NEW DELHI: In a breather to thousands of college teachers and candidates who hold PhD and MPhil degrees from prior to 2009, the Centre on Tuesday exempted the requirement of National Eligibility Test (NET) for recruitment and appointment of assistant professors.
The exemptions, though, have come with riders which a PhD/MPhil degree holder would have to fulfill.
They include grant of degree through regular mode, evaluation of thesis by at least two examiners, and an open viva voce of degree holders. They should also have had two research publications from their PhD work and should have made at least two presentations in conferences or seminars.
The announcement was made by HRD Minister Smriti Irani following a full UGC meeting here. The recommendations were made by a panel chaired by former UGC chairman Arun Nigavekar.
In another significant move, to increase the number of women scholars, which is less than one per cent, the UGC has approved a proposal to raise from six to eight years, the duration for women candidates and persons with disability (more than 40% disability) to complete their PhD programme.
The relaxation in case of MPhil will be by one year. In addition, women scholars may be provided maternity/child care leave once in the entire duration of their MPhil/PhD programme for up to 240 days. In case of relocation, the research data could also be transferred to the university of choice.
Meanwhile, a college which is accredited with the highest grades in two consecutive cycles of five years each and secures the highest accreditation grade in the third cycle from NAAC will be granted autonomous status, the UGC has decided.