Hiring of Contractual Teachers in higher educational institutions

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

LOK SABHA

ANSWERED ON 11.12.2013

(a) whether due to shortage of qualified teachers, higher educational institutions are resorting to hiring under-qualified teachers on contractual basis which is affecting the quality of higher education; 

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number and percentage of contractual teachers working in educational institutions; 

(c) whether the Government has fixed any minimum qualification and salary for appointing teachers on permanent/ contractual basis and if so, the details thereof; 

(d) the action taken/being taken by the Government against colleges/universities which are not following such guidelines; and 

(e) the steps taken by the Government to improve the standard of higher education in the country?

(a) & (b) : Yes, Madam. The University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2010 stipulate that teachers should be appointed on a contract basis only when it is absolutely necessary and when the student-teacher ratio does not satisfy the laid down norms. In any case, the number of such appointments should not exceed 10% of the total number of faculty positions in a College/University. Since the number of such faculty and their percentages keep fluctuating, it is not possible to maintain such data centrally. 

(c): Yes, Madam. The Regulations stipulates that qualifications and selection procedure for appointment of teachers on a contract basis shall be the same as applicable to a regularly appointed teacher. The fixed emoluments paid to such contract teachers should not be less than the monthly gross salary of a regularly appointed Assistant Professor. Such appointments should not be made initially for more than one academic session, and the performance of any such entrant teacher should be reviewed for academic performance before reappointing her/him on contract basis for another session. Such appointments on a contract basis may also be resorted to when absolutely necessary to fill vacancies arising due to child care leave, sabbatical leave etc. The details of minimum qualification and salary for appointing teachers on permanent and contractual basis are described under clause 4.4.0 and 13.0 of these regulations, which are available at www.ugc.ac.in. 

(d): The regulations issued by the UGC are mandatory in nature and are binding on all the universities. The review undertaken by the UGC and the mandatory accreditation of the Higher Education Institution bring out, in the public domain, the deficiencies in standards which the institute in question has to take steps to remedy. The Commission can even withhold grants to the Institution to make it comply with its standards. 

(e): Quality enhancement and improvement in standards of higher education in all Universities, including new Universities, is an ongoing process. The UGC conducts a comprehensive review of each State University before it is included in Section 2(f) and Section 12B of the UGC Act,1956. The UGC has issued Regulations on “Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education, 2010” which set the standards of teaching in Indian Universities. In order to improve quality of teachers and teaching, National Eligibility Test (NET) and State Level Eligibility test (SLET) have been made compulsory requirements, with the only exception being those who have completed Ph.D in accordance with the UGC 

(Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil/Ph.D Degree), Regulations 2009. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), an autonomous body established by the UGC, accredits universities and colleges on various parameters of quality. The UGC has issued regulations making accreditation mandatory for higher educational institutions.