Bringing a marking system in the National Eligibility Test (NET) and taking a step towards ending the entrance examinations conducted by universities for the PhD programmes, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to make the NET as “one national entrance test” for PhD admissions.
UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar said in a statement here on Thursday that from the upcoming academic session of 2024-2025, the universities in the country will have the opportunity to utilise NET scores for admissions to PhD programmes, replacing the need for separate entrance tests conducted by individual universities and higher education institutions (HEIs). “This marks an important step in streamlining the admissions process and enhancing accessibility for aspiring doctoral candidates,” he claimed.
UGC Secretary Manish Joshi said in a public notice sent to all universities and HEIs that the UGC had constituted an expert committee to review the provisions of the NET and based on its recommendations the UGC decided on March 13 that the NET score could be used for PhD admissions. He said the NET candidates will be declared eligible in three categories, such as admission to PhD with Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), eligible to be appointed as Assistant Professor and only for PhD programmes.
