[LIS-Forum] NET/SET stop discussion do action

Hi,   I do not know who told my respected friends that those who have cleared NET / SET have opted standards and quality? It’s been observed that, just because of NET and / or SET clearance few undeserved candidates gets job. There are professionals who hold certificates in NET / SET but can not build a good image of profession in society, do not have enthusiasm in teaching and / or servicing the need of users. Even students can clearly mark their negative qualities. Tell me how many college going students actually say some good things about their librarian? Everyone makes faces when the topic of library or librarian comes into discussion. One can easily observe this in surrounding specially while traveling with young generation.   In such cases what’s the use of their certificates of NET/SET exams?   If private sector ensures the best candidate for their profitability and if professionals with NET/SET are supposed to be the best then why our MNCs and private sectors are yet away from having that as one of the major selection criteria for candidate? Infact the payments in these sectors are like anything and thus they can demand for the best as well. But I think they go for skills and not for certificates which can be obtained through a completely opaque system like these eligibility examinations. Tell me how many students who can not clear these exams even after several attempts, actually know the paper which becomes cause of failure? There is no transparency in examination results and thus it does not help students for preparations of next attempt.     One of our friends has stated that “A good teacher need not be a good researcher and a good researcher need not be a good teacher” thus M. Phil and Ph.D. as well have to go through these examinations. But can anyone tell me which section of NET / SET exam actually checks teaching skills of candidates?   People from private sectors do their best to update themselves and cater the need of their organizations. But people from public sector has secure job and thus do not take much efforts to give someting best, which spoils the image of profession and professionals both.   Thus I personally think that the exemption of these examinations is a good start and at same time instead of debating NET/SET/Ph.D./M.Phil etc. we should think of improving quality of our profession. Cause our educational system is such that neither clearing any of eligibility tests nor having any degree assures the quality. And our professionals who works as guide for Ph. D. and M. Phil students should take care that they allocate degree to a proper candidate. They can also try to either ban those universities who give fake degree to students or force them to wind up their activity so that we get quality.   There should be a committee where anyone can complain against those professionals who are spoiling the image of profession. And the rights should be given to that committee so that they can take serious actions against the candidate (Like in Medical profession they have rights to take away the degree of doctor). This will automatically help to maintain the quality. And people will do their best to serve the profession.   Regards,   Monali Sr. Exe. - Library & Documentation Mumbai. From:   "Dr.H.S.Siddmallaiah" To:   "nmlis" , "lis" , "corporatelibrns Moderator" , "raja ram" Subject:   [LIS-Forum] Dont hang on to NET Date:   Wed, 24 May 2006 22:48:19 +0530

Dear Friends

UGC have honoured university colleagues

If university people are not confident on their own product why don't they close M.Phil or Ph.D.,

on Contrary Ph.D., is mandatory for teacher in their promotion, irrespective of whether they are through with NET or not. If NET is everything why Ph.D., why don.t you call it like an IAS in academic.

Research or academic activities are mindset, culture and need to be acquired through practice and actual research not just one exam

Please be proactive to creativity and grow up to expectation by creating better products in university. Do not underestimate your own product. Good or bad is a comparative value, there is no benchmark for it

With regards Dr.H.S.Siddamallaiah

----- Original Message ----- From: "raja ram" To: "nmlis" ; "lis" ; "corporatelibrns Moderator" Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 4:40 PM Subject: [nmlis] Casting away the NET

Casting away the NET

The NET seems to be on its way out. But academics have their

reservations about this development. It is now official. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared

that the National Eligibility Test (NET) it conducts for identifying

potential teachers in colleges and universities will no longer be an

eligibility criterion for those with an M.Phil. and/or a doctoral degree.

On May 16, the Commission chairman announced that the interim report of

the Balchandra Mungekar Committee, which was set up by the Ministry of

Human Resource Development in November 2005 to suggest ways to revamp

the NET and to find out whether the NET was needed at all as an

eligibility criterion to teach in institutions of higher learning, has been accepted in principle.

Report recommendation

The interim report recommends that those with an M.Phil. may be

exempted from having to clear the NET for teaching in undergraduate courses and that those with a Ph.D. need not have a NET for teaching postgraduate courses.

This announcement has caused dismay among many academicians in Kerala.

Many teachers who spoke to The Hindu-Educationplus said they saw this

announcement as the beginning of the end of the NET. While these

academics are firm in their view that the NET as it exists today is pretty much useless, they are also equally firm in the belief that a

national-level test of some sort in unavoidable if quality teachers are to be appointed in the nation's universities and colleges.

Dissenting voices

"This is wrong step," says K. Sasikumar, professor, Department of

Commerce, University of Kerala. "It will open the floodgates of mediocrity as far as selecting good teachers is concerned. Now, in this university anyone with 55 per cent marks for the postgraduate examination can sign up for M.Phil. and everyone who registers for Ph.D. gets a doctoral degree. There is no such thing as turning down a thesis. There is no evaluation by a foreign expert."

"Now, after this announcement, there is going to be a huge rush for

M.Phil. courses," points out R. Mohankumar, general secretary of the All Kerala Private College Teachers' Association. He says the UGC has always been inconsistent in taking a stand, vis-à-vis exemptions from the NET.

"In 1993, 1998, 2000 and in 2002, the UGC's position regarding who can

be exempted from the NET kept on shifting. Is there a hidden agenda in

this? There must be. Otherwise why these constant changes? If for some

subjects, due to shortage of NET-qualified hands, some exemption needs

to be given, fine. But a blanket exemption for all M.Phil. holders and

Ph.D. holders? No that cannot be accepted. That is bad news for quality

teaching," he says.

Mr. Mohankumar adds that he is with those who argue that this move of

the UGC is aimed at regularising the services of hundreds, if not

thousands, of part-time/contract lecturers in colleges across the country who have not cleared the NET but have M.Phil. and are seeking to get a Ph.D.

Flawed decision

There are also those who feel that the Mungekar committee could have

better employed its time and energy by trying to reform and broad-base

the NET. Head of the Department of Law University of Kerala N. K.

Jayakumar is among those who firmly believe that the very concept of linking M.Phil. and Ph.D. to the career of a teacher is flawed.

"A good teacher need not be a good researcher and a good researcher

need not know how to teach. We see that happening all the time. Sure you should have a test to see gauge the teaching skills of a person. The method adopted by the National Law School Bangalore is very good in this respect. Now, with this announcement by the UGC, there is going to be a spurt in the number of M.Phils. being offered by colleges. In no time there will also be M.Phil. in the distance education mode. Then all those people are going to try and become teachers. What will happen to these people if in the future the NET - in another form - becomes

compulsory," Dr. Jayakumar asks.

Broad-basing NET

Former Vice-Chairman of the UGC V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai too says the

need of the hour is to try and revamp the NET instead of seeking to do

away with it. As a teacher he says he is strongly in favour of having a

nation-wide eligibility test in some form. " The NET can be broad-based

so as to assess teaching capability and aptitude," he told The

Hindu-Education plus over phone from Kottayam.Right from the time the Mungekar Committee was set up, Dr. Pillai had

argued that the best way ahead would be to have a NET that allows for

trans-disciplinary eligibility; so that a candidate who clear the NET for English can also teach such subjects as communicative English,

linguistics or journalism.

Many in the academic community say they would not be surprised if the

Mungekar Committee in its final report recommends that the NET be done

away with. "All these things should be done after a nation-wide debate

among academics and by a five-member committee," points out Mr.

Mohankumar, "such decisions can affect the lives and future of thousands of students."

G. MAHADEVAN Source: The Hindu, Education plus , kerala.

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