The results of the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants Commission on December 30, 2012, were announced late on Monday night. Of the 8 lakh candidates who had registered for the examination, 39,226 qualified in the NET for lecturership. Last year, nearly 55,000 passed the test after declaration of the supplementary results in June 2012. Of these, 3,669 were selected for junior research fellowship (JRF).
The second examination, as per the revised criteria for selection, saw a large number of applicants due to the confusion regarding the norms.
The UGC had changed the norms of selection soon after conducting the NET examination in June 2012 stating that only top the 15 percent of the candidates in each subject and category will be declared eligible for lecturership, a move which was challenged by the aspirants.
“The public interest litigation lodged by us could not be followed through as not many candidates were interested in following it up as they had already qualified in NET and so have I.
The single judge verdict of the Kerala High Court was also quashed following the UGC’s appeal and it is unlikely that candidates will be favoured in the previous cycle,” said Mohammad Afzal, who is pursuing his Ph.D at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU).
He was one of the four who had initiated the PIL against the change in criteria.