In Brief
Guest lecturers with M.Phil. degrees obtained through distance education before July 2009 applied for lecturer posts in 2012 and were rejected. The State argued that UGC Regulations 2009 banned distance-mode M.Phil./Ph.D. degrees. The High Court held the regulations were prospective only and could not invalidate degrees earned before their enforcement. The Supreme Court affirmed this approach but added that NET/SLET qualification had become mandatory for lecturer appointments, with exemptions only for Ph.D. holders complying with 2009 standards. The Court disposed of the appeals while directing reconsideration of the candidates' eligibility under current qualification norms.
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