Latest news with #BrajeshKumarTiwari
Time of India
02-08-2025
- General
- Time of India
UGC NET sees 14% rise in PhD qualifiers, but 6% JRF cap may hinder research growth
Experts warn of research quality decline as JRF funding lags behind PhD demand. (AI Image) Over 1.28 lakh candidates qualified for PhD admissions in UGC NET 2025 exams, yet only 5,269 secured JRF Signalling a growing academic interest in doctoral research, over 1.28 lakh candidates qualified for PhD admissions in the recently declared UGC NET June 2025 results. This witnessed a 14% rise from the previous year, however, only 5,269 candidates secured the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), a figure that remains disproportionately low. Out of 1,88,333 candidates who cleared NET this cycle, only 5,269 qualified for both JRF and Assistant Professor eligibility, 54,885 qualified for Assistant Professorship alone, and the remaining 1,28,179 fell under the newly introduced 'PhD-only' category. This structural change, introduced in 2023 to allow candidates with NET scores to apply for PhD programmes without necessarily being eligible for teaching or research fellowships, has expanded the pathway to doctoral study, but not the financial support required to sustain it. However, without enough financial support, many deserving students are being left out, which also impacts the long-term research goals under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Speaking to Education Times, Brajesh Kumar Tiwari, associate professor, Atal School of Management, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, says, "The growing gap between UGC NET-qualified PhD aspirants and JRF awardees may harm India's research future and quality. While over 1.28 lakh candidates are now eligible for PhD admissions, only 4.1% have secured JRFs. This means several students lack the full-time funding essential for sustained research." Research in Social Sciences, Humanities, and other core disciplines require intensive focus. He says, "Without funding, many scholars take to teaching or work part-time, diluting their research output. This risks making research more quantity-driven than quality-oriented." Eligibility Expands Prof Tiwari says, "The 14% increase in PhD eligibility has been driven by several factors, including the updated UGC regulations in 2023 that permitted candidates to use their NET scores for both PhD admission and Assistant Professor roles. "This dual-benefit model made NET more attractive. Meanwhile, All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) data shows postgraduate enrolment rising from 43.8 lakh in 2020-21 to 45.7 lakh in 2022-23. A larger postgraduate base leads to higher NET participation. Yet, while eligibility has expanded, financial support has not kept pace. Despite a growing number of PhD students, rising from 1.69 lakh in 2014-15 to over 2.2 lakh in 2022-23, the annual JRF awards have stagnated between 5,000 and 9,000 for the past decade." Fellowship Limitations Budgetary limitations, the current JRF award model, are some of the reasons for this stagnation. "In the 2024-25 Union Budget, the UGC received Rs 4,066 crore, a marginal decrease from Rs 4,093 crore in the previous year. With much of this allocated to salaries and infrastructure, little remains for expanding fellowships. Meanwhile, the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), a flagship NEP 2020 initiative meant to boost research funding, is yet to be operationalised. The delay in ANRF rollout has stalled the research funding setup," says Tiwari. The current JRF award model limits fellowships to the top 6% of candidates in each subject-category combination. Prof Tiwari says, "This percentage remains constant regardless of how many high-performing candidates there are or how much higher education enrolment has grown. This creates artificial cutoffs, excluding many deserving scholars. Globally, countries such as Germany and the UK adjust fellowship numbers based on actual doctoral demand and research priorities. India must adopt a more dynamic and responsive system." Some top institutions, including IITs, IISc, TIFR, IISERs, JNU, Delhi University, and the University of Hyderabad, offer internal fellowships and research or teaching assistantships. However, these are limited in scale and mostly confined to central institutions. "Internal support varies widely across institutions and disciplines. To address the funding gap, the UGC and Ministry of Education must incentivise and fund state universities to launch standardised, well-supported assistantship programmes at scale," says Prof Tiwari. The imbalance between the qualifiers and the JRF cap raises concerns about the future of India's research ecosystem. Ipsita Sapra, associate professor, School of Public Policy and Governance, TISS Hyderabad, says, "India lags globally in terms of high-quality research output, with fewer publications in reputed, peer-reviewed journals and limited contributions to original theoretical work. One key reason is underfunding of research. In India, publications are often treated as a means for career advancement rather than for contributing to original research ideas. Moreover, high costs and long duration of research, often taking 5-7 years, discourage scholars, especially when financial support such as JRF is unavailable." Alternative Funding Mechanisms Countries such as China have invested in research, while India has not made comparable commitments. Prof Sapra says, "Increasing the number of JRFs is essential as is developing alternative funding mechanisms. Collaboration between academia and industry, as seen in global universities, should be encouraged. Government funding remains crucial, as institutional fellowships are often far below JRF levels and not sustainable in the long term. Several Indian universities have had to suspend their internal research support due to lack of funds." JRF plays an important role in enabling scholars, especially from economically weaker backgrounds, to pursue research without financial insecurity. "Without such support, many capable students are forced to abandon their academic goals for paying jobs. This results in a research ecosystem dominated by the privileged communities," she says. Creating a Bottleneck For Prashant Kumar, a recent UGC NET qualifier in Economics, the gap in financial