NEW DELHI: With Delhi University ratifying the University Grants Commission's regulations for promotions, assistant professors can now become professors in colleges. This would, a committee formed by the university to assess the regulation stated, improve research activity in colleges.The DU administration had constituted the committee to look into the operational aspects of the UGC Regulation on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teacher and other Academic Staff in universities and colleges. The 20-member committee ratified the July 18 UGC regulation, which changes the teacher promotion policies in universities."Up till now, teachers in colleges could be promoted up to the level of associate professors only. The average age of getting assistant professorship in colleges is 26 years and a teacher becomes an associate professor at around 40 years. As there is no promotion after that and a teacher retires at 65, they are not encouraged to do any further research work," Pankaj Garg, a member of the committee, said.He added that now these teachers could become professors in colleges as well, bringing them a number of academic benefits.Garg said with these changes, teachers would be encouraged to take up research. From now, an associate professor needs to have completed three years of service, have a PhD degree in subject relevant/allied/relevant discipline and a minimum of 10 research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals (out of which three research papers should be during the assessment period) to become a professor. The 10 research papers should be in refereed journals and include two authored books with ISBN, as amended by the committee.This, according to the committee, would help boost research work in colleges as well.The committee members, in their report, stated that the university should ensure that regulations for professorship in colleges approved by the committee be implemented "so that the benefit of the fourth promotion is passed onto college teachers as well".Garg told TOI: "Many college teachers are involved in research work and have earned national and international acclaim. They deserve professorship in the truest sense. Without professorship, there is no incentive left to carry out research work."

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