UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Reservation, scholarships and support services are equity tools designed to bring more students from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education. These interventions broaden the social base of enrolment and thus aim at widened participation.

Option A:
Option A is correct because widened participation explicitly refers to increasing access for under-represented or marginalised groups, which is the clear purpose of the measures listed in the stem.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as “elite” participation limits access to a small privileged group, running counter to the idea of social justice and inclusion.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because “closed” participation suggests strong barriers and limited entry, the opposite of what these supportive measures intend to achieve.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since “purely market” participation would depend mainly on the ability to pay and market demand, often worsening inequalities rather than reducing them.

Reservation, scholarships and academic support are classic instruments for widening participation—expanding access to higher education for groups historically excluded or under-represented. The stem lists such measures, so “widening” participation is the correct completion.

Option A:
Option A is correct because widening participation explicitly denotes increasing the social and demographic range of students who can enter and succeed in higher education.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as elite participation would restrict higher education to a small privileged group, contradicting the equity goals of the policies mentioned.

Option C:
Option C is wrong since closed participation implies strong barriers and limited access, the opposite of what these inclusivity measures seek to achieve.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because a purely market approach would rely heavily on ability to pay, often worsening inequalities rather than reducing them.