With an aim to streamlining the PhD admission process and aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced that scores obtained in the National Eligibility Test (NET) will now be valid for PhD admissions from the upcoming 2024-25 academic session.
This decision, made during the 578th UGC meeting held on March 13, follows recommendations from an expert committee and seeks to reduce the burden on candidates who previously had to appear for multiple entrance exams conducted by various universities.
The UGC NET, which is conducted biannually in June and December, has traditionally been used for awarding Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and selecting Assistant Professors among master’s degree holders. However, with this new announcement, UGC NET qualified candidates will now have expanded eligibility in three categories:
- PhD admission with JRF and Assistant Professor posts
- PhD admission without JRF but eligible for Assistant Professor posts
- PhD programme admission only
Under this new system, 70 per cent weightage will be given to UGC NET scores, with the remaining 30 per cent allocated to interviews for creating a merit list for PhD admissions.
Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, the Chairman of UGC, emphasized the convenience and efficiency this change will bring to the admission process. ‘From the academic session 2024-2025, all universities can use NET scores for admission to PhD programmes, replacing the need for separate entrance tests,’ he stated.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is set to initiate the process shortly, with plans to launch the NET application process for the June 2024 session in the coming week. Candidates can expect the UGC NET June 2024 notification to be released soon on the official website at ugcnet.nta.nic.in.
It’s important to note that the validity of NET scores will be for one year, giving candidates ample time to utilize their scores for admissions in the following academic sessions.
