Govt lowers 5% cut off for MPhil, PhD quota students

New Delhi: It may prove to be a major relief to students belonging to reserved categories as the University Grants Commission (UGC) has lowered the cut off from the current 50 per cent to 45 per cent of marks in the entrance examinations conducted by universities for admission in MPhil and PhD programmes. The UGC has given a 5 per cent relaxation to students belonging to reserved categories by amending its 2016 regulations.

The amendment in the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Awards of MPhil/PhD Degree) Regulations 2016 has been necessitated due to decline in the number of students getting admission under reserved categories.

According to UGC officials, the 5 per cent reduction in cut off would allow more students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) to go for MPhil and PhD programmes. The relaxation in cut off will also be applicable to the students falling under the differently-abled category.

According to UGC's notified rules, which has come into effect from August 27, the universities has been mandated to launch a special admission drive for the students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and differently-abled category within one month from the date of the closure of admissions of the general category students if the seats allotted for the reserved category students remained vacant despite 5 per cent relaxation in cut off.

"The university concerned will devise its own admission procedure, along with eligibility conditions to ensure that most of the seats under these categories are filled." the revised rules provide.

Hailing the decision, Delhi University's assistant professor Abhash Kumar said, "It's a good decision in the interest of students belonging to backward communities as MPhil and PhD seats reserved for SC/ST/OBC candidates remained 'unutilised'. With the lowering of 5 per cent cut off, students belonging to such reserved groups would come forward to take admission in these courses."