New Delhi, Nov. 23: A
panel appointed by higher education regulator UGC has suggested
reverting to the pre-2012 pattern for the National Eligibility Test that
aspiring college teachers have to clear but proposed negative marking
for wrong answers in the first two objective-type papers.
The
suggestion of the panel, headed by UGC member D. Narasimha Reddy, is
likely to be tabled when the University Grants Commission meets next
month.
If
approved by the regulator and then by the HRD ministry, the existing
objective-type pattern of all three NET papers will go back to the
system that was in place before 2012, when the first two papers had
objective-type questions and the third was subjective.
The change is in the proposal to introduce — for the first time — negative marking in the first two papers.
At
present, the eligibility test comprises one paper on general knowledge
and two subject-based papers. All papers have objective-type questions.
Only if candidates score at least 40 per cent in the GK paper and the
first subject-based paper is their third paper evaluated, which decides
their rank.
Two
of the panellists on the eight-member committee headed by Reddy said
the changes had been suggested after speaking to various stakeholders,
including students, teachers and experts across seven cities over the
past two years.
“The
overall feedback we got was that only an objective-type test cannot
assess whether a candidate is competent to teach,” one of the members
said.
While
the committee has suggested retaining the three-paper format, with the
first based on general knowledge and the last two subject-based, it has
recommended essay-type questions for the third paper for humanities and
social science subjects. Science-stream candidates will be asked to work
out problems.
Candidates
will lose one mark for four wrong answers in the first two papers and
will be ranked based on the average score of all three papers.
The
Reddy committee has also suggested increasing the age limit for Junior
Research Fellowship from 28 years to 30 years. There is no age limit for
appearing for NET but the top 15 per cent eligible for a stipend under
the JRF scheme have to be within 28.
Professor
Bhalchandra Mungekar, who was chairman of a committee the HRD ministry
had set up in 2007 to study the NET system, said the proposed changes
might keep out deserving candidates.
In
its report submitted in 2008, the Mungekar panel had recommended
setting up another panel to suggest how question papers should be
prepared to test the ability of candidates rather than their memory.
“I
don’t understand the rationale behind negative marking. The proposal to
have a mix of subjective and objective questions will prevent deserving
candidates (from taking up teaching)…. Unlike schoolteachers, college
teachers don’t get any formal training. The idea behind the NET is to
know whether a candidate has the required skills,” Mungekar said.
Nearly
15,000 students clear the NET, conducted twice a year. Those who
qualify are appointed as assistant professors after they clear
interviews held by the college concerned.
TEST MODEL
Pre-2012: Two objective papers, one subjective
Present: One GK paper, two subject-based papers. All papers have objective-type questions
Proposal: First
two papers — GK and subject-based — to have objective-type questions,
with one mark to be deducted for four wrong answers. Third paper to have
essay-type questions or problems, depending on stream
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