Sikkim High Court in Dechen Ongmu Bhutia and Anr Vs. Sikkim Public Service Commission and Anr — W.P. (C) No.13 of 2018, refused to include M.Phil. as a qualification in the recruitment of Assistant Professor. Although it had appeared in the advertisement issued by Sikkim Public Service Commission it was later rectified by issuing a corrigendum. The court held that if the qualification prescribed went against the recruitment rules and was rectified such amendment cannot be illegal.
The University Grants Commission, through a letter, announced the amendment to the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Higher Education) Regulations 2018. As per the amendment, the UGC, owing to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has extended the date of applicability of mandatory Ph.D. qualification for direct recruitment of Assistant Professors. The earlier date of applicability was 01.07.2021; the revised date is now 01.07.2021.