This article is authored by Akash Krishnan, a student of ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad. It discusses in detail the process of recruitment and promotion of law teachers in India and the salary accorded to them according to the 7^th pay commission as prescribed by the UGC.

Introduction 

Teachers are undoubtedly the fundamental pillars of education. But have you ever wondered as to how their posts are designated or how much are they paid? All these aspects are governed by the UGC Regulations On Minimum Qualifications For Appointment Of Teachers And Other Academic Staff In Universities And Colleges And Measures For The Maintenance Of Standards In Higher Education, 2018. This article will introduce you to the world behind the classroom and help you understand how law teachers are recruited and promoted in India. Read along if you are looking forward to building a career in academics.

Recruitment of Law Professors in India

Assistant Professor

Eligibility

To become eligible for the post of Assistant Professor, an individual has to fulfill one of the following criteria:

Criterion 1

1. A Master‘s degree with 55% marks in a law subject from an Indian University or an equivalent degree from an accredited foreign university.
2. The individual should clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), or a similar test accredited by the UGC, like SLET/SET.
3. The individual possessing a Ph.D. degree in accordance with the UGC Regulations may be exempted from clearing the aforesaid examinations, provided the individual has begun with the Ph.D. program before July 11, 2009.  
4. Also, Ph.D. candidates can be exempted from the aforesaid examinations if they meet the following conditions:

• The Ph.D. degree has been awarded in a regular mode.
• The Ph.D. thesis has been evaluated by at least two external examiners.
• An open Ph.D. viva voce of the candidate has been conducted.
• The candidate has published two research papers from his/her Ph.D. work, out of which at least one is in a refereed journal.
• The candidate has presented at least two papers based on his/her Ph.D. work in conferences that are sponsored by the UGC, ICSSR, CSIR, or any other similar agency.

Whether or not these conditions are met has to be decided by the Registrar or the Dean of Academic Affairs of the concerned University.

Criterion 2

The Ph.D. degree has been obtained from a foreign university that has been ranked among the top 500 in the World University Rating by any of the following bodies at any point in time:

1. Quacquarelli Symonds (QS),
2. The Times Higher Education (THE),
3. The Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai).

Associate Professor

Eligibility

1. A Ph.D. degree in the concerned subject of law and a good academic record.
2. A Master‘s degree with 55% marks in a law subject.
3. Minimum teaching or research experience: 8 years
4. Research paper publications: At least 7 publications in a peer-reviewed UGC-listed journal with a total research score of 75.

Professor

Eligibility

To become eligible for the post of Professor, an individual has to fulfill one of the following criteria:

Criterion 1

The individual should possess a Ph.D. degree and should have published a minimum of 10 high-quality research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals with a total research score of 120. The individual should also possess a minimum of 10 years of teaching experience in a university or college as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and/or research experience at an equivalent level and the individual should have guided at least one doctoral candidate.

Criterion 2

An outstanding professional who has a Ph.D. degree in the relevant legal subject and the individual should have made a significant contribution to increasing the knowledge in the concerned legal subject. Along with these qualifications, it is necessary that the individual possesses at least 10 years of teaching experience.

Senior Professor in Universities

In every concerned university, at most 10% of the existing Professors in the University should be appointed as Senior Professors.

Eligibility 

1. An outstanding professional and has published multiple high-quality research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals.
2. A minimum of 10 years of teaching and/or research experience as a Professor or an equivalent grade in a national level university.
3. The selection committee should comprise three subject experts, not below the rank of a Senior Professor or a Professor having at least 10 years of experience.
4. The selection criterion to be followed by the committee is two-pronged. Firstly, they should review the 10 best publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals, and secondly, there should have been at least two doctoral candidates who have been guided by the individual in the last 10 years.  

Vice Principal

Eligibility

A minimum of 15 years of teaching and/or research experience as a Professor/Associate Professor or an equivalent grade in a national level university.

College Principal and Professor

Eligibility

1. A Ph.D. degree.
2. A minimum of 15 years of teaching and/or research experience as a Professor/Associate Professor or an equivalent grade in a national level university.
3. At least 10 research publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals with a minimum research score of 110.]

Promotion of Law Professors under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS)

Assistant Professor, Entry Level to Assistant Professor, Senior Scale

Eligibility

1. The individuals who are holding the posts of Assistant Professors are eligible for the promotion, provided they meet the following qualifications:
2. Have a Ph.D. degree in law along with a minimum teaching experience of 4 years.
3. Have a PG degree in law along with a minimum teaching experience of 5 years.
4. Have no Ph.D. or PG degree in law but have teaching experience of over 6 years.
5. Along with the aforesaid qualifications, the individual should have attended one orientation course of 21 days on teaching methodology and should have completed one of the following courses:

• One Refresher / Research Methodology course; or
• Any two of the following: Workshop, Syllabus Up-gradation Workshop, Training Teaching-Learning Evaluation, Technology Programmes, and Faculty Development Programmes of at least one week (5 days) duration or completed one MOOCs course (with e-certification) or development of e-contents in four-quadrants / MOOCs course during the assessment period.

CAS Promotion criterion

The individual shall be promoted if he/she gets a satisfactory or good grade in the annual performance assessment reports of at least three/four/five of the last four/five/six years of the assessment period. The promotion is recommended by the screening-cum-evaluation committee.

