The University Grants Commission (UGC) has reversed its decision to make obtaining PhD mandatory for hiring assistant professors, saying exams like NET and SET/SLET will be the minimum criteria for direct recruitment to the post.
UGC notified the amended rules which came into effect from July 1.
“PhD qualification for appointment as an assistant professor would continue to be optional. The National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET) and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) will be the minimum criteria for direct recruitment to the post of assistant professor for all higher education institutions,” UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar tweeted.
The Commission had set the PhD criteria in the year 2018 for recruitment for entry-level teaching post in universities and colleges.
It gave a three-year window to candidates to complete their PhD and asked all universities and colleges to start applying the criteria for recruitment from the 2021-22 academic session.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on July 5 declared that NET/SET/SLET would be the minimum requirements for direct hiring to the position of assistant professor for all higher education institutions.
According to the officials, the UGC in an official statement announced that the NET/SET/SLET would be the minimum prerequisites for the direct recruitment to the job of Assistant Professor in all Higher Education Institutions
“NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions,” the UGC said in an official statement.
As per the statement, the University Grants Commission (UGC) officially announced the amendments undertaken by the UGC in the execution of the authority granted by clauses (e) and (g) of sub-section (1) of section 26 read in conjunction with section 14 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956).
It further stated that the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (2nd Amendment) Regulations, 2023, may be used to refer to these regulations.
Additionally, it was stated in the official release that these restrictions will take effect on July 1, 2023.
“These regulations may be called the University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) (2nd Amendment) Regulations, 2023. They shall come into force with effect from July 1, 2023,” said the official statement.
The official statement further said that the NET/SET/SLET would be deemed as the minimal requirements for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions.
“NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions,” it stated.
The exam UGC NET and CSIR NET are conducted twice a year, ASRB NET is conducted once. All these examinations are conducted for the public position. Passing these examinations is essential for the aspirants who aspire to become Speakers, Professors, or Experimenters in any public or state-position institution.
The State Eligibility Test (SET) is conducted at the state level for determining the eligibility for the post of Assistant Professor in the respective state universities/colleges.
Though NET and SET exams are conducted for almost the same purposes, there are a few differences between these exams. Candidates often get confused about these two exams while making a choice.
Candidates who qualify the UGC NET, CSIR NET and ASRB NET exams become eligible to apply for the posts of lecturers or professors or researchers in any university or college at the national level. NET-qualified candidates can also apply to state-level institutions.
On the other hand, SET-qualified candidates can apply for the assistant professor or lecturer posts in the respective state-owned institutions only.
SLET (State Level Eligibility Test) is conducted once a year, and the purpose of this test is the same as NET. But, SLET or State Eligibility Tests are conducted at the state position by controlled bodies of different countries.
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