Lok Sabha Question No. 1980 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-28
Subject: Eligibility Test to Recruit Teachers
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT, KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1980 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.11.2016

## Eligibility Test to Recruit Teachers

†1980. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT: SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has appointed a review committee to look ito the National Eligibility Test (NET) and similar Eligibility Tests being conducted to recruit teachers to various universities/ institutions in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof including the terms of reference and tenure of the Committee;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that there is stiff opposition by a group of research fellows against the proposal/ decision to discontinue the Non-National Eligibility Test; and
- (d)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  reaction  of  the  Government  thereto  and  the  corrective measures taken?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. The Government has appointed a Review Committee on 28 th October, 2015,  under  the  Chairmanship  of  Prof.  Gautam  Barua,  former  Director,  Indian  Institute  of Technology (IIT), Guwahati to go into the issues related to the research fellowships provided by the UGC,  covering  both National Eligibility Test (NET)  fellowships  and  Non-NET fellowships.  Other  members  of  the  Committee  are  the  following:  (i)  Prof.  Syed  Bari,  ViceChancellor, Central University of Gujarat; (ii) Prof. Kuldeep Agnihotri, Vice-Chancellor, Central University  of  Himachal  Pradesh;  (iii)  Dr.  Meena  Rajiv  Chandawarkar,  Vice-Chancellor, Karnataka  State  Women's  University;  and  (v)  Secretary,  University  Grants  Commission  as Member-Convenor.

The  terms  of  reference  (ToR)  of  the  Committee  are  (a)  determining  the  feasibility  of enhancing  the  coverage  of  NET  fellowships,  which  are  merit  based;  (b)  establishing  a transparent  system  of  transfer  of  fellowship  amounts  each  month  to  the  Non-NET  fellows, which  is  presently  being  done  on  a  reimbursement  basis  and  without  the  Direct  Benefit Transfer mandated by the Government; (c) bringing the benefits and opportunities of the Non-

NET fellowship  scheme  to  a  larger  number  of  Universities,  including  State  Universities;  (d) considering  economic  and  other  criteria  for  eligibility  for  Non-NET  fellowships;  and  (e)

recommending guidelines for the selection, coverage, award, and administration of the nonNET fellowships. The tenure of the Committee was upto 30 th September, 2016.

(c) & (d): Yes, Madam. The Central Government has issued an order under the section 20(1) of  the  UGC  Act,  1956  on  28 th October,  2015  directing  the  UGC  not  to  implement  the Commission's decision to discontinue the Non-NET fellowship and to continue all existing and continuing fellowships, NET as well as Non-NET and there be no change retrospectively in the fellowships.

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