Students with 4-year bachelor's degrees, 75% marks can get direct PhD entry: UGC

UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar announced on Sunday that students with 4-year undergraduate degrees can now directly take the National Eligibility Test (NET). This change aims to simplify the process for students interested in pursuing higher education.

"Students with 4-year undergraduate degrees can pursue PhD in any subject irrespective of discipline of their bachelor's course," UGC said in a statement.

Moreover, students with 75% aggregate marks or equivalent grades can now directly pursue a PhD, offering new paths for academic progression. These alterations represent a notable change in the eligibility criteria for these exams, offering increased opportunities for eligible candidates.

"The candidates with four-year undergraduate degrees can now directly pursue PhD and appear for NET. Such candidates are allowed to appear in a subject in which they want to pursue a PhD irrespective of the discipline in which they have obtained the four-year bachelor's degree," Kumar told PTI.

"The candidates having passed a four-year or eight-semester bachelor's degree programme should have a minimum of 75 pc marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed," the UGC chairman said.

He also mentioned that a relaxation of five percent marks or its equivalent grade may be permitted for candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer), differently-abled, economically weaker sections, and other categories as decided by the UGC.