With the announcement of the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment & Promotion of Teachers and Academic staff in universities and colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025, Panjab University Teachers Association (PUTA) has set up a sub-committee to review and prepare a report on these regulations.
The decision was taken during a meeting held under PUTA president AS Naura. The regulations were discussed during the meeting and a five-member sub-panel was formed to prepare a report for further deliberations on the rules during open house.
The new draft released on January 6 is already getting opposition, especially from the Southern states. Kerala state assembly passed a resolution against this and Tamil Nadu chief minister Stalin has also appealed to other states to oppose this, citing the restrictions on the state’s role in the appointment of vice-chancellors and introducing common entrance examinations in the country for UG and PG courses.
Giving his analysis of the current draft, PUTA general secretary Mritunjay Kumar said, “There are some good provisions in the new draft which will bring more clarity to Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) promotions where Panjab University teachers currently face problems. However, there are also likely to be some points which some members will have problems with. The entire process of promotion will be overhauled and parameters like societal contribution have been introduced. These need to be clearly defined and a way to quantify them should be given or there is scope for misuse.”
Kumar added that there is another provision in which clearing the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) will no longer be mandatory for pursuing a PhD degree. This, he said, is likely to lead to resentment from students who have already cleared the exam which is conducted twice a year.
{{/usCountry}}Kumar added that there is another provision in which clearing the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) will no longer be mandatory for pursuing a PhD degree. This, he said, is likely to lead to resentment from students who have already cleared the exam which is conducted twice a year.
{{/usCountry}}PUTA is likely to hold a general house meeting after the committee prepares its report. It will be held before February 5, and Kumar added that the emphasis is on submitting their recommendations as soon as possible.