerts
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Multilingual Support: English & Tamil
✅ 5. Technology Stack (Recommended)
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Frontend: React.js / Bootstrap
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Backend: PHP (Laravel) / Python (Flask or Django)
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Database: MySQL/PostgreSQL
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Storage: Cloud or local server for document uploads
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Hosting: NIC / State Data Center
✅ 6. Document Uploads
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Application documents
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Course certificates
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Publications (PDF)
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Synopsis & Thesis
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Examiner reports
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Viva-voce recordings (optional)
Would you like me to create:
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ER Diagram for the database?
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User Interface Wireframes?
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PHP or Python CRUD modules for each process?
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Excel tracker version for offline workflow?
Let me know your preferred next step.
