West Bengal Orders PhD Admissions Based on National Test Scores

Overview

• The Higher Education Department issued an order on Monday, August 3, directing state-aided and private universities to use UGC-NET, UGC-CSIR NET, GATE, CEED or similar national exam scores plus an interview for PhD admissions.
• The order told institutions not to advertise or hold university-level PhD Admission Tests, Research Entrance Tests or similar exams for the upcoming academic session.
• The directive followed complaints from RSS-affiliated student and teacher groups about alleged irregularities in some university RETs, which officials cited when issuing the change.
• University teachers’ associations and campus unions have objected, saying the move limits institutional autonomy and leaves unresolved how candidates will be assessed in subjects that lack national tests, such as nanoscience and film studies, and why State Eligibility Test (SET) scores were not mentioned.
• The department framed the change as consistent with UGC PhD regulations and NEP 2020 and it could ease applicants’ test burden while creating implementation questions universities must now resolve, including reserved-seat filling and admission rules for untested disciplines.