JNU Releases UGC Clarification And New Admission Policy For M.Phil. And PhD

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University, on February 11, released a notification clearing its stance on M.Phil. and PhD admission. The University said that the number of seats for each M.Phil. and PhD course offered at the university will be calculated on the basis of 2016 UGC gazette notification. The University also released six other important pointers for M.Phil. and PhD admissions including the schedule and modes of admission. The new policy has been released amidst protest from students about the reduction in seats for research courses at various schools.

According to the notification, the University will forward the answer transcript of candidates to the respective schools and centers latest by June 05, 2017. The evaluated answer transcripts for M.Phil./PhD, M.Tech./PhD, MCH/PhD, and MA and BA Honors Foreign language programs will be returned by June 15, 2017. The evaluated answer transcripts for MA/M.Sc./MCA/BA (hons.) will be returned by June 20, 2017. The University will release the second list of admission on August 2.

Modes of admission to M.Phil. and PhD programs

JNU will conduct entrance examination for the following six programs:

• M.Phil./M.Tech./Pre-PhD/MPh-PhD Integrated for candidates with a Master's degree
• M.Phil./M.Tech.
• M.Sc.- PhD Integrated
• M.Phil./M.Tech./Pre-PhD/MPH-PhD for candidates who have cleared JRF/UGC NET
• PhD for JRF/UGC NET qualified candidates
• PhD for candidates with M.Phil. or equivalent degree holders

The university clarified that candidates with an M.Phil. degree and having a Fellowship such as JRF/UGC NET will have to appear in an entrance test and then in a viva-voce.

Pattern of Entrance Exam for M.Phil./PhD

The entrance test will be conducted in three stages. The first stage will be a Preliminary Examination which will be objective in nature. The Preliminary exam will have 50% questions covering Research Methodology and 50% questions covering domain knowledge. 

Preliminary test will be qualifying in nature and a general candidate will need to score minimum 50% marks to qualify for the next stages. The minimum percentage requirement in the preliminary test for OBC candidates will be 45% marks and SC/St candidates will be 35% marks. 

The second stage will be of descriptive type and will be subject-specific. The part B paper will not be evaluated for candidates who fail to score the minimum qualifying percentage in the preliminary exam. The third and final stage is viva-voce. The weightage for descriptive paper will be 80% and viva-voce will be 20%. 

The University also declared that it will continue the existing system of awarding deprivation points to candidates who come from backward areas of the country. The deprivation points will be added to the total marks scored by a candidate in part B & C. The University will also add 36 more districts to the existing list on the recommendations of District Quartile Committee. 

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