The new guidelines, which were posted on the UGC website for stakeholders’ comments, will amend the norms for hiring faculty members in universities. They will allow people having a postgraduate degree in Master of Engineering (M.E) or Masters of Technology (MTech) with at least 55 percent marks to directly get recruited to the Assistant professor level without qualifying UGC NET.The draft norms will also permit candidates to teach based on their highest academic specialisation. For example, a candidate with a PhD in chemistry, despite holding a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in physics, would qualify to teach chemistry.“These regulations also facilitate the selection of faculty members from multi-disciplinary backgrounds. The primary objective of these regulations is to broaden the horizon and freedom and flexibility so that faculty members can excel in areas they are passionate about. The revised regulations ensure that contributions to knowledge and community, rather than rigid qualifications, are valued,” Kumar said.The draft guidelinesThe UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025 to replace the 2018 guidelinesUGC proposes major overhaul in recruitment of Assistant Professors, Vice ChancellorsIndustry experts, and senior professionals from public administration, public policy and PSUs to be eligible for appointment as Vice-ChancellorsPeople with PG degrees in Master of Engineering and Masters of Technology with at least 55% marks, can be directly recruited to the Assistant Professor level without qualifying for UGC-NETNew guidelines to permit candidates to teach based on their highest academic specialisationIndividuals who clear the UGC-NET in a subject different from their earlier academic focus to be eligibile to teach the subject in which they qualified for NETThe draft also extends the scope of qualifications by introducing provisions that recognise professional achievements, such as innovative teaching methods, digital content creation, and contributions to research fundingThe new guidelines do away with the Academic Performance Indicator system, which was used for promotions of the faculty members.
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