Hyderabad: AISF Protests UGC-NET Mandate for Osmania PhD Admissions

Hyderabad: Students, led by the All India Students’ Federation (AISF) Osmania University council, strongly opposed the recent decision by the university to make the UGC-NET scores mandatory for PhD admissions. Several students, led by the AISF OU council president Lenin and state assistant secretary Gyar Naresh, submitted a memorandum to OU registrar Prof. P. Lakshminarayana, urging the university to retract its decision and instead issue a Category-2 PhD admission notification.

The student leaders alleged flaws and biases associated with the UGC-NET, particularly in light of the recent leak of the question paper. "The paper leak has severely undermined confidence in the impartiality of the exam process," Naresh told Deccan Chronicle. He added that technical issues had plagued the exams, especially after the Covid-19 crisis.

One of the key concerns raised by the AISF was the disadvantage faced by non-English and non-Hindi speaking students. Since the UGC-NET is conducted only in these two languages, students from northern India benefit disproportionately while those from other linguistic backgrounds are disadvantaged.

“The decision to rely solely on UGC-NET scores could strip opportunities from first-generation and Backward Class communities students, who face significant challenges in pursuing higher education,” said Lenin. The AISF has demanded that the university immediately release the notification for Category-2 PhD admissions, allowing students who do not qualify for JRF or assistant professor positions to pursue their PhD dreams at Osmania University.