UGC or University Grants Commissionn’s announcement for NET: National Eligibility Test to be a valid Entrance for PhD Programs in India.
The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, established the University Grants Commission (UGC) as a statutory body in accordance with the UGC Act 1956. The UGC coordinates, determines, and maintains standards of higher education in India. It also grants recognition to universities and colleges in India and disburses funds to these recognized institutions. The UGC has its headquarters in New Delhi and operates six regional centers in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and Bangalore. The Government of India is considering replacing the UGC with a new regulatory body called HECI. The UGC awards doctoral scholarships to individuals who pass the National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). On average, the commission spends ₹725 crore (US$91 million) annually on doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships.
About the Announcement for NET:
In a public notice the UGC has informed that based on the recommendations of the committee in a meeting held on 13 March  2024, it was decided that from the academic year 2024-2025, the NET score could be used by students to seek admission to PhD programmes in place of entrance tests conducted by the different universities.
NET candidates will be declared eligible in these CATEGORIES as in the Announcement for NET:
Eligible for (i) admission to Ph.D. with JRF and (ii) appointment as Assistant Professor
Eligible for (i) admission to Ph.D. without JRF and (ii) appointment as Assistant Professor
Also for admission to Ph.D. programme only and not for the award of JRF or appointment as Assistant Professor
NET scores will be declared in percentile along with the candidate’s marks. Will be done to utilise the marks for admission to Ph.D., informed the public notice.
UGC informed that for candidates who qualify in categories 2 and 3, 70% weightage will be given for test scores. And 30% weightage for the interview for admission to Ph.D. programmes. The admission will be based on the combined merit of NET marks and the marks obtained in the interview/viva voce. The marks obtained in the NET by the candidates in Categories 2 and 3 will be valid. Only for a period of one year for admission to Ph.D.
The notification and Bulletin of Information for the NET June 2024 will be issued by the
National Testing Agency shortly at https://ugcnet.nta. nic.in
