New Delhi: More than 1,840 industry experts and professionals have been appointed as Professors of Practice (PoP) in 349 universities and colleges across the country, the Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.
The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar in response to a written question in Rajya Sabha.
"A total of 1,841 PoP have been engaged across 349 higher education institutions (HEIs) as on January 5, 2026 as part of reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses skill-based learning and stronger industry-academia collaboration," the minister said.
"The post of Professor of Practice is a temporary post, exclusive of sanctioned post. It also provides an opportunity, to those in leadership positions in different fields, to come on honorary basis as Professor of Practice so as to give back to the society and contribute towards nation building," he added.
The highest number of Professors of Practice have been hired by private universities (715), followed by deemed universities (699), state universities (212), and central universities (15). Colleges account for another 200 such appointments, the data showed.
State-wise figures reveal that Tamil Nadu tops the list with 395 PoP, followed by Maharashtra (193), Gujarat (179), Karnataka (170) and Uttar Pradesh (157). Smaller states and Union Territories have also adopted the model, though in lower numbers.
"The maximum duration of service of Professor of Practice at a given institution should not exceed three years and is extendable by one year in exceptional cases and the total service should not exceed four years under any circumstances," the minister said.
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