The Central Government and the UGC have laid down various provisions for regulating recruitment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges and their career advancement in UGC funded institutions. However, the continuing vacancy position in Central Government funded institutions is a matter of concern as these universities and colleges have to discharge their role as pace setting institutions in their areas of operation. The HRD Ministry has also received several petitions regarding the policy for selections to the post of Assistant Professors in Universities and Colleges, including such State higher educational institutions. The UGC has further, in the past, made certain recommendations in the matter.
“The Ministry has, therefore, in the larger public interest of attracting and retaining talented and quality manpower and selection of the most meritorious to the teaching profession, constituted a committee, for various provisions including evaluation of the Academic Performance Indicator (API) Scheme as regards the entry point and career advancement of teachers by taking into account its criticism and suggest suitable improvements/alternatives,” said a senior HRD Ministry official.
The provisions includes evaluation of Ph.D-NET qualifications for entry of teachers and to accordingly suggest a policy for selections, consideration of the problems and issues related to Ad-hoc and Contractual appointments in Central Universities and recommendations to resolve them.The Committee is chaired by former UGC Chairman Prof. Arun Nigavekar and the members are Sumit Bose, former Secretary, Government of India, Prof. Sunil Gupta, former Vice-Chancellor, Himachal Pradesh University, Prof B Thimme Gowda, former Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University, Prof. Ashwini Kumar Mohapatra, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University and.S. Sandhu, Joint Secretary, MHRD (as the Member-Convener).