The interview stage will assess the candidates' teaching abilities and research aptitude, with a focus on their ability to use modern teaching technologies. (Express file photo)The teacher recruitment in non-agricultural universities in Maharashtra will finally begin as the state government has approved a new recruitment process that will include audio-visual recording of selection committee meetings and prompt decision, latest by the next day of the interview. The new process will also redefine weightages for various factors under the selection criteria.The announcement was made by Maharashtra’s higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Thursday. Under the new system, the selection process for posts such as assistant professor, associate professor and professor in all non-agricultural universities will involve a combination of factors including academic records, teaching experience, research-work and interview etc.The selection criteria will now include 80 per cent weightage to academic records of the candidates such as his/her education, research-work and teaching experience etc while the remaining 20 per cent will be based on the candidate’s interview performance. For selection, a candidate must score a minimum of 50 per cent, combining both factors. Additionally, the interview stage will assess the candidates’ teaching abilities and research aptitude, with a focus on their ability to use modern teaching technologies.In order to ensure transparency and fairness, all selection committee meetings will be recorded audio-visually, and these recordings will be sealed and signed by the committee members. The result of the interview will be declared immediately, either on the same day or the following day, to ensure swift conclusion to the selection procedure.The state government believes that fast results will leave no room for any tampering with the outcome, post the interview process. “There will be no room for any influence if results are prompt. At the same time, video-recording of the selection committee meetings will ensure a great level of transparency. These factors are expected to ensure fairness in the process of teacher recruitment,” said an official from the state higher education department.According to teacher unions, this new process is not a real solution to the rampant favouritism and other influences at play in the existing process of teacher recruitment.Professor Chandrashekhar Kulkarni, secretary of Bombay University College Teachers Union (BUCTU) said, “While the video-recording and prompt results may seem like steps towards transparency, they do not tackle the fundamental issue — the process itself is still rigged, with outcomes often pre-determined. Without addressing the deeper issues, this new procedure is merely an eyewash.”© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Maharashtra