In a major decision that could benefit thousands of NET candidates who aspire to become college teachers, the University Grants Commission has decided to reduce the eligibility mark for OBC candidates, who sit for the National Eligibility Test, by five per cent. They would now have to secure 50 per cent marks in their Master’s degree, on par with the SC/ST candidates.
A decision to this effect was taken at the UGC meeting held on Friday last.
“The entry qualification to take the NET test for OBC candidates has been reduced from earlier 55 per cent to 50 per cent marks now. The decision has been made as OBC candidates also represent special category of students like the SC/ST candidates,” UGC Vice Chairman H Devaraj told Express.
Earlier, only those OBC candidates, who had secured a minimum of 55 per cent marks in Master’s degree exam from universities/institutions recognised by the UGC were eligible to take the test. Whereas, SC/ST and Persons with Disability (PWD) category candidates who have secured 50 per cent marks in Master’s degree were allowed to write the NET test.
The minimum marks to be obtained in NET for the award of JRF and eligibility for Assistant Professor would be the same for OBC candidates and they have to score 35 per cent marks each in Paper I and Paper II and 45 per cent of marks in Paper III, Devaraj said.
NET/SLET/SET qualification is the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities/ Colleges/Institutions. Candidates who have been awarded a PhD degree in accordance with the University Grants Commission (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of Ph.D. Degree) Regulations, 2009, were exempted from the requirement of the minimum eligibility condition of NET/SLET/SET.