CBSE likely to hold NET just once a year

NEW DELHI: Those aspiring for a college teacher’s job are likely to get only one attempt in a year to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET), the eligibility criterion for getting a job of assistant professor in colleges and universities. Sources said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has conveyed to the human resource development (HRD) ministry that it is not in favour of conducting the exam twice in a year.

In case the ministry accepts the CBSE’s plea, a single exam will be conducted next year. The ministry is likely to take a call on the issue soon. The exam has traditionally been held twice a year — July and December — for the grant of junior research fellowship and recruitment of assistant professors in universities and colleges. “It is not the core work of CBSE to conduct NET but it has been carrying it out for the past few years, but it is a difficult exercise and it has conveyed to the ministry that the board is not in a position to conduct it twice a year. Class 10 board exams have been reintroduced, so it (CBSE) will be preoccupied with that too,” said a senior HRD official.

“The CBSE has agreed to conduct the examination till the National Testing Service is formed, which will conduct all competitive exams.

However, CBSE has conveyed to the HRD and UGC that the exam should be conducted once a year as a lot of time and energy is spent on organising it and only a few take the exam,” said a source.