The Maharashtra government has clarified the qualifications needed for direct recruitment of Assistant Professors in state universities and colleges.
The clarification was issued on November 6 by the Higher and Technical Education Department.
Candidates must have cleared NET, SET or SLET.
Alternatively, they must hold a PhD degree awarded under University Grants Commission (UGC) rules.
NET is the National Eligibility Test, and it is conducted by the UGC or the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
SET is an equivalent test accepted by the UGC.
Key points
- Maharashtra says NET, SET, SLET or a UGC-compliant PhD is needed.
- The rule applies to direct recruitment of Assistant Professors.
- A March 2024 order caused confusion about which rule applied.
- All higher education institutions must act as per the clarification.
So why was there confusion in the first place?
In 2018, the UGC made a PhD mandatory for direct recruitment of Assistant Professors in universities.
It applied from July 1, 2021. Maharashtra put this into effect through a government resolution dated March 8, 2019.
In June 2023, the UGC revised the rule. It made NET, SET or SLET the minimum eligibility.
The state adopted this change through a resolution dated March 5, 2024.
However, that 2024 resolution did not clearly say which paragraph of the 2019 resolution had been changed.
Universities and colleges were left unsure about the correct requirement.
- 2018UGC made a PhD mandatory for direct recruitment of Assistant Professors in universities.
- March 8, 2019Maharashtra put the PhD rule into effect through a government resolution.
- July 1, 2021The UGC PhD requirement began to apply.
- June 2023UGC revised the rule, making NET, SET or SLET the minimum eligibility.
- March 5, 2024Maharashtra adopted the change but did not clearly say which paragraph was altered.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
What does the new letter actually say?
The clarification is contained in a letter addressed to the Director of Higher Education, Pune.
It was issued by Joint Secretary Pratap P. Lube of the department.
The letter says the 2024 change applies to paragraph 4.10 of the 2019 resolution.
It also refers to the eligibility conditions for Assistant Professor appointments in state universities and colleges.
Candidates who hold a PhD under UGC regulations from 2009 or 2016 are exempted from the NET or SET requirement.
Everyone else must clear the test.
What happens next for colleges and candidates?
The government has directed all higher education institutions to take necessary action under these provisions.
This means recruitment must follow the clarified rules.
The government expects this to remove uncertainty in recruitment.
It should give universities, colleges and applicants a clear basis for Assistant Professor posts.
Explainer
What happened before
- The UGC made a PhD mandatory for Assistant Professor posts from July 1, 2021, and Maharashtra adopted this through a 2019 order.
- In June 2023, the UGC replaced this with NET, SET or SLET as the minimum requirement. Maharashtra adopted that change in March 2024.
- The March 2024 order did not clearly say which paragraph of the 2019 order had changed.
Why it matters
Teaching jobs in state universities and colleges depend on these rules, so candidates needed clear guidance.
What to watch next
- All higher education institutions have been directed to act as per the clarified provisions.
