Global Talent For Indian Universities: Foreign PhDs Now Eligible For Direct Recruitment As Assistant Professors

In a relaxation of regulations for the recruitment of assistant professors, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that all doctoral degrees holders from the top 500 foreign universities will now be eligible for the positions, reports India Today.

"The direct recruitment eligibility of international PhD holders is applicable for the disciplines of arts, commerce, humanities, education, law, social sciences, sciences, languages, library science, physical education, journalism and mass communication. This will help students learn from global talent in India itself," a senior official from the UGC said.

The foreign University rankings will be based on globally renowned ranking systems such as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS ranking) and Times Higher Education rankings (THE ranking).

The earlier rules required candidates’ to have a Master’s degree in the relevant subject from an Indian university, with a minimum of 55 per cent marks, or an equivalent degree from an accredited university abroad. The candidates were also required to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) or other similar UGC exams like SLET and SET.

While PhD holders from India are also eligible for direct recruitment, the minimum masters’ programme criteria have been waived off for the International PhD holders.