UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, C and D correctly summarise crucial elements of NPE 1986 and its Programme of Action for higher education. Statement A is true because the policy emphasised both qualitative improvement and quantitative expansion. Statement C is correct in noting the policy’s concern for strengthening research in universities and advanced institutions. Statement D is also correct, as equity and special support for women and disadvantaged groups were key policy commitments, while statement B is false because the Programme of Action sought to operationalise rather than completely reverse the NPE recommendations.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it selects only A and C and leaves out D. The focus on equal access for women and disadvantaged groups is a major component of the policy framework and cannot be ignored. By omitting this equity dimension, the option fails to capture all the correct statements.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it combines C and D but excludes A. Quality and expansion of higher education are central features of NPE 1986, and leaving out A makes the portrayal incomplete. A correct answer must include all the true statements together.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it brings together A, C and D, which align with the policy’s priorities of quality, research and equity. It simultaneously excludes B, which wrongly describes the Programme of Action as reversing the policy instead of implementing it. This combination therefore matches the full set of correct statements.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes statement B among the correct statements. As the Programme of Action did not reverse the policy but elaborated its implementation strategies, treating B as correct misrepresents the policy process. Hence this option cannot be chosen.

NEP 2020 states that private schools must be regulated to ensure reasonable and transparently declared fees so that quality education is not restricted only to those who can pay very high charges.

Option A:
Allowing arbitrary, opaque fee structures would risk exploitation and deepen inequities, which NEP seeks to reduce.

Option B:
This option reflects the policy’s balanced stance of permitting private participation while insisting on social responsibility and regulatory oversight.

Option C:
Making all private education free is not the approach; NEP instead focuses on reasonable fees and scholarships.

Option D:
The policy explicitly discusses regulation of private school fees, so claiming NEP is silent on this issue is incorrect.