New Delhi: In a severe indictment of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the HRD ministry in a strict order on Tuesday directed the commission not to give exemption from the National Eligibility Test to specific individuals/institutions and colleges.
   NET/State Level Eligibility Test is a compulsory requirement for appointment of lecturers/assistant professors in universities and colleges. The HRD ministry is entitled under Section 20 of the UGC Act to take action of this scale.
   Taking a strong view of “gross violations” by the UGC of its own regulations of 2009 on NET, the ministry also said that the commission’s decision of February 23 giving specific exemptions from NET “shall not be implemented” as it is “contrary to national policy”.
   The matter of exemptions came to light in case of Maharashtra from where applications for exemption from NET were made to the commission. In fact, even one Maharashtra minister had met HRD minister Kapil Sibal seeking exemption. But his request was not entertained.
   The HRD order also reminds UGC that the ministry after considering the Mungekar Committee report, which reviewed NET and UGC’s recommendations based on it, had asked the commission to notify NET/SLET will be the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of lecturers in universities and colleges.
   The regulation had also made it clear that exemption be given to only those who have a PhD degree in accordance with the standards and rigour set out by the UGC. The ministry did not agree with UGC taking recourse to its regulations of 2000 to justify exemptions.
   It pointed out that even the relaxations under the regulations of 2000 said that these should be based on “sound justification.