UGC Chairman: Ph.D. Not Compulsory For Assistant Professor Posts In Universities

The chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), M. Jagadesh Kumar, stated that a Ph.D. is not mandatory for hiring assistant professors in central universities. Speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed UGC-HRDC building on the Osmania University (OU) campus, Kumar added that a qualification in the Commission’s National Eligibility Test (NET) would be sufficient for it, reported Telangana Today. 

The decision was made to allow individuals without PhDs to be hired as assistant professors at Indian universities. Additionally, the initiative intends to open possibilities for professionals who want to teach in universities but are unable to do so because they lack a Ph.D. 

A one-nation data portal is being created, according to M. Jagadesh Kumar, and it will provide candidates with access to all UGC norms and other crucial information. Kumar added that starting in the following academic year, the National Digital University will offer quality instruction directly to students. 

Earlier, the Central government changed the Commission’s rules so that a Ph.D. was now the minimal requirement for employing assistant professors. The COVID-19 epidemic delayed the new regulations from going into effect in 2021 to 2022. According to media sources, it was later extended until July 2023. But in the meantime, hiring continued on the basis of the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) score. 

Meanwhile, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has begun the registration process for the Joint CSIR-UGC NET Examination in December 2022 and June 2023. Candidates can apply on the official website at csirnet.nta.nic.nic. As per the schedule, the application process will remain active until April 10 at 5 p.m. While the last date to submit an application with a late fee is April 10 up to 11:50 p.m. The exam for the same will be held on June 6, 7, and 8. 

The exam is conducted to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for junior research fellowships (JRF), lectureships (LS), and assistant professor positions across universities in India. 

The exam is conducted for papers that include chemical sciences, earth, atmospheric, ocean, and planetary sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences, and physical sciences. The medium of the exam will be English and Hindi.    

(Source: News 18) 

Visit us to stay updated on the daily news.