Those students who had completed their PhD before 2009 through regular method will be eligible for teaching jobs without appearing for National Eligibility Test, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said today.
Irani said in Lok Sabha that the previous UPA government had decided that those students who had completed their PhD before 2009 would not be eligible for any teaching jobs.
"But this government had ensured that they get jobs too. We have taken a decision that those who did PhD before 2009 through regular process, they would be eligible for teaching jobs without appearing for National Eligibility Test.
"A notification will soon be issued in this regard. I again want to tell the House that the Narendra Modi government did not deprive anyone of their rights of getting jobs but provided them with the rights," she said during Question Hour.
Irani said she did not get any information from her Ministry as well as UGC why did the previous government decided against allowing those who had done PhD before 2009 of taking teaching jobs.
"We have tried to do justice to those who did PhD before 2009. It is a significant step. But at the same time we ensured that quality does not suffer," he said.
The Minister said those who had completed their PhD after 2010, it is mandatory for them to appear for NET. This was upheld by the Supreme Court. Because, the Supreme Court, central government and state governments have realised that for testing the capacity and competency, some kind of test is necessary.
"Besides when someone does a PhD, he or she does not do it only for taking up teaching. So, it is necessary to conduct a test to know their teaching competence," she said.
Irani also highlighted about a recently launched portal 'Know Your College' through which information is provided about colleges, be it private or government, about courses, teachers and their academic background.
Besides a student or a guardian can approach the regulatory authority through the portal or app if there is no mention of any course in the portal but being offered by the college or to check whether the course offered is genuine or not, she said.
