Row over ‘non-compliance’ of UGC norms in teachers’ selection

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 30

Eyebrows are being raised over the alleged violation of UGC guidelines in the criteria laid down for the appointment of assistant professors at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here.

As per the advertisement, applications have been invited from eligible and interested candidates for the posts of assistant professor and associate professor in the departments of botany, biochemistry, computer science and applications, environmental science, food technology, genetics, microbiology and pharmaceutical sciences etc.

The National Eligibility Test (NET) or PhD have been mentioned as the minimum eligibility condition for the posts of assistant professor in all teaching departments of the university, but it is not so in case of the Department of Computer Science and Applications.

On the other hand, the eligibility criteria for the four posts of assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applications are: “Good academic record with at least 60 per cent marks or an equivalent grade at Master’s degree in computer science/engineering/technology or an equivalent degree from an Indian/foreign university.”

While NET/SLET has been laid down as the essential qualification for the posts of assistant professor in other teaching departments, it has been mentioned as a desirable qualification in case of the Department of Computer Science and Applications.

Sources maintain that the relaxation in eligibility criteria had been made in violation of the UGC norms in order to accommodate certain candidate(s).

Dr BK Punia, Vice-Chancellor, MDU, stated that the posts of assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applications were meant for MTech course in the department, which was governed by AICTE norms and not the UGC guidelines.

He further maintained that the qualifications for the posts of assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applications given in the advertisement had been recommended by a four-member committee and approved by the university’s Academic Council and Executive Council.

However, a perusal of MDU advertisements for the posts of assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Applications given in 2013 and 2015 had specifically mentioned that “NET/SLET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment”.

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