UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The growth of self-financing colleges and private universities signifies a rising role of non-governmental providers in higher education, commonly described as increased private participation. The stem describes exactly this phenomenon, so “private” is the appropriate completion.

Option A:
Option A is correct because private participation directly refers to involvement of trusts, societies and companies in funding and running higher education institutions.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as “purely public” participation would mean only government institutions are expanding, which contradicts the explicit mention of private providers.

Option C:
Option C is wrong since “military” participation concerns defence institutions and has no direct relation to the trend of self-financing colleges and private universities.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because “judicial” participation would refer to courts or legal bodies, not to higher education providers.

Environmental dispossession describes situations where people are separated from the land and resources that supported their livelihoods,often through enclosure,privatisation or conservation without participation. The stem clearly mentions loss of access to forests and commons and resulting livelihood loss,which fits this concept. Therefore “dispossession” is the correct word. Option C best completes the phrase.

Option A:
Integration would suggest bringing groups together or including them in benefits,which is opposite to losing access. Hence Option A does not match the meaning in the stem.

Option B:
Equilibrium refers to balance in systems and does not describe processes of exclusion and loss of rights. It is not suitable for the scenario of communities being cut off from resources.

Option C:
Dispossession captures the idea that people are deprived of their customary resource base and decision making power. This aligns exactly with the impacts described in the question.

Option D:
Subsidy means financial support from the state and does not convey the notion of losing access to commons or forests. Therefore Option D is clearly incorrect here.

The rise of self-financing institutions and private universities indicates that non-state actors are playing a larger role in providing higher education. This is typically described as increased private participation, so “private” correctly completes the statement.

Option A:
Option A is correct because private participation directly refers to the involvement of trusts, societies and companies in sponsoring and running higher education institutions.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as “public-only” would mean that only government providers are expanding, which contradicts the mention of private universities and self-financing colleges.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because “military” participation would refer to defence forces, which are not the primary focus in the trend described.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since “judicial” participation would relate to courts and the legal system, not to the growth of private higher education providers.

Statements A, B and C correctly highlight key issues in commercialisation and privatisation of higher education. Statement A is true because high fees in private institutions can limit access for students from low-income groups. Statement B is correct as commercialisation may alter institutional priorities towards revenue generation over public service. Statement C is also true since strong regulation is needed to safeguard quality and student rights, whereas statement D is false because privatisation does not automatically guarantee equity and quality.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits C. Without mentioning the need for regulatory mechanisms, the response does not fully address how to manage market pressures in higher education.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it combines B and C but leaves out A. Affordability concerns are a central consequence of privatisation and commercialisation, and ignoring them makes the description incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it brings together all three statements that reflect both the risks and regulatory requirements associated with commercialisation. It excludes D, which unrealistically portrays privatisation as a universal solution to equity and quality issues. This combination therefore offers the most balanced and accurate view.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it pairs A and C and drops B. The potential shift from public service to profit-making is one of the most frequently cited critiques of commercialisation, and leaving it out weakens the analysis.

Privatisation in higher education involves greater participation of private providers, growth of self-financing programmes and a shift of some costs from the state to students and families. This may include private universities, self-financed courses in public institutions and encouragement of philanthropic or corporate investment. The stem mentions self-financing institutions, cost sharing and private investment, which are hallmark features of privatisation policies. Thus, Option C is the correct answer.

Option A:
Privatisation is often justified on grounds of expanding capacity and reducing the fiscal burden on the state, but it can raise concerns about equity and quality. These debates are central to the theme of higher education policy reform and match the context of the question.

Option B:
Statism would imply increased state control and funding, which is the opposite of relying more on private actors and cost sharing. Hence, this option does not fit the description.

Option C:
Democratisation focuses on greater participation and representation in governance and decision-making, not specifically on funding patterns or ownership. While democratisation can accompany privatisation, it is conceptually distinct from the phenomena described in the stem.

Option D:
Reservation is an affirmative action policy designed to promote inclusion of marginalised groups. It relates to equity of access rather than the ownership and financing structure of institutions, so this option is not appropriate.