The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) fresh draft, released by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday, proposes that clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) will no longer be mandatory for appointment as an assistant professor. The guidelines, which cover faculty recruitment and promotions in higher education institutions, aim to remove “rigidity” from the eligibility criteria and align university hiring practices with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The draft regulations also mention a major change in the appointment of vice-chancellors (VCs), effectively giving state governors broader powers in the selection process. As chancellors of state universities, governors would not only have greater control but also the final say in VC appointments. Industry experts, public sector veterans, and senior administrators could also be considered for VC positions, thus breaking the long-held tradition of restricting the role to career academics only.