JNU: Jawaharlal Nehru University is thinking of reverting to its earlier system of in-house entrance examinations for PhD admissions and scrapping the outsourced testing which, in this case, happens to be the National Testing Agency. The Indian government’s decision to cancel the UGC NET examination, on grounds of integrity issues, seems to have triggered this shift.
JNU’s Recent Alignment with NEP-2020 and Planned Adoption of NET Scores
Just a few months ago, perhaps, alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 would have had the university adopt NET scores for admissions, but now it is compelled to re-strategize because of the sudden cancellation of the June 2024 National Eligibility Test exam.
It was on 3 July 2024 that talks about the revival of the in-campus entrance examination system were initiated by JNU’s Vice Chancellor, Santishree D Pandit. The move has been welcomed with open arms as vindication of the long-standing position for which JNUTA has been fighting regarding admission processes.
JNU’s Shift from NTA Tests
For the last three years, PhD admissions have been conducted on a computer-based test under the National Testing Agency, an arrangement the university community had become increasingly critical of. JNU this year announced a revision in its selection process for admission to its PhD programmes. Instead of conducting an entrance test, the universities would accept the National Eligibility Test (NET) score, JNU said in a statement, for the current academic year in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
It was on June 19 that the centre cancelled the examination, conducted by the National Council for Educational Research and Training, following inputs from the Ministry of Home Affairs that “the integrity of the examination may have been compromised,” according to Frontline.
What Was NET Controversy
The NEET 2024 controversy arose from various discrepancies that occurred during the conduct of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (Undergraduate), 2024. This National Testing Agency-conducted examination is one of India’s largest entrance tests by the number of applicants. It represents the sole pan-Indian test for admission to undergraduate medical courses.
The release of the NEET 2024 results sparked wide concern over issues such as the more improbable scores obtained by some of the candidates to the unusual increase in numbers of candidates who garnered full marks. In the wake of allegations of cheating and a suspected paper leak, many candidates demanded a NEET 2024 re-exam. The following article gives an elaborate timeline of events that have happened related to the NEET 2024 Controversy.