How To Become a Professor in India?

Simran Rastogi -

If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.

- Chinese Proverb

One of the greatest saints and mystic poets of India said that 'Guru Govind dou khade, kake lagoon paay; Balihari Guru aapne, Govind diyo bataye', this is a Sanskrit saying by Kabir Das which means, 'If Guru(teacher) and God both are standing in front of us, whose feet shall I touch first (in order to pay respect) and decides to touch Guru's feet first as Guru was the one who introduced him to God.

The educational culture of India is beautiful, the students remember their professor/lecturer who taught them years ago and even visit them whenever possible. This is one of the reasons why teaching is a desirable role and is considered one of the noblest professions by everyone.

What are the qualities of a good Professor/Lecturer?

  • Classroom management skills
  • Passion and love for the job
  • Deep knowledge of the subject
  • Desire to learn new things
  • Problem-solving ability
  • Patience
  • Confidence
  • Good communication skills

Duties and Responsibilities of a Professor/Lecturer?

  • Prepare discourses and synopsis for the classes.
  • Rate the class assignments.
  • Research new patterns to teach students.
  • Supervise the students in every way possible.
  • Help students in maintaining a study-life balance
  • Give seminars and lectures outside the campus.

What is the age limit to become a Professor/Lecturer?

Luckily, the UGC has set no fixed age bars for the teachers as many students do take time to choose their career options. Hence, this is a piece of good news for the candidates who aspire to be Professors/lecturers.

Educational Qualification required for being a Professor/Lecturer

A candidate must hold a master's degree from a recognized university and should score a minimum percentage of marks. Only then would they be eligible for being a professor/lecturer. This percentage may have a different basis including reservations.

The candidates belonging to the general category must have a minimum of 55% in order to be eligible for lecturership. Whereas the candidates who belong to the reserved categories such as ST/SC/OBC/PWD/Transgenders must score a minimum of 50% marks in masters to be eligible for being a lecturer.

What are NET Exams and Why Are They Important to Become a Professor/Lecturer?

NET- National Eligibility Test is also known as UGC- NET. The National testing agency conducts this National Eligibility Test on behalf of UGC. The Central Board of Secondary Education has also been conducting the UGC NET exam since 2018. In recent times, the NET exam is conducted twice a year by UGC. It is conducted online in the months of December and June. The cut-off for the general category of NET is 40% in the paper, and for the schedule tribe, PWD, and the transgender category, it is 35%. The cut-off list is updated each year, so the students are advised to check the details as per the year they will be appearing.

The candidates also get an age limit relaxation of up to 5 years if candidates belong to SC/ST category. The candidates who served in the armed forces, and have research experience also receive 5 years of age relaxation to appear in the exam.  

CSIR NET- CSIR NET is a national-level exam that is conducted by the NTA or National Testing Agency. The goal is the selection of candidates for awarding the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and the determination of the eligibility for the appointment of candidates as lecturers. The appointment of candidates takes place in Indian universities and colleges. Candidates who clear this exam can become professors in subjects falling under the Faculty of Science & Technology only. The requirements for the same are the maximum age to apply: 28 years and a degree in Pharma/ B.Tech/ BE/ MBBS/ BS (4 years)/ Integrated BS-MS/ MSc with a minimum of 55% is mandatory.

Are Ph.D. students required to appear for NET?

As per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India, the candidates who hold a Ph.D. degree can directly apply for lecturer jobs by fulfilling certain conditions-

  • The Ph.D. degree that the candidate holds must be obtained through regular mode and not correspondence.
  • The research thesis of the candidate must be assessed by a minimum of two external examiners.
  • The candidate must have two published papers in the research journal based on their Ph.D. thesis.

“I’m not sayin’ I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will" -Tupac Shakur

Happy Learning and Happy Teaching!


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