UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The proposed apex body in NEP 2020 is named the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), envisioned as an overarching regulator with specialised verticals for accreditation, regulation and funding. Therefore, the missing word in the stem is “Commission.”

Option A:
Option A is correct because “Commission” reflects a statutory authority with clearly defined responsibilities, and this is the term actually used in policy drafts and discussions about HECI.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since “Council” would result in a different name and acronym and does not match the official proposal.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because “Corporation” suggests a commercial or corporate body, which does not fit the intended character of a regulatory apex body for higher education.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as “Consortium” refers to a voluntary association of institutions, not to a single statutory regulator created by law.

Statements A and C correctly capture the regulatory vision of NEP 2020. A is true because the policy envisages a Higher Education Commission of India with distinct but coordinated verticals for regulation, accreditation, funding and standards. C is also true as “light but tight” regulation is a key phrase used to describe a system focused on outcomes, disclosure and academic integrity rather than intrusive control. B is false since NEP does not remove regulation altogether; it restructures it. D is false because professional councils continue to frame professional standards even as their roles are harmonised with the new framework. Hence, the combination A and C only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and omits C. While A is true, leaving out C ignores the crucial guiding principle of “light but tight” regulation that shapes the proposed framework, so the combination is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it selects both A and C, the two true statements, and excludes B and D which misrepresent NEP’s stance on regulation and professional councils. This option recognises both structural reform and the guiding regulatory philosophy.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it adds B, implying that NEP withdraws regulation completely. Including B mixes one false statement with the two true ones and therefore cannot represent the correct combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes D, which wrongly claims that professional councils will stop specifying standards, and omits the fact that regulation remains structured under a reformed overarching body.