UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

NHEQF is intended to define level wise learning outcomes and qualification descriptors so that degrees and diplomas across institutions can be aligned, compared and understood in a consistent national framework.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because prescribing uniform colours has nothing to do with academic levels or learning outcomes.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it explains that NHEQF organises qualifications by levels and outcomes, enabling credit comparability and clarity for students and institutions.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because hostel fee regulation is a financial matter and not the primary purpose of a qualifications framework.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since deciding building architecture falls under campus planning, not under an academic framework like NHEQF.

Statements A, B and C correctly outline the rationale for targeted support to first-generation learners. Statement A is true because such learners may not have prior family experience with higher education systems. Statement B is correct as preparatory and language support can ease their transition into demanding academic environments. Statement C is also true since enabling their success advances equity and social mobility goals. Statement D is false because supporting first-generation learners is viewed as an inclusive practice, not as discrimination. Therefore, A, B and C only form the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes A and B but omits C, which directly connects support to the broader objectives of equity and mobility. Without C, the systemic purpose of these measures is underplayed.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes B and C but leaves out A, failing to mention the underlying reason that first-generation learners may require extra support due to unfamiliarity with higher education culture.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it combines reasons, strategies and outcomes, showing why and how institutions support first-generation learners, while excluding D, which mischaracterises such support as discriminatory.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes D, which wrongly claims that support is discouraged, and also omits B, weakening the description of concrete academic mechanisms such as bridge courses.

Statements A, B and D correctly describe continuing education and lifelong learning in higher education. A is true because institutions often establish centres to serve adult learners and the community. B is correct as working professionals use such programmes to upgrade competencies. D is also true since open, distance and online modes are widely used to deliver flexible courses. Statement C is false because lifelong learning centres are not confined to full-time on-campus students; they are meant to reach diverse learner groups. Therefore, A, B and D only form the correct set.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and B and omits D. Excluding D ignores the vital role of open and online modes in expanding access to continuing education. Since D is also correct, this combination is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes B and D while leaving out A. Without acknowledging that colleges and universities formally run such programmes, the description of institutional responsibility for continuing education is incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it brings together A, B and D, which jointly highlight institutional provision, professional upskilling and flexible delivery. It also rejects C, which wrongly limits lifelong learning to full-time students.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats all four statements as correct, thereby accepting C’s restriction on lifelong learning centres. This contradicts the inclusive and outreach-oriented aims of continuing education.

Deemed-to-be universities are institutions that, while not universities in the conventional sense, are granted university-like status under Section 3 of the UGC Act by the central government. This status allows them to design their own courses and award degrees in their own name. The stem describes institutions declared by the central government with such academic status, which corresponds to deemed-to-be universities. Therefore, Option D is correct.

Option A:
Private universities are generally established through state legislation and are sponsored by private bodies, but the term does not automatically mean they are declared as universities under the specific section of the UGC Act mentioned. Thus, Option A is not precise enough to fit the stem.

Option B:
Open universities are created specifically for distance education and may be state or central institutions; they are not defined primarily by the special declaration mechanism under the UGC Act, so Option B is not the correct completion.

Option C:
Affiliating universities are those that grant affiliation to numerous colleges and conduct examinations for them, but this label does not capture the special declared status under the central government notification. Hence, Option C is not appropriate.

Option D:
Deemed-to-be universities acquire a high degree of academic autonomy and can innovate in curricular and research activities while still being subject to UGC regulations, which matches the detailed academic status described in the question and confirms Option D as correct.

The policy encourages development of textbooks that show content in the local or mother tongue and also in English, where appropriate. This supports transition to additional languages while preserving conceptual clarity. It helps students and teachers in bilingual settings.

Option A:
Insisting on English-only textbooks undermines mother tongue-based learning and is not recommended.

Option B:
This option reflects NEP’s practical suggestion to promote multilingual competence through learning materials.

Option C:
Printing in foreign languages alone would marginalise Indian languages.

Option D:
Textbooks with no text at all would be inadequate for many learning objectives.

NEP 2020 states that in the new degree structure, M.Phil. will no longer be necessary and will be phased out. Students may move from a research-oriented master’s or four-year bachelor’s with research directly into Ph.D. This simplifies pathways and removes redundancy.

