New Delhi: India is the third largest Higher Education system. Here, nearly 15 lakh teachers employed in universities, colleges and other higher educational institutes. Out of 15 Lakh, more than 90,000 are employed on contract or temporary basis.  Temporary teaching staff in educational institutes are known as Contract teachers, Ad-Hoc posts, Temporary staff, Guest Faculty, Visiting Teachers, Adjunct faculty staff.

The recruitment process, pay scales and other related issues of contact teachers are govern by the Clause 13 of the UGC Faculty Regulations  2018 (The University Grants Commission (UGC) has framed UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the maintenance of standards in Higher Education, 2018).

Recently Temporary teachers demanded to amend the UGC norms on various issues including streamlining recruitment process for direct recruitment of Assistant Professors.  The HRD Ministry and UGC representatives after discussions with teacher Associations had agreed on many points to amend the UGC faculty norms.

Here, SkillOutlook presents the key points of Clause 13 with respect to the UGC Faculty regulations , existing Academic Score system  and what are proposed to accommodate the views of Adhoc teachers.

Eligibility and Procedure: Clause 13 of the UGC Faculty Regulations say that the teachers should be appointed on contract basis only when it is absolutely necessary and when the student teacher ratio does not satisfy the laid-down norms.

In any case, the number of such appointments should not exceed 10% of the total number of faculty positions in a College/University. The qualifications and selection procedure for appointing them should be the same as those applicable to a regularly-appointed teacher.

Pay Scale & Remuneration:  The fixed emoluments paid to contract teachers should not be less than the monthly gross salary of a regularly appointed Assistant Professor. Such appointments should not be made initially for more than one academic session, and the performance of any such entrant teacher should be reviewed for academic performance before reappointing him/her on contract basis for another session.

Such appointments on contract basis may also be resorted to when absolutely necessary to fill vacancies arising due to maternity leave, child-care leave, etc.

Proposed Changes in Short List Criteria :  On the Clause 4.1 B regarding direct recruitment of Assistant Professors, a short Note will be inserted as followed: Provided that the faculty appointed and working on adhoc/temporary/contract basis and meeting eligibility criteria will be short listed for interview.

Proposed greater weight age to teaching experience in Academic Score:  The short listing criteria for permanent teaching posts such as Assistant Professor is known as Academic Score. Under the UGC Faculty regulations 2018, the Table 3 (A) says the Screen Criteria for Assistant Professor in University while Table (4) says the same in colleges.

The Academic score as specified in Appendix II (Table 3A) for Universities, and Appendix II (Table 3B) for Colleges, shall be considered for short-listing of the candidates for interview only, and the selections shall be based only on the performance in the interview.

Under current norms, for Assistant Professor short listing criteria in Universities (Table 3A).

• Academic Score – 80 (Including PhD Score of 30)
• Research Publications – 10
• Teaching Experience – 10
• Total – 100

It is proposed that the PhD score will be reduced to 20 from 30. Meanwhile, Teaching Experience/Post Doctoral Experience score will be hiked to 20 from 10. Hence, teaching experience will have greater weight age.

Under current norms, for Assistant Professor short listing criteria in Colleges (Table 3B).

• Academic Score – 84 (Including PhD Score of 25)
• Research Publications – 06
• Teaching Experience – 10
• TOTAL – 100

It is proposed that the PhD score will be reduced to 15 from 25. Meanwhile, Teaching Experience/Post Doctoral Experience score will be hiked to 20 from 10. Hence, teaching experience will have greater weight age.

HRD Ministry in a statement mentioned that it is expected that with above changes, which is at the proposal stage, all temporary teachers with requisite eligibility and have taught/have been teaching in the current academic session in the universities/colleges/institutes would be short-listed  for the interview for permanent or regular posts.