support has posed hurdles. Prashant, hailing from Bihar, says, "There has been a sharp increase in students appearing for the UGC NET, from around 4.5 lakh in June 2023 to nearly 7.5 lakh in June 2025. But the number of JRFs has not changed. Without fellowships, full-time research is only possible for the financially secure. The rest are forced to either drop out, go part-time, or struggle under financial stress. " Prashant adds that while central research bodies such as ICSSR and DBT offer fellowships, their numbers are extremely limited, and the selection process highly competitive. "A few universities offer internal assistantships, but these are not uniformly available," he says, adding, "This uneven landscape means one's access to research funding often depends on where they study." Prashant who relied entirely on self-study, YouTube lectures, and past year papers, says, "Even after qualifying NET multiple times, I have not managed to qualify for JRF. I have taken the exam six times since December 2022, and except for my first attempt, I have cleared all others." Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CUET UG 2025: BCom, Political Science and English emerge top choices at CUs
CUET UG 2025: More takers for Pol Science, English, BCom and Psychology in the first cut-off list As the university admission season peaks across the country, central universities (CU) are revealing distinct academic trends. Courses such as BCom (Hons), BA (Hons) in Political Science, BA (Hons) in Psychology, and the consistently popular BA (Hons) in English have emerged as top choices among students participating in undergraduate admissions via CUET 2025. As on 23, the University of Delhi (DU) has reported BCom (Hons) as one of its most sought-after courses, with approximately 48,336 first-preference applications. It is followed closely by BSc (Hons) Zoology, BA (Hons) English, and BA (Hons) Political Science. Notably, BSc (Hons) Zoology has broken into the top five this year — a significant development, considering it was absent from the top list in 2024, which was dominated by BCom (Hons), BA (Hons) English, and BA (Hons) Political Science. DU has released the CUET 2025 Round 2 cut-off on July 28, 2025. Speaking to Education Times, Brajesh Kumar Tiwari, associate professor, Atal School of Management, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi, says, "Commerce, particularly BCom (Hons) and BBA, BMS, remains the most popular and dynamic field within the CUET framework. Following closely are BA (Hons) programmes in English, History, and Political Science. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Among the sciences, BSc (Hons) courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, as well as technical streams such as BCA, BTech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), and Mechanical Engineering (ME), are also in high demand. For top-tier colleges under DU, BSc (Hons) admissions typically require a percentile between 98 and 99." He adds, "BCom (Hons) continues to be the most preferred course in both 2024 and 2025, with around 19.9 lakh first-preference applications this year. BCom follows it with 15.3 lakh applications and then BA (Hons). While DU does not publish domicile-specific data, CUET trends indicate significant interstate migration. Programmes such as BCom, BA (Hons) Economics, and BA (Hons) English attract students not only from Delhi but also from nearby states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. " At the University of Hyderabad, student interest drifted towards integrated and interdisciplinary programmes. The first-round application window will close on July 30. Tanmay Ranjan, deputy registrar, University of Hyderabad (UoH), says, "Economics has remained the top preference among students for several years, and we do not anticipate a major shift in 2025. However, since a significant number of applications are submitted in the final days, the complete picture will become clear only after the deadline. " In 2024, the most sought-after programme through CUET UG was the undergraduate integrated MA in Economics programme, which received around 761 applications. "This was followed by the integrated MSc in Psychology with 639 applications. The newly introduced four-year BSc in Chemistry attracted 470 applications for just 20 seats, reflecting strong interest in science disciplines aligned with the NEP 2020 reforms," he adds. The UoH also enjoys a strong national footprint of 471 undergraduate students admitted in 2024, 311 were from outside Telangana. At Nagaland University, applications for BA (Hons) Political Science and BA (Hons) English have steadily increased, confirming their status as the region's most popular undergraduate courses. The Department of English received 274 applications for 65 seats this year, compared to 251 in 2024. Prof Nigamananda Das, head, Department of English, attributes the subject's popularity to its deep cultural significance in the region. "English remains the most cherished subject among Naga scholars. Their fluency and literary articulation are rooted in the legacy of American Baptist missionaries. Even though the number of institutions offering MA English has expanded to eight, application volumes remain strong, reflecting both cultural reverence and academic interest," says Prof Das. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Department of Political Science received about 240 applications for 55 seats, up from 220 in 2024. Prof Dasarathi Bhuiyan, head of the Department of Political Science, notes, "The growing popularity of Political Science is due to its interdisciplinary approach and its relevance to contemporary social and political issues. The subject nurtures analytical skills and prepares students for engaged citizenship. " At the Central University of Punjab, professional and integrated courses have also witnessed a steady rise in applications for 2025. Programmes such as BPharma, BA LLB, BTech, BA BEd, and BSc BEd received 417, 461, 543, 170, and 594 applications, respectively, marginally higher than the figures from CUET UG 2024. In 2024, BPharma received 288 applications for 60 seats, BA LLB saw 354 for 60 seats, BTech received 503 for 30 seats, BA BEd attracted 202 for 50 seats, and BSc BEd received 524 applications for 50 seats. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
