eligibility test

Academics and teacher aspirants have criticised the UGC for its decision to change the eligibility criteria for lectureship after the National Eligibility Test (NET) results were announced. The UGC had earlier mentioned a minimum qualifying percentage in three individual papers of the NET, but after the results were out a third criterion – aggregate of all three papers – was brought in. Candidates said that the UGC only prescribed minimum required marks in papers 1, 2 and 3 to qualify for lectureship when the notification for the test was announced. There was no mention of the requirement of an aggregate score in the NET. Candidates claimed that based on the answer key for NET published by the UGC earlier, at least 70% were able to secure the prescribed minimum marks in the individual paper. But the aggregate score requirement ensured that only 7.69% finally qualified for lectureship. Academics questioned the benefit of high academic standards when none could meet them. “There is a huge shortage of college teachers, but the eligibility criteria are being raised.”