Hyderabad: Research and Development in State Universities Face Challenges
Research and development efforts in Telangana’s state universities are facing difficulties due to differing opinions on education standards and policies. The issue came to light after the University Grants Commission (UGC) sent a letter to both State and Central Universities, suggesting that they no longer needed to conduct separate entrance exams for PhD admissions.
The Telangana government, like many other states, has not yet made a decision on this matter. A senior official from the Telangana Higher Education Department shared with The Hans India that the state has neither accepted nor rejected the UGC’s proposal. The official indicated that the state government is aware of the concerns and will make a final decision.
The UGC argues that a separate entrance test for PhD admissions is unnecessary because it already conducts the National Eligibility Test (NET). This test is used for both the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and the recruitment of Assistant Professors.
However, students from Telangana’s state universities oppose this change. They find the national-level NET exam more difficult than the state-level PhD admission tests. Many students from less privileged backgrounds, who studied in regional languages, feel disadvantaged by the tougher national test, which they believe benefits only those who attended elite institutions.
Previously, state universities in Telangana gave first priority to students who passed the NET-JRF exam for PhD admissions. The universities then considered candidates who passed the NET without fellowship, followed by those who cleared the State Eligibility Test (SET) and the University Level Entrance Tests (ULET).
The UGC’s push for a national standard for PhD admissions could be due to the rapidly changing landscape of higher education. The UGC has also adjusted the eligibility criteria for the NET exam. Previously, only students with a postgraduate degree and 55% marks could take the test. Now, students can take the NET after completing their undergraduate degrees, such as BA, BSc, and BCom.
This change is seen as a way to bring younger scholars into research, making universities more dynamic. A former Professor of Political Science at Osmania University welcomed the change, but raised some concerns. He questioned whether the criteria for state-level PhD entrance exams should also be updated to allow undergraduate students to apply, given that non-technical and non-science subjects might not prepare them adequately for research at this level.
The professor also pointed out that many postgraduate students in state universities struggle to come up with original research ideas. He gave an example of a student in political science who believed that the federal structure of the United States and India were the same. While this might be a popular idea in political discussions, it is incorrect from an academic perspective, as both countries’ federal structures are based on different constitutional principles.
In conclusion, the debate over whether to adopt the UGC’s recommendations for PhD admissions continues in Telangana. The decision will have significant implications for the future of research and higher education in the state.
