An amendment to the Maharashtra Universities Act has altered the eligibility criteria for candidates who wish to contest the university senate elections. The amendment requires teachers and principals who wish to contest the senate elections to hold a PhD degree.

The new criteria will be introduced after the present senate’s term ends in October 2011.

Senate member Subhash Athavale has termed the amendment as unfair. “In case of principals the eligibility for contesting elections is in harmony with the eligibility for principal’s appointment. It appears that care has been taken to include the cutoff date of October 13, 2000, prior to which principals were not required to have PhD degree. However, the eligibility rule for teachers is not in harmony with the existing rules for appointment of teachers,” said Athavale.

Besides holding a PhD degree, principals and teachers will be required to have served at least five times either as a paper setter or examiner or moderator or chairman/coordinator of Central Assessment Programme (CAP) at the university exams.

“As per existing rules librarians are not only eligible to vote but also to contest. With the condition of experience in the examination process librarians would automatically become ineligible to contest from the teacher’s constituency to the university’s senate.”

Athavale added that MUCTA is exploring violation of the model code of conduct as the amendment was brought into effect on September 14.