Respected Sir/Madam,
As the UGC is preparing the final results of the
UGC NET/JRF for both the cycles of Dec.2020 and June, 2021, it appears there
are certain fallacies in calculating the cut off marks and criteria.
The vacancies of JRF are counted in terms of
numbers per cycle and the said vacancies of both the cycles are clubbed
together. Hence the merging of both the cycles has no adverse impact upon the
results.
Whereas the cut off the NET is done in the form of
percentage of the candidates appearing and the percentile points are taken into
consideration. One cycle is supposed to have cleared 6% of the total candidates
appearing. As both the cycles have been merged, this percentage criteria have
not been changed on the logical fact that the candidates also double in terms of
appearance and hence the number of candidates clearing the barrier of NET based
upon the 6% criteria shall also be doubling.
If hypothetically, if we take 1000 students per
cycles in a particular subject, the argument of UGC, it seems, goes like given below:
Hence the candidates passing the NET exams will be automatically cumulated, if 6% candidates are selected uniformly.
|
Cycle |
Total Candidates appeared |
The candidates clearing
the JRF (Hypothetically) |
The Candidates clearing
the NET (6% Each of the total candidates) |
|
(Dec. 2020) |
1000 |
35 |
60 |
|
(Jun.
2021) |
1000 |
35 |
60 |
|
The Merged Cycles |
2000 |
70 |
120 |
Given above is theoretical position. But in the above mode of
calculation, there is a big fallacy, which went unnoticed. If two cycles are
merged, the candidates do not double as given in the algebraic formula. There
is a human factor in this process. Practically around 90% of the candidates who
appear in the June 2021 Cycle would have appeared in the previous cycle also.
Only 10% of the candidates would have been added to the second cycle. 6% could
have passed the NET and would have been out of the fray. Around 5% candidates may
have dropped the aspirations also.
Hence in the practical level, the process is as
given below, as of now.
|
Cycle |
Total Candidates appeared |
The candidates clearing
the JRF (Hypothetically) |
The Candidates clearing
the NET (6% Each of the total candidates) |
|
(Dec. 2020) |
1000 |
35 |
60 |
|
(Jun.
2021) |
1000 |
35 |
60 |
|
The Merged Cycles |
1100 |
70 |
66 |
The above seems to be the
practical situation in any of the discipline. And the biggest fallacy is that,
the JRF cleared persons may not even be eligible of Assistant Professorship!
Because as per the merged numbers, 70 students have cleared the JRF and only 66
could clear the NET eligibility. Rather the NET cut off will be above the cut
off of the JRF cut off! This is only a hypothetical position. Otherwise also,
the cut off of JRF and the NET eligibility will become highly close to each
other, which is a larger injustice to the candidates who burned their midnight
oil during the pandemic era. All of them, apart from losing the years are
losing the chances also. This is double jeopardy. And the Universities will
continue to function without permanent faculties. Vacancies will mount. The
lame duck arrangements will adversely impact the higher education system in the
long run.
THE PRACTICAL SOLUTION
It may
not be easy for the UGC to make a benchmark. If the percentages are added up to
12, then it may have to face the criticism of compromising the standards. But
without doing that, the above fallacy and injustice are occurring. To come out
of this vicious situation, the following practical solution is given.
The cut off shall be calculated in two steps for
the NET qualification.
Step-1:
First of all, separate all those who had applied
for the December, 2020 cycle. As the data is available with the UGC in this
regard, the process will be easy, electronically. Then the 6% criteria shall be
applied to those candidates and the NET and JRF shall be declared.
Step-2:
Then the remaining candidates, including those who
applied in the June 2021 cycle shall be consolidated and then the 6% criteria
shall be applied for the June 2021cycle separately.
This is the actual merging of cycles and the
results. This will ensure that the quality is not compromised and the justice
is done with all the candidates. Apart from neutralising the loss of chance, it
shall also stabilize the percentile concept in merged cycles.
Hope the above formula will be taken seriously by
the UGC and the Ministry of Education in declaring the results of the UGC
NET/JRF exam concluded recently, and justice be done.
A.C.Philip
09769110823
