Source: The Indian Express 

Introduction 

The University Grant Commission- National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) was cancelled by the Ministry of Education just a day after it was held. This has been due to inputs from the National Cybercrime threat analytics unit which indicated the examination's integrity may have been compromised. This was followed by the NEET-UG fiasco.   

What is University Grant Commission? 

• In India, the first attempt to formulate a national system of education in India came in 1944, with the Report of the Central Advisory Board of Education on Post War Educational Development in India, also known as the Sargeant Report. 
• This report recommended the formation of University Grant Commission (UGC) to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banaras and Delhi. 
• In 1947, the Committee was entrusted with dealing with all the then existing Universities. 
• In 1952, the Union Government decided that all cases pertaining to the allocation of grants-in-aid from public funds to the Central Universities and other Universities and Institutions of higher learning might be referred to the University Grants Commission. 
• The UGC was formally established as a statutory body in November 1956 through an Act of Parliament. 

What is the Mandate of UGC? 

• Promoting and coordinating university education. 
• Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities. 
• Framing regulations on minimum standards of education. 
• Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to the universities and colleges. 
• Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning. 
• Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education. 

What is the composition of University Grants Commission? 

• As per Section 5 of the University Grant Commission Act, 1956 the Commission would consist of the following: 
  • Chairman (currently Prof. Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar) 
  • Vice Chairman (currently Prof. Deepak Kumar Srivastava) 
  • 10 other members to be appointed by Central Government. 

What are the functions of University Grants Commission? 

• Section 12 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 lays down the functions of University Grants Commission. Some of the functions of UGC are as follows: 
  • Inquire into the financial needs of Universities. 
  • Allocate and disburse out of the Fund of the Commission, such grants to institution deemed to be Universities in pursuance of a declaration made by the Central Government under section, as it may deem necessary, for one or more of the following purposes, namely:-  
    •  for maintenance in special cases 
    •  for development 
    •  for any other general or specified purpose 
  • recommend to any University the measures necessary for the improvement of University education and advise the University upon the action to be taken for the purpose of implementing such recommendation.  

What is the National eligibility test (NET)? 

• It is a competitive exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on behalf of UGC. 
• This exam is conducted twice a year, usually in June and December. 
• It is used to determine eligibility of candidates for awarding of Junior Research Fellowship, appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to Phd. In Indian Universities and Colleges. 

What is the National Testing Agency (NTA)? 

• The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been established as a premier, specialist, autonomous and self-sustained testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher educational institutions. 
• It is an autonomous agency under the Department of Higher Education of Ministry of Education of India. 
• It was established in November 2017 to conduct entrance examination and recruitment. 
• NTA has been conducting UGC-NET from December 2018 onwards.  

Conclusion 

The cancellation of UGC- NET has affected more than 9 Lakh candidates. It is to be noted that this year, around 9,08,580 candidates appeared for this exam at 1,205 centres across 317cities, nearly twice the4,62,144 who appeared for the exam in June last year, across 181 cities.