The University Grants Commission (UGC), in an attempt to harness the experience and calibre of industry experts, has proposed to do away with the mandatory requirement for a PhD in order to teach at central universities across the country. "There are courses such as media, law and international relations, where people might be outstanding in their field, but might not possess a PhD. There is a lot to be gained by students in such fields to learn from industry experts," says UGC Chairman, M Jagadesh Kumar.

The decision was taken on March 11 after long deliberations with about 45 vice-chancellors of various central universities across the country on improving the research ecosystem in the educational institutions, in collaboration with domain experts.

However, Kumar clarifies that there will be no impact on existing positions in the varieties, and their appointments, promotions and pay will continue as is. The appointment of these professionals will be done to new positions that will be created within the varsity. These will be called Professor of Practice and Assistant Professor of Practise.

Kumar says that he intends to implement this decision as early as possible and an expert committee with academicians and industry experts will be formed to fix standards for the appointment of the professionals. These standards will be regulated and will not be left to the discretion of the varsities, Kumar clarified. The committee will formulate a list of recommendations over the next six months, which will be up on the UGC's website for feedback from all stakeholders, said Kumar.

So, what will these newly appointed professionals teach? That, Kumar says, will be left to the respective university and the Professor of Practice, to discuss internally with their board of studies to decide if they wish to teach a fresh course or existing courses and subjects. "These professionals will be extremely valuable to the education ecosystem, as they can motivate students and teachers towards not just further research, but also towards start-ups and entrepreneurship," believes Kumar. The universities will also be allowed to decide on the nature of the training these professionals will require to teach their respective courses.

Another proposal that Kumar has on his mind is for the professional sectors to introduce 'sabbatical leaves' that are allotted to professors to retain their job at the varsity while taking a year off to work in their respective industries. A reciprocating measure from the industry would provide professionals with a passion for teaching to share their expertise with students, says Kumar.