Students with 4-year undergraduate degrees can now directly appear for National Eligibility Test (NET) and pursue PhD, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Jagadesh Kumar informed on Sunday.

For pursuing PhD with or without a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the students with 4-year undergraduate degrees need a minimum of 75 per cent aggregate marks or an equivalent grade.

Currently, a NET candidate requires a master's degree with a minimum of 55 per cent marks.

"The candidates having passed a four-year or eight-semester bachelor's degree programme should have a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed," he added.

“A relaxation of five per cent marks or its equivalent grade may be allowed for those belonging to non-creamy layer, – Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) – differently-abled, economically weaker sections and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the UGC from time to time," he added.

Earlier this year, the UGC announced that the NET scores will be used for PhD admissions from 2024-25 to eliminate the need for separate entrance tests.

Source: Mint