UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B and D accurately reflect the aims of multidisciplinary education. A is true because students are encouraged to combine majors, minors and electives across domains. B is true as NEP 2020 explicitly calls for flexible and less compartmentalised structures. D is also true since multiple-disciplinary exposure broadens perspectives and problem-solving approaches. Statement C is false; departments may continue to exist while enabling cross-disciplinary choices rather than being abolished. Thus, A, B and D only are correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all three statements that capture breadth, policy emphasis and skill development, while excluding C, which misinterprets multidisciplinary education as eliminating specialisation.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits D, thereby not highlighting the developmental impact on analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it selects B and D and omits A, not explicitly stating that students actually choose courses across different fields, which is central to multidisciplinary design.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats every statement as correct, endorsing C’s idea that departments must be abolished, which is not a requirement of multidisciplinary institutions.

NEP 2020 states that multidisciplinary universities and colleges, with flexible combinations of subjects, should increasingly become the norm in higher education instead of segmented, single-discipline institutions.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because NEP criticises narrow single-discipline institutions and rigid subject walls as features of the old system.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it describes the vision of large multidisciplinary HEIs where students can combine arts, sciences, social sciences and vocational areas.

Option C:
Option C is wrong since the policy does not say that only distance-education institutions should dominate; it emphasises diverse, high-quality physical and blended campuses.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because NEP wants vocational and general education to be integrated within multidisciplinary institutions, not to have only vocational trades with no broader learning.

NEP 2020 emphasises a holistic and multidisciplinary higher education structure with flexible curricular choices, making statement A correct. It also proposes a time-bound phasing out of the affiliation system, which confirms the correctness of statement B. Statement D is correct because NEP 2020 envisions the Higher Education Commission of India as an umbrella organization for regulation, accreditation and funding separation. Statement C is incorrect; NEP does not propose a single examination board controlling all aspects of higher education institutions. The combination A, B and D only therefore correctly captures the intended provisions.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it acknowledges A and B as correct but omits D, which is also a key part of NEP 2020 relating to the Higher Education Commission of India. Leaving out this true statement makes the combination incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it combines all three true statements A, B and D while excluding C, which exaggerates central examination control beyond what NEP 2020 proposes. This option closely matches the reform agenda described in the policy.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because, although B and D are true, it leaves out A, which is central to NEP’s emphasis on multidisciplinary and flexible education. The omission of A makes the combination partially correct but not fully accurate.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct and thereby accepts the exaggerated claim in C about a single exam board controlling all institutions. Since C is not consistent with the policy, this option cannot be chosen.

NEP 2020 notes that the Indian higher education system has many small, fragmented institutions that lack resources and multidisciplinary breadth. By consolidating colleges into larger multidisciplinary clusters, the policy aims to reduce such fragmentation. The stem refers to this reorganisation and asks what it intends to reduce, which is fragmentation. Therefore, Option A is correct.

Option A:
Reducing fragmentation can allow for shared resources, better faculty recruitment and richer academic offerings. Larger multidisciplinary institutions are expected to provide more holistic education and stronger governance structures, fitting the description in the question.

Option B:
Coordination is something that such clusters seek to enhance, not reduce. Thus, Option B reverses the intended effect and is incorrect.

Option C:
Autonomy is generally to be increased for institutions under NEP 2020, especially as they mature into multidisciplinary universities. The goal is not to reduce autonomy, making Option C unsuitable.

Option D:
Access is also intended to expand over time, even if institutional structures change. The policy does not aim to reduce access, so Option D is not appropriate.