The University Grants Commission (UGC) has relaxed the eligibility criteria for appointment teachers in colleges and universities. According to the recent announcement, Ph.D. is not mandatory for the candidates applying for the post of Assistant Professor. The minimum criteria for a candidate applying for an entry-level post in universities and colleges are National Eligibility Test (NET), State Eligibility Test (SET), and State Level Eligibility Test (SLET). 

In a tweet, UGC Cheif, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar shared a notification issued on June 30 which says, 'NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum criteria for the direct recruitment to the post of Assistant Professor for all Higher Education Institutions. Ph.D. qualification for appointment as an Assistant Professor would be optional from 01 July 2023, tweeted UGC cheif. 

According to the notice, universities may choose to use shortlisting criteria that are more stringent than the minimal requirements set by the UGC, depending on the discipline. A Ph.D. is still required to advance to the position of associate professor.

In 2018, the commission set the eligibility criteria for recruitment to the entry posts at universities and colleges. At that time, the universities were asked to implement the Ph.D. criteria for recruitment to the entry posts from July 2021. This move was criticized by several faculties in different universities who said that the candidates could not complete their PhDs due to the prevailing situation of covid 19 pandemic. They urged the national government to ease the eligibility requirements. After that, the commission deferred the date of applicability of the Ph.D. for two years and asked universities and colleges to apply the criteria for recruitment from July 2023.

According to the UGC, the revised norms would be essential for expediting the hiring process and making sure that only qualified individuals are selected as assistant professors.