The West Bengal Higher Education Council on Monday decided to introduce uniform recruitment norms and eligibility criteria for college teachers’ posts from this year.

The move aims to remove confusion among candidates who have graduated with honours in one subject and hold a masters degree in another. The commission’s existing recruitment norms state that a candidate can apply for teaching a subject in which s/he holds a masters degree.

The state college service commission, however, allows candidates with degrees in separate subjects to teach in colleges. The norms for different subjects are determined through government orders.

For instance, students with honours in any stream can study masters in journalism, music or fine arts.

Or a student with honours in political science can study international relations at the postgraduate level. But the criteria for seeking teaching jobs in journalism, music, fine arts or international relations are not uniform.

“We will have uniform norms for all subjects to ease confusion among job-seekers. We will urge the state government to issue an order in this regard,” said Subimal Sen, the chairman of the council.

He said candidates having honours and postgraduate degrees in the same subjects would be offered some relaxation.