The seats are likely to go vacant this year for Mphil and Phd courses in several departments with the University Grant Commission’s new norms as it has made compulsive to qualify the entrance exam with 50% of marks for further interview and this criteria is applicable to both reserved and unreserved categories.The rules were adopted by Delhi University in its Academic and Executive councils in 2017 and first time admissions have been taken place under this norm.
According to the synopsis, only 3 students out of 30 have been able to make it to the interview for Phd in history which includes 1 candidate from OBC category leaving 27 vacant seats. Similarly, in MPhil exam only 13 students qualified for the interview including two SC, two OBC and one ST scoring above the touchstone.
Uma Devi,a Tamil teacher at the department was quoted as saying “This is going to be a problem. Students score poorly because many applicants are from other departments. The questions were focused on English and comparative literature.50% in the entrance cannot be criterion for eligibility.The situation is similar in the Mphil programme.The University needs to do something about it or many seats will go vacant.”
This new procedure has generated tension and anxiety amidst students who belong to under privileged society. Many students have presented their dissatisfaction with the new rule stating that candidates who are having NET or JRF have been exempted from the entrance exam and straight will gear up for interview but what about the students whose chance of getting into interview is marely through entrance exam.
Many students have put forward their complaints regarding this move especially the ones who are from reserved category as no relaxation has been provided to them in the eligibility criteria and said that it has become even more difficult to qualify the NET after it has become objective. The one who could make it up to the interview either have NET or JRF and for the ones who can get into the interview through entrance, situation has now become wretched.
