UGC to reduce NET eligibility criteria for OBC students

The University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi has decided to reduce the National Eligibility Test (NET) eligibility criteria for OBC students.

NET is the qualifying entrance exam, conducted for determining the eligibility of Indian nationals for the posts of Assistant Professor or Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and eligibility for Assistant Professor both in Indian universities and colleges.

According to the new eligibility criteria, the OBC candidates only have to score 55% in order to appear for NET.

Earlier, these candidates had to score 60% in order appear for NET exam. Now they would be given a 5% relaxation. OBC candidates with 55% aggregate scores in three subjects would now be able to appear for the NET exam.

SC / ST candidates already had an eligibility criteria of 55% of marks for appearing NET exam.

The reason behind the relaxation is that, so many of the OBC and SC / ST teaching positions remain vacant. Over 40% of the faculty positions remain unfilled across central universities.

The UGC has also approved private universities regulation that will now bring them under greater control of the higher education regulator.

According to the new regulations, private universities would no longer be able to offer open and distance learning courses as there are serious commercial angles to them.

The new regulations propose to place a new restriction on state private universities - that they should seek concurrence of UGC before offering a new academic programme.

They will also have to seek the concurrence of both the UGC and the Union HRD Ministry before opening an off-campus or off-shore campus, sources said.

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