The fate of a draft statute proposing sweeping changes to the appointment of assistant professors in Bihar universities remains uncertain as governor-cum-chancellor Syed Ata Hasnain has called for a fresh review of the selection process through a committee of experts.
Draft Statute Under Scrutiny
Academics have pointed out that several provisions in the draft statute, which has already been circulated among universities, could be dropped if relevant regulations from other states and the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines are taken into account before the chancellor grants approval.
The proposed changes have triggered strong reactions from academics and aspirants, many of whom have met the chancellor and conveyed their concerns.
Criticism Over Written Examination
The draft has come under criticism for introducing a mandatory written examination while removing weightage for research publications and teaching experience. Critics argue that the changes dilute academic standards and depart from established UGC norms.
JD(U) MLC Sanjiv Kumar Singh and several senior academics have written to the chancellor questioning the need for a separate state-level examination when candidates are already screened nationally through the UGC-CSIR NET conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Under the proposal, candidates would have to appear for a three-hour descriptive written test carrying 160 marks, followed by a 40-mark interview. Critics claimed that evaluating answer scripts of a large number of candidates across multiple subjects would be time-consuming and could raise questions over transparency.
Concerns of Aspirants
The state assistant professor aspirants’ association said the draft removes exemptions earlier available to UGC-NET and PhD-qualified candidates, placing experienced researchers and fresh postgraduates on the same footing. It also objected to the proposal to reduce the upper age limit from 55 years to 45 years, saying the move would disadvantage candidates who have spent years pursuing research and higher studies.
The association further pointed out that criteria related to PhD degrees, research papers published in Scopus or Web of Science-indexed journals, and prior teaching experience have been omitted from the screening process.
“This will badly hamper the research culture in universities and will also go against the goals of the National Education Policy,” the association said.
