Mumbai: The state government has approved the recruitment process for teaching positions in non-agricultural universities, with a new selection methodology set to be implemented to “ensure greater transparency and impartiality”.

The revised process, which prioritises merit, was announced on Thursday by Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, who emphasised that the changes aim to improve fairness and efficiency in faculty recruitment.

Speaking about the reforms, Patil said that the recruitment of assistant professors, associate professors, and professors in universities would now be conducted through a structured grading system. This system, introduced under the guidance of the Governor, who also serves as the Chancellor for state universities, would assess candidates based on their academic credentials and performance in interviews. Both factors will be integrated into the selection process to ensure fairness and objectivity.

“Academic qualifications, research contributions, and teaching proficiency will be accorded 80% weightage, while the interview will contribute 20% to the overall evaluation. Candidates must secure at least 50% out of a total score of 100 to be considered for final selection,” Patil informed.

During the interview stage, various aspects, including teaching aptitude, research expertise, seminar presentations, lecture demonstrations, and discussions on modern teaching and research technologies, will be evaluated.

“To further enhance transparency, all selection committee meetings will be recorded in audio-visual format. Upon the completion of the selection process, these recordings will be securely sealed with the signatures of all attending committee members,” said Patil.

Additionally, the announcement clarified that interview results would be disclosed either on the same day or the following day. The revised selection procedure will be applicable to all assistant professor, associate professor, and professor appointments.

Universities currently engaged in faculty recruitment under previous guidelines have been permitted to conclude their ongoing selection processes. However, all future recruitment exercises will strictly adhere to the newly established procedure.

Patil expressed confidence that the revised selection methodology would expedite recruitment processes while maintaining high standards of transparency.