Recently, the UGC has released the new draft of the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025.

Normally, UGC regulations are issued only after every pay revision by the recommendation of the respective pay review committee. This convention was, accordingly, followed after both the report of the Sixth Pay Review Committee in 2010 and the report of the Seventh Pay Review Committee in 2018. Thus, the release of the new draft regulations is surprising and unwarranted. In any case, the draft proposes many major and minor changes in the regulations. Here’s a brief review of these changes.

One major change is regarding the subject for which an appointment can be made. There are two changes: First, it is stated that the discipline/subject chosen in the 4-year UG programme or PG programme is different from the chosen discipline/subject in Ph.D., and the discipline/subject in which a candidate obtained a Ph.D. (normally a narrow subject or topic) shall be considered eligible for appointment as assistant professor, associate professor or professor in that discipline/subject.

Similarly, it is stated that if the discipline/subject chosen in the 4-year UG programme or PG programme is different from the chosen discipline/subject in NET/SLET, the discipline/subject in which a candidate qualified NET/SLET shall be considered........

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