New API criteria for college, univ teachers provides more

The HRD ministry today defended the new UGC criteria for Academic Performance Indicators (API) for college and university teachers, saying it provides "more flexibility" even as it ruled out any possibility of reduction in number of teaching jobs.
Several teachers' bodies like DUTA have held protests against the recently notified API criteria and sought its withdrawal by UGC, claiming that it was "anti-academic" and the provision for allowing students' feedback on teachers would open a Pandora's box.
Speaking at a press conference here, Higher Education Secretary in the HRD Ministry V S Oberoi said the new API norms provided "more flexibility" and as per the rules only "serious" students who have more than 75 percent attendance will be able to give their feedback.

UGC Chairman Ved Prakash, who was also present, said there are three categories: teaching, research and co-curricular and as per the new criterion, there is more flexibility between the latter two - research and co-curricular.
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Speaking to reporters, Oberoi said UGC has laid down

norms for duration of MPhil and PhD courses.
As per the new norms, MPhil will be minimum two consecutive semesters or one year and maximum will be four consecutive semesters or two years, Oberoi said.
For PhD, the minimum time is three years and maximum six years, he added.
He said the 2009 regulations in this regard did not provide the minimum duration.

The Higher Education Secretary, however, added that the relaxations in the case of various categories like women and differently-abled remain applicable.