As per the guidelines in the University Grants Commission (UGC) 2018 draft regulations, a candidate must score a minimum of 55 percent marks at masters level for direct recruitment. In addition to that, PhD degree shall be mandatory qualification for promotion to the post of associate professor. And no study leave should be taken while pursuing PhD. A candidate who scored 80% marks at the undergraduate level will get 20 points and those who scored marks between 60-80% will get 19 points.
According to Delhi University teachers, these guidelines are “extremely retrograde” for the appointment of teachers as well as their promotion. The teachers have objected to the minimum 55 per cent marks requirement at the Masters level for direct recruitment for general category candidates.
Sujit Kumar, a teacher at the department of commerce, B. R. Ambedkar College, said “What will happen to those teachers who have been teaching on a contract/ad hoc basis and have graduated a long time ago? Also, the marks of two universities cannot be compared. These screening guidelines are not acceptable,”
As per the, earlier guidelines, 12 years of teaching experience as an assistant professor was required to be promoted to the post of associate professor. But now having a PhD is mandatory for every candidate as well as study leave for pursuing PhD will not be considered as a teaching experience.
“This provision is very retrograde as it will take away seniority and deprive a teacher of three years’ increment. Everyone knows that the first year of PhD is a full-time course,” Kumar said. However, draft regulations, have removed Academic Performance Indicator (API) score till the post of assistant professor, which was introduced in 2011.
Rajesh Jha, a political science teacher at Rajdhani College and an executive council member, said. “There is apprehension among teachers as the draft regulations talk about the exemption and not relaxation from the API system. It is a cause for worry, as there is a retrospective implementation of the point system”
