As per recent news, PhD will be mandatory for teaching at university level from 2021. This is applicable even to assistant professors. According to HRD Ministry, this change has been made to enhance the education quality in higher education institutes. Additionally, teachers will have to go through mandatory one-month-long induction programme before commencing teaching in the universities and also will have to devote two hours for mentoring students for community services/development and extra-curricular activities.
Minimum entry level eligibility for an assistant professor at the university until now was to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) and have a Masters degree. As per the new changes, the applicants for teaching posts at universities will still need to qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) in addition to acquiring PhD from a recognized institute. However, those who have obtained PhD before 2009 need not clear NET.
The draft proposal by UGC is sent to HRD for its approval before the new rules are inducted. In addition to mandatory PhD, a teacher evaluation grading system and academic/research score shall be used by the universities to improve research output.
Promotions up to the level of associate professor will be based on teaching and research-centric metrics.
In order to encourage the return of best minds who made their mark in the foreign universities, a special provision has been made in the eligibility conditions for recruitment of assistant professors in universities and colleges. All those who have a PhD degree from a university/institutions with a ranking among top 500 in the World University Ranking (at any time) by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the Times Higher Education (THE) or the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai) will be eligible for direct recruitment and not be required to clear NET.
