GUWAHATI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that National Eligibility Test (NET) scores will serve as the basis for admission to Ph.D. programs in lieu of the individual entrance tests conducted by universities and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
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This was notified via an official notification issued on March 27.
UGC which administers the NET through the National Testing Agency (NTA), has made revisions to the NET process, which is conducted twice annually, in June and December, primarily to award Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and determine eligibility for Assistant Professorship for individuals with a Master's degree.
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Recognising the complexities faced by students who must undertake multiple entrance tests for admission to Ph.D. programs across various universities, the UGC has streamlined the process in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020.
This decision was undertaken by an expert committee from UGC tasked with reviewing the existing provisions of the NET, which will begin from the academic session 2024-25.
Commencing from June 2024, candidates who undertake the NET will be classified into three distinct categories based on their eligibility:
1. Candidates in this category will be eligible for admission to Ph.D. programs with JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) status and will also qualify for appointment as Assistant Professors.
2. Candidates in this category will be eligible for admission to Ph.D. programs without JRF status. However, they will still qualify for appointment as Assistant Professors.
3. Candidates in this category will solely be eligible for admission to Ph.D. programs. They will not be eligible for the award of JRF or appointment as Assistant Professors.
The result of NET will be declared in percentile along with the marks obtained by a candidate to utilise the marks for admission to Ph.D.
The JRF-qualified students are admitted into the Ph.D. programme based on an interview as per the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedures for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2022.
For students who qualify in Categories 2 and 3, 70% weightage will be given for test scores and 30% weightage for the interview for admission to Ph.D. programmes. The Ph.D. admission will be based on the combined merit of NET marks and the marks obtained in the interview/viva voce.
The marks obtained in the NET by the candidates in Categories 2 and 3 will be valid for a period of one year for admission to Ph.D.
