Many expected to give NET a go-by this year

WITH THE University Grants Commission (UGC) abolishing the mandatory nature of the National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine the eligibility of a candidate for Lectureship in universities and degree colleges of the country, many a candidate who have filled up the forms are expected to give the exam a miss this year on the D-day: June 25, 2006.

Officials of Allahabad University (AU), which has been entrusted with the task of hosting the exam for 4727 candidates registered for appearing in 42 subjects, concede that most candidates having a PhD degree are expected to skip the test this year while many others, it is feared, would prefer opting to enrol for a PhD instead of appearing in an exam considered to be one of the toughest in the country.

"The National Educational Testing Bureau of University Grants Commission (UGC) conducts National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine eligibility for lectureship and for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals in order to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research. The test would be conducted in three shifts on June 25, 2006," informed Head of AU's Geography department, Prof HN Mishra, who is the co-ordinator of the UGC NET-2006.

Prof Mishra said that the first shift will be from 9.30 am to 10.45 am, the second shift from 10.45 am to 12 noon and the third shift from 1.30 pm to 4 pm. "There are a total of 4727 candidates registered for the exam out of which 2214 are of the general category, 1575 are of OBC and 938 are of the SC/ST and the physically handicapped category. The admit cards of the test, being carried out in 42 different subjects, will be distributed from the AU Geography Department from 11 am to 2 pm on June 11," he added.

Prof Mishra said that admit cards of some students residing out-of-station are being despatched through the postal department. "We are also having the facility of providing duplicate admit cards in the varsity for students who fail to get their admit cards on time or loose it due to some reason," he said.

A total of 17 centres have been earmarked for holding the test which will be spread around the varsity's Arts, Commerce and Law Faculties. "We have already made arrangements for deputing around 900 staff members on duty for the exam and are ready for the test day with all our preparations complete," Prof Mishra added.

He conceded that many of the registered candidates are expected to give the exam a skip as the new guidelines make it clear that an individual need no longer be NET qualified to be considered for a lectureship at a degree college or a university of the country.