After SC order, MP to restart process for recruiting 1,646 college professors

The Madhya Pradesh government will re-start the process for recruiting 1,646 assistant professors to comply with a Supreme Court order upholding the University Grants Commission’s norms making national eligibility test or state level eligibility test mandatory for aspiring teachers.

The education department had already initiated the screening of aspirants who responded to advertisements last year seeking applications for 742 backlog vacancies and 904 new posts in government colleges.

The last recruitment by the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC) was done 22 years ago.

“The recruitment process would be cancelled soon. The department has completed all the formalities and will ask MPPSC to cancel the ad. To comply with the SC order, amendments will be made in the service rules and (a) new ad will be released on the basis of amended rules,” said a senior official.

KK Singh, the principal secretary, higher education also admitted that following the apex court directive, the recruitment process has to be changed.

“We have started the process. But, the recruitment process will not be delayed and it will be completed by June so that selected candidates can join the posts at the start of academic session in July,” he said.

MPPSC secretary Manohar Dubey said the commission has not been informed about the cancellation and added that the final decision rests with the higher education department.

Academics around the country have welcomed the apex court order saying it would ensure quality education.

However, the MP Guest Lecturers’ Association felt that if the department makes NET and SLET mandatory, “it would go against 3000 guest lecturers”.

A candidate, on the condition of anonymity, also said that the government should not change the rules because the process was initiated in July last year, nine months before Supreme Court order.

“I have done Phd just to get the job but if we now stand disqualified, it would put my career in jeopardy,” the candidate added.