UGC Revises Qualifying Criteria for NET exam

Changes have been introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in the qualifying criteria of the UGC NET (National Eligibility Test). The test, which determines the eligibility of candidates for assistant professor or junior research fellowship in Indian universities and colleges, will take place in October this year. Earlier CBSE had said the exam will take place in November.

As per the revised criteria, Top 6% of the candidates who take the exam (all three papers) and score minimum 40% aggregate marks (at least 35% aggregate marks for candidates belonging to social groups viz., Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes/ Other Backward Classes (Non-creamy layer)/ People with Disabilities) will be eligible for Assistant Professor.

‘Out of the total number of candidates qualifying for NET for Eligibility for Assistant Professor, the candidates who have applied for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), shall form the consideration zone for JRF. The available fellowships will be awarded as per merit by following the extant reservation policy of the Government of India.’

Earlier, top 15% of the candidates in each subject and category, who obtained the minimum required marks according to the category of the candidates were declared qualified.

According to a statement issued by UGC earlier qualifying criteria for UGC-NET Exam involved qualifying top 15% of those candidates in each subject and category, who obtained the minimum required marks in paper-I, paper-II and paper-III according to the category of the candidates. “Subsequent to the orders of the High Court of Kerala, University Grants Commission had revised the procedure and criteria of qualifying candidates and as such it has been decided that 6% of the total candidates who appear in the UGC-NET examination will be declared qualified”.

“As such the number of candidates who would qualify in the future NET Examinations is likely to increase,” it said issuing a notice on Friday evening.

However, UGC maintained that as such the number of candidates who would qualify in the future NET examinations is likely to increase. In June 2015 UGC-NET 4.83% had qualified out of those who appeared, in December 2015 4.96%, July 2016 it was 4.08%, January this year 3.99% and in future it will be 6%.