UGC Withdraws Decision To Increase NET Cut-off Marks, Students Win Appeal

The issue between the UGC (University Grants Commission) and NET candidates have finally come to an end. Following a Supreme Court order on Friday, 21 December 2012, the UGC  has withdrawn its decision to increase the cut-off marks for clearing the NET.

The NET (National Eligibility Test) is conducted in the months of June and December every year by the National Educational Testing Bureau of the UGC, which determines the eligibility for lectureship and for awarding Junior research fellowship to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research.

The UGC, however, increased the eligibility scores by 15% and made several other changes in the June 2012 exam without notifying its candidates . The candidates learnt about the changes only when the UGC announced it a day after announcing the results of the exam on September 18. And hence students who have already applied for NET roared up and filed a petition against the act by UGC.
As per the earlier notices, candidates belonging to the SC/ST sections needed 35, 35 and 60 marks respectively for qualifying papers 1, 2 and 3. And the marks to be obtained by the OBC’s were set as 35, 35 and 68 and for those candidates belonging to General category it was 40, 40 and 75. But, when the results were announced, candidates who were been eligible as per the initial criteria failed to qualify.  Sources revealed that, based on the new criteria, the percentage of marks to be scores by candidates belonging to different categories has been increased by 15%. And hence a petiti on was filed against UGC.

Finally, on 21 December, the Supreme Court issued an order stating the UGC’s decision to be invalid as it did not follow the exam policy in announcing the changes in cut-offs and that, too, in such a short period of time. An official at the University of Pune that conducts the NET exam said, “The SC decision is valid for all candidates who sat for the June 2012 examinations. The old cut-offs will be considered and new results will be announced.”

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