UGC NET exam:The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Monday announced that the UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET) scheduled for January 15 has been postponed on account of festivals, including Makar Sakranti and Pongal.
The exam for admission to PhD programmes, awarding Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and appointment as assistant professors is being conducted from January 3 to January 16 for 85 subjects in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode.
"The NTA has received representations to postpone the exam on January 15 on account of festivals, including Pongal and Makar Sakranti. In the interest of the aspirants, the exam has been postponed and a new date will be announced later," Rajesh Kumar, Director (Exams), NTA, said. "The exam on January 16 will be conducted as per the earlier schedule," he added.
On January 15, the exam was scheduled for 17 subjects, including mass communication and journalism, Sanskrit, Nepali, law, Japanese, women studies, Malayalam, Urdu, Konkani, criminology, folk literature, electronic science, environmental science and Indian knowledge system.
The UGC-NET was also postponed last year after the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam might be compromised.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's appeal to reschedule UGC NET exams
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin appealed to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to reschedule the UGC-NET exams proposed to be held during the Pongal festival season.
Seeking his immediate intervention, the Chief Minister said in a letter addressed to the Central Minister, it was announced that the UGC-NET examinations and other examinations would be held from January 13-16. However, in Tamil Nadu, the Harvest festival Pongal is celebrated for four days from January 13, every year.
"These dates are well known and the entire Tamil community celebrates the four days’ Pongal festival with fervour. The Government of Tamil Nadu has already declared January 14-17 as holidays," the CM said in the letter.
(With PTI inputs)