Option A:
Making M.Phil. compulsory would contradict the policy’s explicit decision to discontinue it.

Option B:
This option directly reflects the stated plan to discontinue the standalone M.Phil. degree.

Option C:
The policy does not propose M.Phil. replacing master’s; instead, it streamlines degrees and allows direct movement into Ph.D. from research-oriented master’s or four-year bachelor’s with research.

Option D:
Offering M.Phil. only in ODL mode is not suggested; the degree itself is being phased out.

The phrase “autonomy with accountability” suggests that universities should have substantial freedom in academic and internal administrative matters while being answerable for performance and use of funds. The stem describes generous public funding coupled with freedom in decision-making. This aligns directly with the autonomy component of the principle.

Option A:
Control implies detailed state interference in day-to-day decisions, which is the opposite of granting freedom. Therefore, this option does not reflect the idea in the question.

Option B:
Autonomy highlights institutional independence in curriculum, research priorities and internal governance. When balanced with accountability mechanisms, it allows creativity and responsiveness while ensuring public trust, making this option correct.

Option C:
Secrecy would undermine accountability because it hides information from stakeholders. It does not describe a desirable governance principle, so this option is not suitable.

Option D:
Randomness suggests lack of coherent criteria or policy, which conflicts with structured notions of autonomy and accountability. Hence, this option cannot complete the statement properly.

NEP 2020 is explicitly presented as replacing the earlier National Policy on Education 1986, which had some modifications in 1992. This shows continuity as well as change in India’s education vision. The new policy builds on earlier achievements but addresses contemporary challenges. Hence the 1986 policy is the one being updated.

Option A:
The 1968 policy was an even earlier framework and had already been superseded by the 1986 policy, so it is not the immediate predecessor.

Option B:
The 1986 policy, with 1992 modifications, is the direct earlier national policy that NEP 2020 replaces.

Option C:
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a programme for universal elementary education, not a national policy document to be “replaced”.

Option D:
The Right to Education Act is legislation, not a policy that NEP simply replaces, so this option is misleading.

Statements A and B correctly explain the purpose of the Academic Bank of Credits. Statement A is true because ABC functions as a digital repository of credits earned in approved courses offered by recognised institutions. Statement B is true in stating that ABC supports multiple entry and exit by enabling students to accumulate credits over time and redeem them for qualifications. Statement C is false since credits from unrecognised institutions are not automatically accepted; regulatory norms apply. Statement D is false because ABC does not eliminate examinations, which remain integral to course assessment. Therefore, A and B only form the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it mentions the storage function of ABC but omits the important feature in B that connects credits to flexible entry and exit pathways, which is central to ABC’s value proposition.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it captures both the technical role of ABC as a repository and its academic role in enabling flexible learning trajectories, while excluding C and D, which overstate or misrepresent its implications.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it adds C, wrongly implying that all credits irrespective of institutional recognition must be accepted, which would contradict regulatory quality controls.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it combines B and C and ignores A, accepting the false suggestion in C and ignoring the basic description of ABC as a digital credit bank.

NEP 2020 repeatedly emphasises that pedagogy should be learner-centric rather than dominated by the teacher. Student-centred learning promotes active engagement, critical thinking and autonomy, allowing learners to construct their own understanding. It fits well with constructivist principles and flexible curricula that respond to diverse learner needs. Because the policy explicitly calls for shifting from teacher control to learner agency, “student-centred” is the only option that correctly completes the statement.

Option A:
Syllabus-centred learning keeps the primary focus on completing prescribed content, often at a fixed pace, regardless of students’ interests, prior knowledge or learning difficulties. This approach typically leads to coverage-oriented teaching where “finishing the syllabus” is more important than deep understanding. NEP 2020 calls for flexibility, interdisciplinarity and focus on competencies, so a syllabus-centred orientation does not represent the recommended pedagogic shift and is therefore not correct.

Option B:
Student-centred learning recognises students as active participants who co-construct knowledge through questioning, exploration and collaboration. It encourages teachers to use varied strategies like projects, discussions and problem-solving tasks suited to learners’ contexts. NEP 2020 links such learner-centred environments with holistic development, creativity and democratic classroom culture. Hence, Option B, student-centred learning, accurately reflects the direction of reform advocated in the policy.

