Dean selection process revamp: Industry experts, experienced pros can be directly appointed vice chancellors

The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued new rules on Jan 6 that significantly alter the process of appointing leaders in higher education.

These rules grant state governors more authority in selecting vice chancellors and allow industry professionals and public sector veterans to apply, breaking the tradition of appointing only academicians.

Government sources suggest that the new regulations will give chancellors more influence over vice chancellor selections if the rules are accepted in their current form.

This change could have a significant impact on opposition-ruled states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Kerala, where the governor, who also serves as the chancellor of state universities, and the state government are currently in conflict over senior academic appointments.

The new draft regulations, titled the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2025 (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education), also lift the cap on contract teacher appointments. Under the previous 2018 regulations, such appointments were limited to 10% of an institution's total faculty positions.

Following public feedback, the higher education regulator will finalize the new regulations.

"The Chancellor/Visitor shall constitute the Search-cum-Selection Committee comprising three experts," the new guidelines state.

Previously, the regulations had called for a search-cum-selection committee of three to five members without specifying its composition.

A senior government official claims the UGC’s rules, particularly those related to academic appointments, also apply to state universities due to at least two Supreme Court rulings.

State governors who act as chancellors of state universities now hold more authority in the selection process and have the final say on vice chancellor appointments.

The draft guidelines also warn that failure to adhere to the new regulations could lead to an institution being excluded from offering degree programs or participating in UGC schemes.

“We revise UGC regulations based on past experiences. In terms of vice chancellor appointments, we’ve tried to make the process as clear as possible, leaving no room for ambiguity,” said a senior government official.

When asked whether the ongoing conflict between state governments and governors influenced the changes, the official replied, "The regulation doesn’t mention the governor anywhere."

The new guidelines state that the chancellor will select the committee members.

According to the new draft regulations, vice chancellors do not need to be professors. They can now be senior professionals from industry, public policy, public administration, or the public sector.

Another significant change is the removal of the Academic Performance Indicators (API) system, which used quantitative metrics like journal publications to recruit and promote faculty.

Instead, the new approach considers “notable contributions” in nine categories, including teaching in Indian languages, research in Indian Knowledge Systems, and digital content creation for MOOCs.

UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar explained that the API system in the 2018 regulations "heavily relied on quantitative metrics, reducing academic performance to numerical scores."

He added, “In the previous regulations, candidates were often judged primarily on metrics like journal or conference publications. The 2025 regulations eliminate the API-based shortlisting and adopt a more qualitative approach, allowing selection committees to assess candidates holistically.”

One key contribution to be considered is involvement in a "startup" registered with the Registrar of Companies, where the individual has played a significant role in raising funds through government, angel, or venture capital.

Other contributions that will be recognized include creative teaching, research or teaching lab development, consulting or sponsored research funding, student internships, and community engagement.

Kumar highlighted that the new regulations seek to identify leaders capable of navigating complex systems, fostering innovation, and building collaborations between academia, industry, and society, in alignment with the vision of NEP 2020.

Under the previous 2018 regulations, vice chancellors were required to have a minimum of 10 years of experience as professors or in academic leadership positions.

The new draft regulations expand this to include experience in senior roles in industry, public policy, and the public sector, with a "proven track record of significant academic or scholarly contributions."

The candidate must also have "distinguished academic qualifications and demonstrated leadership capabilities."

Regarding the removal of the cap on contract teacher appointments, Kumar explained it was done to give higher education institutions more flexibility, especially in state universities with many vacant faculty positions.

He added, “Once the state governments fill the vacancies, contract-based appointments are expected to decrease.”

Additionally, the new draft regulations allow candidates with undergraduate or graduate degrees in a different subject than their PhD to be eligible for teacher appointments in that subject.

Candidates may also be appointed based on their performance in qualifying exams like the NET or SET, even if their undergraduate or graduate subject differs.

This flexibility aims to promote a more interdisciplinary approach within universities, in line with the goals of NEP 2020.

“This flexibility will help remove rigid subject boundaries, allowing faculty applicants to transition across disciplines and create a more multidisciplinary ecosystem on university campuses,” Kumar concluded.