The Delhi University has revised its criteria for hiring assistant professors in colleges, adding a new requirement of a “presentation,” sparking criticism from the teaching community, which is calling for a reversal.

Under the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for teacher recruitment, the university has increased the minimum eligibility from 50 to 55 points, with a five-point relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

Candidates will now undergo a two-stage selection process, which includes a presentation and an interview with the selection committee. The presentation will evaluate factors like “humility, passion, and zeal for teaching,” and candidates will also be assessed on their writing skills through an on-the-spot essay.

Furthermore, the weightage given to different assessment components has been altered. Objective parameters such as academic record, experience, and research performance now contribute 20 points out of 100, while subjective parameters carry greater weight, leading to concerns about arbitrary assessment.

Maya John, a member of the university’s Academic Council, criticized the changes, labeling them as arbitrary and lacking clear rationale. She argued that the new SOP would limit the number of applicants and negatively impact ongoing interviews, potentially displacing long-serving ad hoc teachers.

Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, urged for a rollback of the SOP, emphasizing that new selection criteria should not be introduced mid-process. She expressed concerns about the centralization of the selection process, which she believes could lead to corruption.

Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected Member of the Academic Council, asserted that the SOP violates UGC guidelines and called for its immediate withdrawal. He highlighted discrepancies between the SOP and UGC regulations, particularly concerning the introduction of a “Presentation Assessment Committee.”

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