‘Want only academics’: BJP-linked teachers’ body against new UGC regulations on VC appointment

NEW DELHI: A teachers’ body affiliated to the BJP is planning to oppose several clauses in the University Grants Commission’s draft regulations on recruitment and promotion of university and college faculties. They are against the proposal to appoint non-academics as university vice-chancellors and want the mandatory PhD for promotion at the assistant professor level scrapped.

The National Democratic Teacher’s Front (NDTF), whose current president AK Bhagi is a former member of the UGC, will submit its analysis and objections to the UGC separately. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the draft UGC regulations 2025 for public comments on Monday, January 6.

If approved, the “UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025” will replace the UGC regulations 2018 ones.

The NDTF also wants “teaching” and “contributions to corporate life” added to the nine “notable contributions” of which teachers have to make at least some to be considered for promotion

However, of primary concern are play scales. Bhagi said, “The first thing that we want to know from the government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) is when the revised pay scales are going to be announced. Because this exercise of releasing regulations is linked with the revised pay scale, every time.”

UGC New Regulations: VC appointment

On VCs, Bhagi told Careers360 that NDTF has always been opposed to appointing vice-chancellors from outside academia, even when the proposal had been raised during the Congress-led UPA regime.

The UGC draft rule on the appointment of vice chancellor lists three groups of individuals who may be considered for a VC post. The individual must be .

• a professor in a higher education institution

• at a senior level in reputed research or academic administrative organisations

• at a senior level in industry, public administration, public policy and/or public sector undertakings, with a proven track record of significant academic or scholarly contributions

This has caused a furore with teachers accusing the UGC of attempting to privatise universities by opening up the post to non-academics.

“We want only academics to be appointed as vice chancellors and not from other fields. This experiment was there earlier also in some states. It was withdrawn. Last time NDTF had opposed it in the regulation. This was proposed in the Seventh Pay Commission, Sixth Pay Commission – almost every time this thing comes. It is not only for vice chancellor, this was proposed even at the level of professorship during the UPA regime. In principle we have always gone against it. We believe formal degrees and experience should always be there,” said Bhagi.

However, that is not the only change proposed. The draft UGC regulations also give far more power to the Governors and the UGC itself in the appointment of VCs in state universities. Chief ministers Siddaramaiah of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s MK Stalin have opposed the new UGC regulations.

UGC Draft: PhD must for assistant professor promotion

The draft UGC regulations propose making a PhD degree must for promotion of teachers from academic level 11 to 12. Earlier, PhD requirements were for promotion from academic level 12 to 13.

“This provision should be dropped off completely. When you are appointed as a non PhD into the system, within six years one may not be able to get a PhD. Study leave is granted only after three years and then the candidate may not be able to complete the PhD in three years. Hence, up to stage 13 there should not be any compulsory PhD requirement,” explained Bhagi.

Rumours that the National Eligibility Test (NET) is no longer compulsory for assistant professor jobs have been put to bed by the UGC. On Friday, the UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar clarified that UGC NET continues to be mandatory for assistant professor posts in all but technical institutions regulated by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

UGC new regulations on past service

Apart from lifting the cap on appointment of contract teachers, the UGC new regulations 2025 also sets rules on how past-service of ad hoc teachers will be counted at the point of recruitment or promotion. Earlier, this decision was left to the individual university.

The draft clause states: “The previous full-time ad-hoc or contractual service (by whatever nomenclature it may be called) shall be counted, provided that, in the case of Indian HEIs or research organisations, the incumbent was appointed on the recommendation of a duly constituted selection committee as per UGC regulations. In the case of international HEIs or research organisations, the incumbent was appointed as per the rules of the respective international HEIs or research organisations.”

Bhagi pointed out that their demand includes that the past services for those who worked in DU in ad-hoc capacity should be counted as well.

“NDTF as well as DUTA have already made various representations to the minister as well as UGC.We want our Ad Hoc past service to be counted as well. Other past services have not been taken into account. The past service rendered in DU should be included. It should not just be included but allowed to be counted up at higher levels and not just at stage one,” said Bhagi.

Teaching as ‘notable contribution’

The draft lists nine areas of ‘notable contributions’ that will be factors in promotion. Teachers have said that these have nothing to do with either their capacity to teach or their understanding of their discipline.

Analysing the new UGC regulations, one teacher described these as “extracurricular activities”. NDTF wants two more areas added.

“For promotion criteria, teaching and our corporate contribution should be given due weightage,” said Bhagi. “Apart from all other things they have written, due weightage should be given to regularity, sincerity in teaching as well as contribution towards corporate life. Corporate life means the various committees that we are working in – for example, sports committee, admission committee, NSS/NCC and others – that is beyond regular teaching. Whatever contribution we are making to the college should be duly recognised for promotion at all levels,” he said.

Career Advancement Scheme

The proposed UGC regulations on recruitment and promotions also caps the number of Level 14 professors who can be promoted to Level 15 at 10%. This has been done for the first time.

The draft states, “Granting of Academic Level 15 to Professors at Academic Level 14 should be limited to 10% of professors positions at academic level 14. The seniority level is strictly assigned by the date of promotion to professor (Academic level 14) rather than the date of granting of professor (Academic level 15).”

The NDTF opposes this provision. “In principle whenever we talk about CAS, which is time bound promotion, no capping has ever even been made at any level,” explained Bhagi. “This clause is not acceptable at all. It is against the general principle of time bound promotion scheme. Promotion means whoever has completed the stage has to be promoted.”

DUTA response

Bhagi is also president of the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA). A sub-committee of DUTA executives has been formed.

“We will place the detailed changes we want and then it will be sent to the staff association for further comments. Thereafter whatever suggestions we receive, the DUTA executive will finalise the changes in the draft. A critique of the regulation will be submitted to the UGC,” he said.