UGC says stipulations mandatory, binding

In the light of the UGC clarification, the Higher Education Department under the Union HRD ministry has sought clarification from the Kerala government for issuing an order which is in contravention to the stipulation currently in place for the recruitment of lecturers and assistant professors in colleges and universities.

The issue assumes significance in the wake of the move by the Public Service Commission to recruit PhD holders who do not conform to the UGC stipulations to posts of teachers in Collegiate Education Department.

Even as the Higher Education Department in the state seeks to give exemption to PhD holders who secured the degree prior to 2009 and also those who started their PhD work prior to 2009, but could not conform to UGC stipulations on PhD in faculty appointments, citing that the UGC rule was not in place in then, the UGC has made it clear that no such exemption is applicable as per the Central government order.

“The state government is violating the rule and misleading the public. The UGC has made it clear that its rules are mandatory in nature in appointments of faculty especially when the UGC scale is paid to teachers. The Central Government has also made this clear and pointed out that the Supreme Court affirmed UGC Regulations 2009 and 2010 vide its judgement passed in the case of P. Susheela Vs UGC,” said P. Sreejith, an aggrieved UGC qualified person for the post of physics assistant professor, in his complaint to the Central government.