UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar highlighted the potential benefits of allowing undergraduate students to enter PhD programs through the National Eligibility Test (NET). This move is seen as a step to enhance the research landscape in India and provide early research opportunities to students.
The UGC’s recent decision allows students with 4-year undergraduate degrees to directly appear for NET and pursue PhD programs. The eligibility criteria include a minimum of 75% aggregate marks or an equivalent grade for those seeking PhD with or without a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
Jagadesh Kumar stressed that this decision aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) to strengthen the research ecosystem. Allowing undergraduates into PhD programs is expected to bring in young and creative minds into research early on, potentially enhancing the quality of research output in the country.
He also mentioned that there are sufficient opportunities to accommodate a significant number of PhD students within the existing capacity. However, he emphasized the importance of assessing students’ aptitude for PhD programs through interviews conducted by universities.
Regarding Indian universities’ performance in global rankings, Kumar expressed optimism about India’s growing position in terms of research quality. He noted the substantial improvement in rankings and performance among G20 nations, indicating a positive trend in India’s higher education sector.
The QS World University Rankings by Subject revealed a significant improvement in Indian universities’ rankings, with a notable 14% year-on-year improvement. India now stands as the second-highest contributor of featured universities in the QS Subject Rankings across Asia, after China.