New norms laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC) requiring PhD and MPhil candidates to score at least 50% in the entrance test to be eligible for admission are likely to lead to scores of seats in Delhi University going vacant. In addition, the norms do not provide extra relaxation for SC, ST and OBC candidates.
A year ago, the UGC had proposed the norms for MPhil and PhD admission, which was later passed by the DU’s academic and executive councils (EC).
According to a report in the Indian Express, the eligibility criteria has been notched up so high that only a handful of students have been able to make it through the entrance examination. Information provided on DU’s official website says shows there are 35 general category seats for PhD in Modern Indian Languages and Literary Studies. Of these, some are reserved for students with NET and JRF, while the remaining seats are to be filled via the entrance examination.
This year, only eight students have scored more than 50% in the entrance examination. Of these, seven students are from the general category, while the sole remaining candidate belongs to the OBC category.
Students have been up in arms against the new norms. Quoting a student unwilling to be named, the Indian Express reported, “We did not know about these rules. Does this mean that students who come from deprived backgrounds should not study?”
A similar situation prevails for admission in the department of adult, continuing education and PhD. While six candidates appeared from the general category for the entrance test, just two among them scored more than 50%. Additionally, three OBC category students and one disabled person also qualified. No SC candidate was able to clear the test. The department has a total of 23 seats.
The Indian Express also reported that in the political science department, ten candidates cleared the entrance test out of a total of 16 PhD seats in the department. Of the ten candidates, two are from ST category and one each from SC and OBC categories. In the history department, only three candidates were able to clear the test, while the department has 30 PhD seats. However, the history department fared relatively better in the MPhil entrance test, as 18 candidates were eligible for the department’s 25 seats.
The botany department seems to have been the worst hit by the new norms. While just one OBC candidate was declared eligible in the the 18 PhD seats the department has in total, all of the MPhil seats were left vacant.
Speaking to Newsclick, Sumit, a PhD applicant in the history department said, “It is a blow to the first generation learners from SC, ST and OBC categories who want to excel in higher education. After the NET was made objective, many students have failed to pass the test. Similarly, national level scholarships are being awarded to very few students. Thus, qualifying entrance tests is the sole way for getting admissions in M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses and UGC norms stop them from pursuing higher education.”
According to the Indian Express,Executive Council member Rajesh Jha has written to the Vice-Chancellor to review the norms. “The overall situation has emerged as virtual denial of opportunity to pursue MPhil, PhD. We request you to look into this matter affecting the students very adversely and cancel the ongoing interviews for MPhil/PhD till the review of this anti-student and anti-social justice eligibility criteria,” he said.