The University Grants Commission in a recent notification revised its eligibility criteria required for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges.

In its notification posted on July 6, UGC clarified that the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of assistant professor in all universities and colleges are National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET) and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET).

UGC’s notice reads: “NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions.”

Earlier UGC in 2018 set a criterion that one has to hold a PhD degree to be able to work as an assistant professor which was with effect from July 2021.

However, following the Covid 19, many faculty from different universities criticized the move as most of the students could not complete their PhDs due to the pandemic and appealed to the central government to revise the eligibility criteria.

In October 2021, the commission announced that it was deferring implementation of the criterion for another two years, i.e July 2023. But it has now been scrapped altogether, as reported by Hindustan Times.

The recent notification stated that the Commission has amended the UGC Regulations, 2018.

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar took to his Twitter and clarified, “If a master’s degree holder clears NET/SET/SLET, they will become eligible to apply for the post of Assistant Professor in all higher education institutions (HEIs). However, depending on the number of applications in higher education institutions received in a given discipline, the shortlisting criteria can be fixed above the minimum standards set by UGC to invite a manageable number of candidates for the interview.”

Kumar clarified that a PhD will still be needed for promotion to associate professor level. “Therefore, even if someone joins as an assistant professor without a PhD, the faculty member, while teaching in the HEI, has to do good quality research and obtain a PhD to be eligible for promotion to the next level leading to improved research outcomes in HEIs,”

Moreover, the notification released on July 6 also stated that Phd holders are exempted from NET/SLET/SET and thereby eligible for direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor.

While many have appreciated the move, some are of the opinion that the move will degrade the quality of the teaching faculty appointed in the educational institutions.

(With inputs from The Hindustan Times)