14th March 2022
Recently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that PhD will not be a mandatory criterion to teach in central universities. New positions will be created - professor of practice and associate professor of practice.
UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar stated, “There are many experts who want to teach. There could be someone who has implemented large projects and has a lot of on-the-ground experience, or there could be a great dancer or a musician. But we can’t appoint them according to the present rules.”
The proposal to remove PhD as the main requirement for teaching was discussed during a meeting of the central university vice-chancellors (VC) with UGC chairperson Jagadesh Kumar. It has also been proposed that the professionals will be eligible for teaching in universities without a Ph.D or NET qualification. The UGC will form a committee to look into how this can be done and it will submit its report, the authority said. There are also strategies to set up a portal that will act as a single point for those willing to apply to a university.
