CAS promotion for UGC teachers: how many years at each stage

Published 02.11.2026 · GovSevak editorial team · how we check

If you joined as an Assistant Professor, your career under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) moves through five steps — but the waiting time at the first step depends on your highest degree, and two steps need a PhD. Here is the whole ladder on one page, straight from the UGC Regulations 2018.

✅ Checked against the official orders · last checked 13.10.2026

At a glance

Item	Detail
Rule	UGC Regulations 2018, Regulation 6.3 and Appendix II
Level 10 → 11	4 yrs with PhD · 5 with M.Phil / professional PG · 6 otherwise
Level 11 → 12	5 years
Level 12 → 13A (Associate Professor)	3 years, PhD required
Level 13A → 14 (Professor)	3 years, PhD required
Level 14 → 15 (Senior Professor)	10 years as Professor; universities only, selective
Summary	4/5/6 · 5 · 3 · 3 · 10 years

The CAS ladder at a glance

Each step is a promotion to the next Academic Level of the UGC pay matrix. The years are the minimum service in the level you are in; you also have to clear the assessment (screening-cum-evaluation or selection committee) on the criteria in Appendix II.

UGC Regulations 2018 — Career Advancement Scheme
Promotion	Academic Level	Minimum years	PhD needed?	Entry pay of new level
Assistant Professor → Assistant Professor (Senior Scale)	10 → 11	4 / 5 / 6	No	₹68,900
Assistant Professor (Senior Scale) → Assistant Professor (Selection Grade)	11 → 12	5	Universities: yes · Colleges: no	₹79,800
Assistant Professor (Selection Grade) → Associate Professor	12 → 13A	3	Yes	₹1,31,400
Associate Professor → Professor	13A → 14	3	Yes	₹1,44,200
Professor → Senior Professor	14 → 15	10	Yes	₹1,82,200

For Level 10 → 11 the three figures are for teachers with a PhD / with an M.Phil or a PG degree in a professional course such as LL.M, M.Tech or M.D. / with neither. Entry pay is the first cell of the level in the UGC pay matrix (MHRD letter of 02.11.2017).

How long to Professor, in practice

Add the steps up and the shortest path from joining to Professor looks like this — assuming every assessment is cleared on time and you meet the PhD condition before the Associate Professor step.

Promotion to	Joined with PhD	Joined without M.Phil/PhD
Assistant Professor (Senior Scale)	4 years	6 years
Assistant Professor (Selection Grade)	9 years	11 years
Associate Professor	12 years	14 years
Professor	15 years	17 years

When does the promotion take effect?

From the date of eligibility, provided you met every condition on the date you applied. If you apply late, or a condition is met only later, the date moves to when everything was in place — so it pays to apply as soon as you complete the years.

Senior Professor (Level 15)

Up to 10% of the existing Professors in a university can be promoted to Senior Professor after 10 years as Professor. It is a selective step judged on academic achievement — not an automatic CAS promotion — and it exists only in universities, not in colleges.

Calculate yours

The examples above use sample figures. Enter your own details for your exact answer — the calculation runs on your device and nothing you type is sent anywhere.

✓ FreeCAS Promotion Eligibility Calculator for UGC Teachers PremiumPay Fixation on Promotion Calculator for UGC Teachers ✓ FreeAcademic Pay Matrix Calculator for UGC Teachers PremiumPh.D. / M.Phil. Advance Increments Calculator for UGC Teachers

Frequently asked questions

How many years does an Assistant Professor need for the first CAS promotion?Four years with a PhD, five with an M.Phil or a professional PG degree (LL.M, M.Tech, M.D. and the like), and six otherwise, in Academic Level 10 — under UGC Regulations 2018, Regulation 6.3.

Is a PhD compulsory for CAS promotion?Not for the first step. For Level 11 → 12 a PhD is required in universities but not in colleges. For Associate Professor and Professor it is required everywhere.

From which date is a CAS promotion given?From the date of eligibility, if all conditions were met on the date of application; otherwise from the date they were met.

Do state universities and colleges follow the same CAS rules?Most states adopt the UGC Regulations 2018, sometimes with their own dates and orders. Check your state section on GovSevak and your university or state notification.

Official sources

UGC Regulations 2018 (ugc.gov.in) — UGC Regulations 2018 (Gazette 18.07.2018), Regulation 6.3 and Appendix II; amended 31.07.2023 and 06.06.2024 (verified 13.10.2026)
MHRD pay revision letter (ugc.gov.in) — MHRD letter No. 1-7/2015-U.II(1) dated 02.11.2017, para 10 (verified 13.10.2026)
MHRD pay revision letter (ugc.gov.in) — MHRD letter No. 1-7/2015-U.II(1) dated 02.11.2017, para 2 and Annexure-I (verified 13.10.2026)

Important: Government rules, allowances and rates change from time to time. Before you claim or decide anything, confirm with the latest official order, notification or rules of the department concerned. Every figure on this page is taken from the official orders listed above.