Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced Tuesday that PhD will not be mandatory for recruitment as assistant professors till June 2023.
In 2018, the UGC had stipulated that PhD shall be mandatory for direct recruitment from July 2021. However, candidates from across the country appealed to the government to put the implementation of the rule on hold due to difficulties in completing their PhDs due to the prevailing circumstances.
On Tuesday, the UGC issued a circular saying it has decided to extend the date of applicability of PhD as mandatory qualification from July 1, 2021 to July 1, 2023. A gazette notification has also been issued in this regard.
Last month, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had told reporters that the government was going to make an announcement on putting off the implementation of the 2018 decision to a later date.
