Patna High Court on Monday quashed a petition seeking relaxation in University Grants Commission (UGC) rules for appointment of college teachers in Bihar.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice I.A. Ansari and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh had earlier reserved its order in the case while hearing a writ petition filed by one Rakesh Kumar Singh and other petitioners.

The petitioner had challenged the UGC regulations, which set National Eligibility Test (NET) or State-Level Eligibility Test (SLET) or PhD as per UGC's 2009 guidelines essential qualification for lectureship. According to UGC guidelines, candidates who got their PhD before 2009 would have to clear NET to be eligible for college teacher posts.

The petitioners wanted some relaxations with the PhD factor vis-a-vis qualification for the post. The court had earlier directed the governor-cum-chancellor, central government and the UGC to file a counter-affidavit in this connection.

Though the petitioners had requested the court to stay the selection process, the bench, in its earlier order, said: "We are not inclined to accede to the request. Selection process may go on. The only precaution to be taken is that the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) shall prepare separate set of proceedings in respect of candidates who are otherwise eligible according to the statutes as they stand now on the one hand, and another set for those who became eligible only on account of the orders of this Court."

The bench, however, passed certain interim orders, enabling candidates who hold a PhD to apply.

It took notice of three decisions - of the Delhi High Court, Rajasthan High Court and Madras High Court - in which the challenge to the University Grants Commission regulation had been rejected.

The state government this September started the process of teachers' appointment at universities after 11 years through an open advertisement for filling up vacant posts.

The teachers' appointment was to be carried out by BPSC for filling 3,364 posts in the rank of assistant professors.

As recruitment is taking place after such a long time, universities across the state are facing a severe teacher crunch. Against the sanctioned strength of 880 teachers, Patna University currently has 354.

BPSC had issued university-wise and subject-wise advertisements against vacancy. The highest number of vacancies subject-wise was in psychology, short of 290 assistant professors.

Similarly, 277 assistant professor posts were lying vacant in the political science department.