COIMBATORE: As the University Grants Commission (UGC) continues its flip-flop policy on the need to retain the tough-to-crack National Eligibility Test (NET) as a mandatory qualification for assistant professors in the country, a section of the academia insists that the test should not be scrapped.At its last meeting in February, the UGC had decided to hold a separate sitting to examine the relevance of NET.The review has been apparently influenced by the fact that not many serv-ing teachers, including MPh-il degree holders, have be-en able to clear the examination.In fact, college managements have been contending that they are finding it difficult to find NET-qualified teachers in different subjects and urged the affiliating universities to relax norms so that they can appoint MPhil or postgraduates as assistant professors (formerly lecturers).However, those who had toiled hard to pass the NET or the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) are strongly opposing any dilution of the UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Teachers and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education 2010.The Regulations, which were notified on the basis of the recommendations of the Mungekar Committee, unequivocally state: “NET/SLET/SET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities/ Colleges/ Institutions.”Tiruchy-based NET/SLET Association President S Baskaran argues that the examination actually serves as a benchmark of quality for creating better and competent academicians.“The future of students is in the hands of teachers. Even at the post graduate level students are put through a rigorous selection procedure to ensure that the best and the most talented students are given an opportunity to study.“That being the case why not the teachers who provide education to such students be put through a rigorous scrutiny process through a competitive examination like the NET or SLET,” asks Baskaran.Incidentally, two years ago when the UGC wanted to exempt MPhil degree holders from appearing in the NET, the Union Human Resource Development Ministry had vetoed the decision contending that it would dilute quality.In December 2010, a bench of the Madras High Court comprising Chief Justice MY Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam endorsed the HRD Ministry’s move.The court had held: “It is, therefore, evidently clear that the directive of the Central government dated November 12, 2008 was to ensure the national purpose inasmuch as raising the standards of higher educati-on reflected through the quality of teaching should be approached through induction of talent into the academic profession at the initial stage.”Citing the recommendations contained in the Prof R C Mehrotra Committee (19-83) and the National Commission of Teachers on Hi-gher Education headed by Prof Rais Ahmed, besides the Mungekar Committee Reports, Baskaran says only NET/SLET qualified persons must be recruited in colleges and universities.
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