Assistant Professor, Senior Scale to Assistant Professor, Selection Grade

Eligibility

1. Only those Assistant Professors are eligible who have completed five years of service as an Assistant Professor, Senior Scale.
2. The Assistant Professor should have completed any two of the following in the last five years: Completed courses/programs from among the categories of Refresher courses/Research Methodology course/Workshops/Syllabus Up-Gradation Workshop/ Teaching-Learning-Evaluation/ Technology Programmes/Faculty Development Programme/ Syllabus Up-gradation Workshop/ Teaching-Learning Evaluation/ Technology Programmes/Faculty Development Programmes of at least two weeks (ten days) duration (or completed two courses of at least one week (five days) duration in lieu of every single course/program of at least two weeks (ten days) duration); or 
3. Completed MOOCs course in the relevant subject (with e-certification), contribution towards development of e-content in 4-quadrant (at least one quadrant) minimum of 10 modules of a course/contribution towards the development of at least 10 modules of MOOCs course/contribution towards conducting a MOOCs course during the period of assessment.

CAS Promotion Criteria

An Assistant Professor shall be promoted if he/she gets a satisfactory or good grade in the annual performance assessment reports of at least four of the last five years of the assessment period and the promotion is recommended by the screening-cum-evaluation committee.

Assistant Professor, Selection Grade to Associate Professor

Eligibility

1. Only those Assistant Professors are eligible who have completed five years of service as an Assistant Professor, Selection Grade, and have a Ph.D. degree in law.  
2. The Assistant Professor should have completed any two of the following in the last three years:

• A course/program from amongst the categories of Refresher courses/ Methodology Workshop/Syllabus Up-gradation Workshop/ Teaching Learning-Evaluation Technology Programme/ Faculty Development Programme of at least two weeks (ten days) duration (or completed two courses of at least one week (five days) duration in lieu of every single course/program of at least two weeks (ten days) duration); or completed one MOOCs course (with e-certification).
• A contribution towards development of e-contents in 4-quadrant (at least one quadrant) minimum of 10 modules of a course/contribution towards the development of at least 10 modules of MOOCs course/ contribution towards the conduct of a MOOCs course during the period of assessment.

CAS Promotion Criteria

An Assistant Professor shall be promoted if he/she gets a satisfactory or good grade in the annual performance assessment reports of at least two of the last three years of the assessment period and the promotion to the post of Associate Professor is recommended by the selection committee in accordance with these Regulations.

Associate Professor to Professor

Eligibility

Only those Assistant Professors are eligible who have completed three years of service as an Associate Professor, have a Ph.D. degree in law, have minimum 10 publications in UGC-listed or peer-reviewed journals out of which at least three should be published in the assessment period. The research work should have a minimum research score of 110.  

CAS Promotion Criteria

An Assistant Professor shall be promoted if he/she gets a satisfactory or good grade in the annual performance assessment reports of at least two of the last three years of the assessment period and the promotion to the post of Professor is recommended by the selection committee constituted in accordance with these Regulations.

Professor to Senior Professor

Eligibility

Only those Professors are eligible who have at least 10 years experience as a Professor and at least 10 publications in peer-reviewed or UGC-listed journals and he has guided at least 2 candidates towards achieving their respective Ph.D. degrees during the assessment period.

CAS Promotion Criteria

A Professor is eligible for the promotion if, based on academic achievement, the Professor receives a favorable review from three eminent subject-experts who are not of the rank lower than the rank of a Senior Professor or a Professor having at least ten years of experience. The selection shall be based on the 10 best publications during the last 10 years and interaction with a Selection Committee constituted in accordance with these Regulations.

Assessment criteria by the Selection or the Screening Committee

The assessment for the CAS Promotion schemes is based on the following parameters:

Teaching-Learning and Evaluation

This is determined based on characteristics like being regular to class, punctuality to class, remedial teaching and clarifying doubts within and outside the class hours, counseling and mentoring, additional teaching to support the college/university as and when the need arises, etc. Examination and evaluation activities like performing of examination supervision duties, question-papers setting for university/college examinations, participation in the evaluation of examination answer scripts, conducting examinations for internal assessment as per the schedule to be announced by the institution at the beginning of each Academic Session and returning and discussing the answers in the class.

Personal development related to teaching and research activities

Attending orientation/refresher/methodology courses, development of e-contents and MOOCs, organising seminar/ conference/workshop/presentation of papers and chairing of sessions/guiding and carrying out research projects and publishing the research output in national and international journals, etc.

Administrative support and participation in students’ co-curricular and extra-curricular activities

Being part of the administrative activities of the university, i.e., being part of the preparation of syllabus, organising college events, accompanying students for extra-curricular activities to other universities, etc.

Assessment process

The process for assessment is based on a three-pronged approach:

Step 1

The university teachers shall submit to the university an annual self-appraisal report at the end of every academic year and provide documentary evidence for the claims made thereunder. The same has to be verified by the HOD/Teacher-in-charge, etc.

Step 2

If the teacher fulfills the qualifications for promotion, he/she shall submit an application for promotion under CAS.

Step 3

Granting of CAS promotion based on the established criterion.

Promotion and salary scheme of law professors under the 7^th pay commission scheme

Pay band 15,600-39,100 37,400-67000

Grade Pay	6000	7000	8000	9000	10000
Rationalised Entry Pay based on Academic Level
Academic Level	10	11	12	12A	14
Assistant Professor, Entry Level	77,500	92,600	1,07,200	1,70,500	1,93,300
Assistant Professor, Senior Scale	79,800	95,400	1,10,400	1,81,800	1,99,600
Assistant Professor, Selection Grade	82200	98000	113700	197300	205000
Associate Professor	84700	101200	117100	192900	211800
Professor	87200	104200	120800	198700	218200
Senior Professor	89600	107300	124200	204700

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