KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on advice of the Union HRD Ministry has exempted candidates registered for MPhil/PhD programme before July 11, 2009, from clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the State-Level Eligibility Test (SLET) in order to become eligible for appointment as assistant professors in colleges and universities, media reported Wednesday.
The development is likely to bring cheers to thousands of such candidates who had completed their PhD before 2009 and had little options but to quit their jobs.
The decision was taken at UGC’s commission meeting on Monday and was announced by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani.
According to media reports, this exemption, however, is only valid if the candidate has fulfilled certain conditions including his/her PhD degree should be awarded in regular mode, the research thesis should have been evaluated by at least two external examiners, the candidate should have appeared for viva-voce and have published at least two papers based on the Phd thesis in research journals and, lastly, the candidate should also have made at least two presentations at conferences or seminars.
Earlier, as per the regulations of 2009 on minimum qualification for appointment of teachers in colleges and universities, UGC made it compulsory for all PhD holders to have qualified NET/SLET to become assistant professor.
The Supreme Court, too, upheld this regulation in 2015 on the ground that it would help maintain the standard of higher education in the country. The SC order had left candidates with PhD degree before 2009 with little option but to quit their jobs.
