UGC Relaxes Rules on NET to Become Professor

The nodal higher education body University Grants Commission (UGC) has come with two sets of its rules amended.

The Commission has relaxed the minimum eligibility norms for the appointment of assistant professors and allowed more times for women and differently-abled scholars to complete their research work with any hassles.

Smriti Irani, the HRD Minister while announcing about these two new amendments said, “The idea behind these amendments is to grant lectureship to non-NET students and to promote the entry of more women and differently-abled students into the field of research.

As per the regulation of 2009 candidates required at least a post-graduate or an MPhil degree and must clear NET or SET . NET was considered as minimum eligibility for appointment in colleges and universities as teachers and lecturers. After the new regulation whose who have completed Ph.D. or registered for a Ph.D. before 2009 they would be eligible for lectureship without clearing the NET.

“It is an effort to create more jobs in the teaching field and give an opportunity to the students aspiring to come to into education line,” said the HRD Minister.

To be exempted of NET a candidate should adhere to certain rules. The candidate’s Ph.D. degree should be awarded in regular mode and two external examiners should have evaluated the research thesis. At least two paper based on the Ph.D. thesis should have appeared in the research Journals and a candidate should have appeared for viva-voce.

Women and differently abled students now can complete Ph.D. in eight years instead of six years and the M.Ohil degree can be completed in three years instead of two years.

Women candidates will also be provided maternity and child care leave for up to 240 days in the entire duration of their M.Phil or Ph.D. degrees. If the women Ph.D. and M.Phi Scholar relocates, their research data shall be transferred to other universities they prefer to relocate, conforming to the certain norm.

“The decisions taken by the UGC and HRD ministry is a good measure but now we have to see how much time it take to amendment these regulations.” said Rita Sharma, a Professor of Noida-based private university.