Editor,
I would like to express my personal experiences and observations in recent faculty selection in various departments at Arunachal Pradesh University, Pasighat. Many candidates who appeared for the recent university interview for faculty positions are deeply disappointed after the release of the result notification on 30th September, 2025. On reading the notification, it becomes clear that the selection process has not been handled in a transparent or fair manner in some department. What makes the matter worse is that, as several candidates have observed, some selected individuals have lower API scores and no teaching or research experience, while many highly qualified candidates – including Ph.D. holders, postdoctoral researchers, and JRF-qualified scholars – were ignored completely. Out of the 32 candidates selected or waitlisted, 10 do not hold a Ph.D degree. This has raised serious concerns about the fairness of the interviews and whether the university adhered to UGC and NEP 2020 guidelines.
The National Education Policy 2020 clearly talks about improving the quality of higher education by recruiting teachers through transparent, fair, and merit-based processes. It emphasizes selecting the best minds who can contribute to research, teaching, and innovation. But in this case, the outcome seems to go against that spirit. When deserving candidates with years of research experience and strong academic credentials are left out in favor of less-qualified ones, it sends a very discouraging message to young scholars who have worked hard to build their careers.
Certain departments lacked a female observer or board member during interviews. As per result, out of 10 selected or waitlisted candidates without a Ph.D., 9 are female without PhD. Female board members play a vital role in providing perspective, maintaining gender equity, and ensuring that the selection process is fair and inclusive.
Universities are places where fairness, truth, and merit should always come first. If the selection process itself is doubtful, it affects not just the rejected candidates but the entire academic community. To truly follow the vision of NEP 2020, every university must ensure that recruitment is transparent, merit-based, and accountable – not influenced by bias or favouritism.
Aggrieved candidate