ANCSU opposes PhD criteria dilution and blanket lecturer regularisation, urging Nagaland government to retain merit-based promotion and recruitment
DIMAPUR — The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has opposed reported demands to delink PhD qualification from promotion criteria for associate professor and professor, as well as calls for regularisation of serving guest, ad hoc and contractual lecturers.
In a representation to the chief secretary, the students’ body urged the state government to retain existing academic qualification norms and ensure future recruitment of teaching faculty through the Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC).
The ANCSU stated that it had examined the Nagaland Higher Education Service Rules, 2015, along with the UGC Regulations 2010 and Revised UGC Regulations 2018, and expressed concern that dilution of prescribed qualifications could affect academic standards and the credibility of appointments and promotions.
According to the union, the existing framework recognises PhD as a mandatory qualification for appointment and promotion to professor. It also requires a PhD in the concerned, allied or relevant discipline for advancement from assistant professor at Selection Grade/Academic Level 12 to associate professor at Academic Level 13A, alongside prescribed teaching experience, academic contributions, publications and other criteria.
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The ANCSU, therefore, objected to any proposal to remove the PhD requirement from promotion criteria for senior academic posts.
It maintained that lowering qualification requirements without a clear statutory and regulatory basis could adversely affect the quality of teaching, research, academic supervision and institutional governance.
Opposes blanket regularisation
The union also opposed blanket regularisation of all working guest, ad hoc and contractual lecturers, while acknowledging their contribution to teaching and academic activities.
The ANCSU argued that such a policy could deprive qualified young aspirants of opportunities to enter the teaching profession through a fair and competitive selection process.
It urged the government to ensure that future recruitment is conducted through the NPSC, describing this as essential for maintaining transparency, merit and equal opportunity.
The union clarified that its position was not intended to undermine the legitimate service interests of existing teachers, but to ensure that their interests are balanced with those of students and aspiring candidates.
“Academic standards, merit and institutional integrity must remain non-negotiable pillars of higher education,” ANCSU stated.
It appealed to the state government and Higher Education department to reject any proposal to delink PhD from the prescribed promotion criteria and to maintain transparent recruitment procedures.