The UGC has implemented new innovative reforms with regard to the UGC- NET exam. From April 1 2007 the UGC has started a vigorous procedure for the successful implementation of these various programs and schemes. These new reforms have been envisioned under the 11th Plan initiated by the UGC. The new Online Submission of Application forms, E-Modules for the UGC-NET, Revision of Syllabi, New Procedures and Process of UGC-NET etc come under the 11th Plan. Detailed explanations of the selected UGC initiatives are mentioned below.

UGC-NET

a) Online Submission of Application Forms

The UGC has very conveniently introduced and implemented the new exclusive online system for the registration and correctly filling of the application forms for the UGC-NET. The online application will automatically generate the center-wise and the subject wise roll number. The application is available for the candidates who are applying from June 2010 for UGC-NET. This is a revolutionary step as there will be automatic elimination of the error while making the roll numbers for the Application form and also on the Admit card of the candidates. The online application will also help the attendance error which is more likely to happen in the manual data entry of all the registered candidates. As per the Academic Reforms in Higher Education84 UGC Report, the process has been a success so far from the period of implementation.

b) E-Modules for UGC-NET

1. e-certificate creation

The new e-certificate creation module will help to generate certificates for the entire qualified candidates applied for the UGC-NET exam. The successful candidates will be endowed with the ‘e-Certificates’ after the announcement of result. The Certificates will be produced upon the authenticating the correct identity of the applicants. The certificates would be given with a ‘Bar Code’ to confine repetition of the certificates.

2. Auto-delivery of e-certificate

Auto-delivery of e-certificate will reduce the hindrance in sending out of the certificates to the eligible candidates. The successful candidates will be given and ‘e-Certificates’ after the announcement of result. The application will be generated without any human intervention and the pre-generated e-certificates will be forwarded to the respective candidates through emails.

3. e-certificate verification module

The e-certificates of UGC- NET of the qualified candidates are to be properly verified by their appointing authority before taking on the candidate. The e-certificate verification module will make available the facility to various employers or universities and even colleges to properly check the certificates of the applicants with this online module. The e-certificate verification module helps the employer to verify the correct details of the candidates like the Name, Roll No. and also other information needed by the employer. After getting the request of authentication from the employer the computer will automatically authenticate the credentials and will reply the employer all the way through email. At present this path breaking module is in the last stage of its implementation.

c) Revision of Syllabi

As per the new 11^th plan there will be a revision of syllabi in the UGC-NET exam. For the successful implementation of this, a special Committee was formed by the MHRD under the control of Prof. Bhalchandra Mungekar. This committee will carry out various reviews for implementing the new syllabi. The UGC-NET syllabus will be modified with respect to its efficacy, value and persistence. One of the proposals put forward was modification of syllabi of NET topics. The NET Bureau at this moment in time is dealing with the modification of 77 subjects in the NET exam. In order to get together the above objective to a greater degree, certain methodology has been implemented by the UGC.

CSIR-UGC-NET

1. The selected subject specialist shall put in order a draft syllabus with regard to the particular area of study. While doing so, the syllabi under the area of expertise will have to be in alignment with other reputed universities consecutively as to have broader consultation.

2. Each one of the subject specialist shall act together with other specialists of the panel as well as subject experts of concerned universities in the zone while arranging the draft syllabus in the course of e-mail, website, etc.

3. On top of the above mentioned, the team of specialist is also obligatory to arrange model question papers derived from the revised syllabus for both Paper-II and Paper-III. This must be supported with the answer keys.

4. As recommended by different Committees, the formation of Paper-III has been simplified. This feature has to be reminded even as preparing the modified syllabus.

The UGC-NET Bureau at this moment in time is covenant with 77 subjects. Up to now, modification of the syllabi is completed and 40 subjects have been covered till now. After the preparation of the draft of the revised syllabus the subject specialist with in a fixed time, the NET Bureau will put in order 3-4 day’s conference of the whole team of subject specialist in that particular subject. During this conference the specialists will have a final discussion in order to complete the groundwork of final modified syllabus.

d) New Procedures/Process

1. The Central Government has maintained a 27% reservation to OBC in all appointments. This has made the UGC to introduce the advantage of 5% relaxation with regard to the eligibility criteria for every one papers of UGC-NET to the applicants from the OBC category.

2. UGC has taken an attractive decision to raise the quantity of Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) from just about 4000 to roughly about 6400 per year in the UGC-NET. There will also be a raise in the amount of JRFs below the UGC quota in the CSIR-UGC NET of about 1200 to 2400.

3. The UGC has set up an option in Paper-I on or after December, 2009 onwards. Consequently, 60 questions are put in place, with in which the applicants will be provided with an option to answer any of the 50 question of their choice.

4. The structure and pattern of Paper-III has been modified with effect from June, 2010 UGC-NET. There will be a reduction of the number of questions from 26 to 19. The weight age is now more on evaluating the analytical aptitude, written aptitude and the skillfulness of the candidates in putting across multifaceted thoughts and proceedings concisely. The amount of words which the applicants is anticipated to put in writing has also been reduced. This reform has been broadly valued in the educational circles by the students and instructor equally.