The government of Maharashtra has amended rules for recruitment to state-owned universities to fill faculty vacancies and enhance transparency. Academic, teaching, and research (ATR) credentials now have 75% weightage, and interview performance has been curtailed to 25%. Students need to secure a minimum of 50 out of 75 in ATR to make it to the interview round.
Move Follows NIRF Ranking Concerns
The reform follows a dip in NIRF rankings of state universities. Changes were approved by Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil in a Government Resolution (GR) to clear long-pending faculty recruitment at universities and affiliated colleges.
Scoring System Based on Institution Reputation
For appointments as assistant professors, the marks will be assigned on the basis of the ranking and fame of the awarding institution. Students from IITs, IIMs, IISERs, NITs, and top 200 universities in the world will get full marks, and students from lower-ranked or UGC-approved institutions will get proportionally lower marks. Universities that are in the top 100 NIRF or top 200 worldwide have 90% of the aggregate marks and universities ranked between 200 and 500 have 80%.
Streamlined Rules for Administrative Jobs
Major administrative jobs like registrar, finance officer, and directors will adopt a 100-mark scheme, where half the marks, i.e., 50 marks, will be for educational qualifications. Candidate presentations will be part of interviews, to be video recorded and sealed for legal audit if necessary.
Improving Transparency and Talent Acquisition
The revised rules aim to streamline recruitment, attract qualified talent, and enhance transparency, strengthening the overall quality and competitiveness of Maharashtra’s higher education system.
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