PhD will be the minimum qualification for university teachers from 2021

A PhD degree will be the minimum educational qualification for teaching at university level.

According to draft policy document now the teachers will undergo a mandatory, one month induction programme before starting their work, and will also have to devote two hours to mentor students for extra-curricular activities.

It is decided that the new eligibility criteria should be applicable from 2021 after consideration.

Till now the minimum eligibility criteria for an Assistant Professor was  National Eligibility Test (NET) score and a Master's degree

According to the chairman of the pay review commission for the seventh Central Pay Commission (CPC) and the current chairman of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) VS Chauhan, NET as the minimum eligibility criteria is important for a diverse country because there are so many different subjects.

However a special provision has been made in the in the eligibility conditions for recruitment of Assistant Professor posts in universities and colleges to encourage the return of the best brains, who made a mark in foreign universities.

NET will not be required to be cleared for all those who have a PhD degree from a university with a ranking among the top 500 in the World University Rankings (at any time) by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the Times Higher Education (THE) or the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai).

Such candidates will be eligible for direct recruitment.

Former Delhi University VC Dinesh Singh told HT that it was ironical that because it isn't in the Top 500 globally, the University of Delhi will, in effect, not be able to hire its own PhDs directly and require them to clear NET.