After three years of the National Testing Agency (NTA) taking the responsibility to conduct the entrance exam for PhD, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will revert back to its own entrance exam from the next academic session. This was announced by the university's Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit on Monday, December 12.
During a press conference, the VC said, "We will go back to Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination for PhD admission as the majority opinion is that for PhD, critical analysis is important; MCQ does not allow that." Further, the VC said that the students and teachers have been demanding that the university reassume the responsibility of conducting the entrance examination, as stated in a report by PTI.
For the last three years, the National Testing Agency (NTA) had been conducting the examination and candidates seeking admission into PhD programmes had to appear for the Computer Based Test (CBT). Over the last year, teachers and students highlighted the problems with the NTA-led examination.
In a statement earlier this year, the JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) alleged that admissions to the varsity's prestigious PhD programmes were being administered with appalling shabbiness. A demonstration was also staged by the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) demanding that the academic autonomy of universities be restored and the responsibility of conducting examinations be given back to the varsity, as stated in a report by PTI.
