Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Dec 30: More than 20,000 candidates appeared for the National Eligibility Test (NET) of University Grants Commission (UGC), which was conducted throughout the State today.
In Jammu, more than nine thousand candidates appeared in the test for other than Sciences subjects. Total 13 centres were established for conducting the test, informed Prof Vivek Gupta, Assistant Co-ordinator.
In Kashmir, despite the biting cold, over 11,350 students appeared in the UGC NET exams in 40 subjects against 6000 students that appeared last year.
The reason for huge numbers of students appearance in the exams was due to the objective type nature of question papers set up by UGCs from last year. “The decision to set up objective type paper was taken by UGC due to the fact that hardly few candidates’ were qualifying the lecturer-ship exams earlier”, a University of Kashmir official said.
“Education subject was the main attraction of the students as 1700 students have opted for this subject, the highest among all other 40 subjects,” the officials said.
The record number of candidates who qualified the prestigious exams last session encouraged the aspiring candidates this year. “In June 2012, 400 students qualified the said exams which happened for the first time. Earlier the number used to be around 150,” a KU official said.
Forty per cent of the candidates were girls. “There is scope for NET exams, that is why I was preparing for this particular exam from last six months,” Rohie Jahan, a Mass Communication Post Graduate said.
The students who qualify the NET exams in the top merit are eligible for junior research fellowship. If the students are willing to go for JRF then they are entitled to a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 continuously for the next two years till they complete their fellowship.
They can do research in any university across India without appearing for any kind of entrance exams.
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