NET No Longer Required for Becoming a Professor: UGC

Now, it is not compulsory to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) to become eligible for appointment as assistant professors in colleges and universities. If a candidate does a Ph.D in accordance with UGC regulations, he/she will be exempted from appearing for the test so as to become eligible for lectureship in any college of university.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has relaxed the minimum eligibility criteria for faculty recruitment after much persuasion from the HRD Ministry.

According to HRD minister Smriti Irani, the amendment in UGC’s regulation on appointment of assistant professors will help create a larger talent pool for teaching jobs.

She said that scholars who’ve done their PhD or registered for one before 2009 would be eligible for teaching jobs in any college or university without clearing the NET.

“There has been a long-standing challenge faced by researchers/aspiring teachers. The UGC today in conjunction with the government has taken this decision,” Irani said.

However, a candidate would still be required to fulfil certain conditions in order to be exempted from appearing for the NET. The Ph.D degree that the candidate holds should be awarded in regular mode and at least two external examiners should have evaluated his/her research thesis.
Other conditions include appearing for viva-voce and publishing at least two papers basis the Ph.D thesis in research journals.

As per the new norms, the UGC will also allow female and differently-abled research scholars and students to complete their Ph.D degrees in eight years instead of the current six years. Candidates will be given three years to complete M.Phil degrees instead of two.

What’s more, women candidates will be allowed to take maternity/child care leaves for up to 240 days in the entire duration of their M.Phil or Ph.D degrees.

In 2009, the UGC made it mandatory for candidates to have a Ph.D and appear for NET for appointment of teachers in colleges and universities.
Now, the UGC’s decision would come as a relief to thousands of students.

With inputs from click4college