Jagadesh Kumar, the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), declared that students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree are now eligible to sit for the NET and apply for PhD programs. Candidates who are keen to pursue a PhD, with or without a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), should secure at least 75 percent marks or equivalent grades in their four-year undergraduate course.
Previously, candidates for the National Eligibility Test (NET) were required to have a master’s degree with at least 55 percent marks. In 2024, the exam will take place in an offline format, moving away from the previous Computer Based Test method. The tests for all subjects are scheduled for June 16, 2024.
According to the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) students with four-year undergraduate degrees can now directly pursue PhD and apply for NET, they are also allowed to appear for a subject in which they want to pursue to a PhD regardless of their undergraduate discipline.
He further stated that candidates must have achieved a minimum of 75 percent marks or an equivalent grade in their four-year bachelor’s degree program, wherever the grading system is followed.
Kumar also mentioned that the UGC allows a relaxation of five percent in marks or its equivalent grade for candidates from SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer), differently-abled, economically weaker sections, and other categories.
The UGC-NET exam determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for three main purposes: the award of Junior Research Fellowship and eligibility for assistant professor positions, eligibility for appointment as an assistant professor only, and eligibility for admission to PhD programs in Indian universities and colleges. The application period for the exam is starting on Saturday, April 27, 2024 and will close on May 10, 2024.