We, the undersigned candidates and supporters, respectfully urge the Bihar State University Service Commission (BSUSC) to reconsider the rejection of candidates possessing allied postgraduate qualifications and valid National Eligibility Test (NET) qualifications for the post of Assistant Professor in Botany under Advertisement No. AP-BOTN-22/20-21.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), through its regulations, prescribes that the minimum eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor is a Master's degree with at least 55% marks in the concerned, relevant, or allied subject along with NET qualification (or Ph.D. as applicable under UGC norms).

Many candidates who have completed their postgraduate studies in allied branches of Life Sciences from reputed institutions across India and have qualified the CSIR-UGC NET in Life Sciences have been declared ineligible by BSUSC. The stated reason is that their postgraduate specialization is not considered an allied subject of Botany and that they did not have Botany as a major subject at the undergraduate level.

This decision raises serious concerns regarding academic fairness and adherence to the spirit of UGC regulations. Modern biological sciences are highly interdisciplinary. Subjects such as Life Sciences, Biological sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Plant Biotechnology, Biotechnology, Toxicology Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Environmental Sciences, and related disciplines share substantial overlap with Botany and contribute significantly to teaching and research in higher education.

By excluding qualified NET-certified candidates from allied disciplines, BSUSC is:

• Restricting healthy academic competition.
• Ignoring the interdisciplinary nature of modern biological sciences.
• Preventing highly qualified researchers and scholars from contributing to Bihar's higher education system.
• Reducing the talent pool available for university teaching positions.
• Creating barriers that are not explicitly mandated by UGC eligibility criteria.

We firmly believe that recruitment should be based on academic competence, research capability, subject expertise, and nationally recognized eligibility examinations rather than restrictive interpretations that exclude deserving candidates.

Our Demands
Immediate review of the rejection of allied science candidates in Assistant Professor (Botany) recruitment under Advertisement No. AP-BOTN-22/20-21.
Transparent publication of the criteria used to determine "allied subjects" for Botany.
Alignment of recruitment practices with UGC Regulations and interdisciplinary academic standards.
Constitution of an independent expert committee to evaluate the eligibility of allied subject candidates.
Equal opportunity for all qualified candidates possessing recognized allied postgraduate degrees and valid NET qualifications.
Higher education thrives on diversity of knowledge, interdisciplinary expertise, and fair competition. Bihar deserves the best educators and researchers, regardless of rigid disciplinary boundaries.

We appeal to BSUSC and the Government of Bihar to ensure justice, transparency, and equal opportunity for all deserving candidates.

Sign this petition to support academic fairness and protect the rights of qualified allied science candidates.

#JusticeForAlliedScienceCandidates #BSUSC #AssistantProfessorRecruitment #AcademicFairness #UGCGuidelines #EqualOpportunity