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Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has announced that it will accept UGC NET score instead of the PhD entrance exam conducted by NTA for admission to its PhD courses from the current academic year. The prestigious university has taken this decision in view of the National Education Policy 2020. To help students, UGC wants students to take a single national entrance examination. The notice issued by JNU on Saturday said that the UGC, vide its public notice dated March 27, 2024, has decided that the scores of the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the UGC and CSIR will be used for admission to universities/higher education institutions. The entrance examination for admission to PhD courses can be done at the place of examination.
Following these guidelines, JNU has opted to use the UGC NET score for PhD admissions. Instead of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which was earlier conducting separate PhD entrance test, now admission to PhD will be done on the basis of UGC NET score.
Recently, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) had protested in front of the University Grants Commission (UGC) headquarters. UGC Joint Secretary had also met JNUSU officials. JNUSU said that the arbitrary decision to take admission on the basis of NET score instead of PhD entrance exam will turn many students, especially those from deprived sections, away from research and the doors of universities will be closed for many students. The Joint Secretary of UGC had replied that they would hold an internal meeting on these points. It was also pointed out that universities have the autonomy to conduct their own entrance examinations.
JNUSU will meet the Admission Director on April 29 and demand that the PhD entrance exam be conducted through JNUEE this year and beyond.
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Students with four-year bachelor's degree will now be able to directly pursue PhD
Students with a four-year undergraduate degree can now directly appear for the National Eligibility Test (NET) as well as pursue a Ph.D. Candidates will be required to have a minimum of 75 per cent marks or equivalent grade in their four-year undergraduate course to pursue PhD with or without Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). Till now, NET required a candidate to have a postgraduate degree with a minimum of 55 per cent marks. Kumar said that candidates with a four-year undergraduate degree can now directly pursue PhD and appear for the NET exam. Such candidates will be permitted to pursue PhD in any subject they wish to pursue, irrespective of the subject in which they have obtained a four-year undergraduate degree. The UGC Chairman said candidates pursuing a four-year or eight-semester undergraduate degree program must have obtained a minimum of 75 per cent marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade. He said that as per the decision taken by UGC from time to time, for candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), Divyang, Economically Weaker Section and some other categories Relaxation of five percent marks or its equivalent grade may be allowed.
