UGC to strengthen scrutiny on ‘Not Found Suitable’ decisions in faculty hiring

The government is moving to tighten control over the controversial “Not Found Suitable” (NFS) provision used in faculty recruitment across universities, according to a report by TOI.

A committee set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC) is expected to recommend that every instance of NFS be formally reported to the commission for review.

Universities will be required to justify each case where no suitable candidate is found, allowing the UGC to examine the reasons and offer corrective guidance or alternative recruitment options, TOI further reported.


Addressing misuse

This step comes amid concerns that the NFS clause has been misused to block candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) from securing academic positions.

The issue has also sparked political debates, with the BJP accusing the Congress of historically manipulating recruitments under the NFS pretext, while opposition parties argue that vacancies have surged under the current government.

The UGC committee, formed on June 19, is tasked with investigating the extent and root causes of the problem.

Early findings indicate that many vacancies in central universities are due to claims of “non-availability of suitable candidates” despite advertised posts. This has been a recurring concern in parliamentary discussions and other official forums.

The panel will conduct a detailed analysis of university-wise and category-wise data to determine if NFS rulings have contributed to unequal representation of reserved categories. It will also suggest measures to bridge such gaps.

According to the report, under the new oversight plan, universities must submit comprehensive reports whenever candidates meeting eligibility criteria are declared “not suitable.”

Government sources told TOI that they believe this enhanced review will uncover any biases, procedural flaws, and recommend appropriate actions such as conducting fresh recruitment drives or focused outreach to qualified applicants from underrepresented groups.