PhD holders to be directly recruited for assistant professor posts: UGC confirms

New Delhi : According to the latest notification by University Grants Commission, Doctoral degree holders from the top 500 foreign universities are now eligible for direct recruitment as an assistant professor in Indian universities.

UGC will decide the top 500 ranks on the basis of famous world university ranking systems — Quacquarelli Symonds (QS ranking), Times Higher Education rankings (THE ranking) and the Academic Ranking of World Universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

"The direct recruitment eligibility of international PhD holders is applicable for the disciplines of arts, commerce, humanities, education, law, social sciences, sciences, languages, library science, physical education, journalism and mass communication. This will help students learn from global talent in India itself,” a senior University Grants Commission (UGC) official said.

Till now, candidates eligible for assistant professor post were required to have minimum 55 per cent marks in the master’s degree in the concerned subject from an Indian university or an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign university.

Also, aspirants need to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the UGC or the CSIR, or a similar test accredited by the UGC, like SLET, SET.

But now, PhD degree holders from Indian university with the required percentage in masters’ are also eligible for direct recruitment, the minimum requirements related to masters’ programme have been waived off for international PhD holders. “The direct recruitment eligibility only grants candidates an exemption from the written test but their performance in the interview will be a deciding factor for their appointment,” the official added.