UGC removes PhD as a mandatory for recruitment of Assistant Professor

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided against making a PhD a requirement for recruiting assistant professors and has instead decided that passing tests like the NET and SET/SLET will be the minimal requirements for direct appointment to the position. The revised guidelines were announced by UGC and took effect on July 1st 2023.

Here is the official notification by University Grants Commission- 

It would still be optional to get a PhD before being appointed as an associate professor. For all higher education institutions, the minimum requirements for direct assistant professor recruitment would be the National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET), and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET), according to a tweet from UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar.

For recruitment to entry-level teaching positions in universities and colleges in 2018, the Commission has established the PhD criterion. Candidates were given a three-year window to finish their PhDs, and all universities and colleges were tasked with implementing the hiring standards beginning with the academic year 2021–2022.