UGC removes entrance test hurdle for PhD admissions

SRINAGAR — To comply with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) expert committee in its 578th meeting has decided that the National Eligibility Test (NET) score can be used for admission to PhD programmes instead of entrance tests from the academic session 2024-25.

As per the news agency CNS, UGC in its public notice said, “The University Grants Commission conducts the National Eligibility Test (NET) through the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NET is conducted twice a year, in June and December. The NET scores are used (a) to award Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and (b) Assistant Professor for those with a Master’s degree.”

It further said that many universities conduct their entrance tests for admission to their PhD programmes, requiring the students to write multiple PhD entrance tests. To help the students with one national entrance test for PhD admissions as a part of implementing the National Education Policy 2020, the UGC constituted an expert committee to review the provisions of the National Eligibility Test (NET).

“Based on the expert committee’s recommendations, in its 578th meeting held on March 13, 2024, the UGC has decided that from the academic session 2024-25, the NET score can be used for admission to PhD programmes in place of entrance tests conducted by the different universities/HEIs,” the UGC added in the public notice.