8 Dec : Degree of M.Phil or PhD will no longer be sufficient to secure a job in academic field in colleges as the Delhi High Court has upheld the UGC policy of making it mandatory for an aspiring lecturer to qualify National Eligibility Test (NET).
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan said the test is essential to maintain uniformity and quality in higher education as different yardsticks are followed by Universities while granting degree of M.Phil or PhD.
“The results of exams conducted by various examination bodies vary from university to university and they are, therefore, neither reliable nor comparable. Consequently, to attain the objective of common national yardstick in terms of qualification for every candidate who aspires to be a lecturer and that the quality of education in higher education is maintained at the highest level, the impugned Regulations 2009 were issued by the UGC,” the court said.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by All India Researchers Coordination Committee challenging the 2009 Regulation of changing the eligibility conditions for the post of lecturers. According to the new regulation, only those who pass NET would be eligible for the post of lecturer.
Challenging the new regulation, the Committee said this was contrary to the 2006 regulation which held any one who acquired an M.Phil or PhD degree was eligible for the post of lecturer.
The court dismissed the petition saying the UGC took the decision after various expert committees have concluded that there are irregularities and wide variations in the grant of Ph.D./M.Phil. degrees in various universities.
“We are of the considered opinion that it is not for the court to question the wisdom of the policy directive of the Ministry of Human Resource and Development when it is based on the recommendations of an expert committee (Mungekar Committee) and there has been no violation of the enabling Act or that of any provision of the Constitution,” the court said.
