Pune : Uncertainty continues over the State Eligibility Test (SET), a mandatory qualification for assistant professor posts, as Savitribai Phule Pune University has yet to announce the examination schedule even by mid-April this year. The delay has raised serious concerns about the functioning of the university, which serves as the nodal agency for conducting SET in Maharashtra and Goa.
With no official clarity on the examination timeline, nearly one lakh aspirants are left waiting. As per norms of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the SET examination must be conducted at least once every year. However, despite April being halfway through, no announcement regarding the exam has been made so far.
The delay comes at a crucial time when the state’s Higher and Technical Education Department has initiated the recruitment process for around 5,500 assistant professor posts.
Candidates fear that without the SET qualification, they may not be eligible to participate in the ongoing recruitment process.
A candidate sachin chavan preparing for the examination expressed concern over the situation, stating, “I have been preparing for the SET exam with the hope of becoming an assistant professor. But with no schedule announced yet, I am worried that I may miss the opportunity to be part of the upcoming recruitment process.”
Raising the issue, Rahul Sasane, President of the University Students’ Struggle Action Committee, Maharashtra, said, “The delay in conducting the SET exam is deeply concerning. Due to the absence of a coordinator in the SET department, the process appears to have stalled. Many students are facing academic losses as a result. We demand that the university immediately appoint a coordinator and conduct the examination at the earliest.”
{{/usCountry}}Raising the issue, Rahul Sasane, President of the University Students’ Struggle Action Committee, Maharashtra, said, “The delay in conducting the SET exam is deeply concerning. Due to the absence of a coordinator in the SET department, the process appears to have stalled. Many students are facing academic losses as a result. We demand that the university immediately appoint a coordinator and conduct the examination at the earliest.”
{{/usCountry}}There is currently no coordinator at the SET examination centre, and when attempts were made to contact officials at Savitribai Phule Pune University, they were unavailable for comment