The decision of the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set aside PhD and make the National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET) and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) as the minimum eligibility criteria for direct recruitment of assistant professors has drawn mixed reactions from PhDs, professors, and aspirants. Some researchers demanded to make PhD mandatory too while many candidates came up with doubts in the gazette notification. The commission made the amendments in the “Minimum qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other academic staff in Universities and colleges and other measures for maintenance of standards in higher education regulations 2018”. The revised regulations have come into effect from July 1, 2023, UGC added.
Meanwhile, UGC has clarified that PhD degree holders are eligible for the posts. The commission explained that it has only amended the general condition of PhD being mandatory for the direct recruitment of assistant professors. While NET, SLET, SET are the criteria for those who have a master’s degree, PhD degree holders are exempted from these exams for the appointment of the post.
PhD not mandatory for appointment of assistant professors, says new UGC notice: What it means
Candidates for the post of assistant professor in universities and colleges are no longer required to hold PhDs.
Candidates for the post of assistant professor in universities and colleges are no longer required to hold PhDs in order to be eligible for the entry-level position, as per a fresh order by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The big point: In a reversal of its earlier decision, the UGC has announced that exams such as the National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET), and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) will be the requisite criteria for appointment to the post of assistant professor in all universities and colleges.
The details: In a notification issued on June 30, the UGC said, NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions.” UGC chairperson Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar further clarified, “Ph.D. qualification for appointment as an Assistant Professor would be optional from 01 July 2023.”
But, but: A notice issued by the UGC noted that depending on the discipline, institutions can decide upon shortlisting criteria above the minimum specified by the UGC. Further, a PhD is still mandatory to rise to the post of associate professor.