Option C:
Exam-centred learning makes tests and marks the dominant driver of classroom activity and curriculum decisions. This often results in rote memorisation, short-term preparation and teaching narrowly to the test. NEP 2020 explicitly discourages such exam-driven practices and instead promotes formative, competency-based and continuous assessment. Because the policy is trying to move away from exam-centred practices, this option cannot complete a statement about the desired pedagogic shift and is incorrect.

Option D:
Authority-centred learning reinforces rigid hierarchies in which the teacher is unquestioned and students remain passive recipients of information. Such environments leave little space for dialogue, feedback or shared decision-making, which runs counter to NEP 2020’s emphasis on participatory and inclusive classrooms. By keeping control with the authority figure, this model undermines the learner agency and voice that the policy wants to strengthen. Therefore, authority-centred learning does not represent the recommended move and is not the right answer.

Committees that examine research involving humans or animals to safeguard consent, welfare and moral standards are called ethics committees or research ethics committees. Their role is exactly what the stem describes, so “ethics” is the correct completion.

Option A:
Option A is correct because ethics committees specifically focus on evaluating risks, benefits and ethical safeguards before a study is approved, ensuring research integrity and participant protection.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as finance committees deal with budgeting, accounts and resource allocation, not with the moral acceptability of research designs.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because sports committees oversee games and athletic activities, which is unrelated to the ethical review of research protocols.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since discipline committees generally handle cases of misconduct or violations of codes of conduct, not the prior ethical vetting of research proposals.

NEP 2020 explicitly states that India should aim to achieve a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035. This target reflects the policy objective of significantly expanding access to post-secondary education. It is seen as necessary for economic growth, knowledge creation and demographic advantage. Therefore, 50% is the only option that correctly matches the official NEP target mentioned in the stem.

Option A:
A GER of 25% is closer to earlier levels of participation and does not represent the ambitious future target set by NEP 2020. Selecting this option would underestimate the scale of expansion envisaged for 2035. Hence, it cannot be the correct completion of the statement.

Option B:
A GER of 35% is higher than 25% but still falls short of the officially stated goal of 50% by 2035. Choosing this option would misrepresent the magnitude of growth planned in the policy. Therefore, it is not the correct answer.

Option C:
50% is the official GER target mentioned in NEP 2020 for higher education by 2035, representing a major planned expansion of access and capacity.

Option D:
A GER of 75% would represent an even more ambitious target than what NEP 2020 actually proposes. Since the policy documents do not state 75% as the 2035 goal, this option does not align with the official benchmark and is incorrect. Although 75% would indicate extremely wide participation, NEP 2020 clearly fixes the benchmark at 50%, so selecting 75% would overstate the intended level of massification.

Gross Enrolment Ratio is a widely used indicator that relates the total number of students enrolled at a given level of education, irrespective of age, to the population of the official age group for that level. In higher education, it is often measured for the 18–23 years age cohort. The stem describes exactly this percentage of the eligible age group enrolled in higher education, so the missing word is “Enrolment.” Therefore, Option B correctly completes the term Gross Enrolment Ratio.

Option A:
GER helps policymakers evaluate how widely higher education opportunities are being used and whether access is expanding over time. It also allows comparison between regions and countries by standardising enrolment relative to population size. These roles correspond closely to the indicator discussed in the question.

Option B:
Completion ratio would focus on the proportion of students who finish a programme rather than those who enter it. While important for efficiency analysis, it is not the measure defined in the stem.

Option C:
Retention ratio generally refers to the ability of institutions to keep students from dropping out between years or semesters. It is different from gross enrolment, which is about initial participation levels.

Option D:
Employment ratio would indicate the proportion of people employed and is not directly a higher education participation measure. It cannot replace the word required to form the well-known term Gross Enrolment Ratio.

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.

Dropout rate measures the proportion of students who exit a programme without finishing it. The stem speaks explicitly of students leaving before completion. This behaviour is exactly what is captured under dropout statistics. Therefore, “dropout” is the correct term.

Option A:
Promotion rate tracks how many students move successfully from one level or year to the next within the programme. It reflects progress rather than withdrawal, so this option does not match the description.

Option B:
Placement rate refers to the share of graduates who secure jobs or higher study opportunities. It relates to outcomes after completion, not to early exit, making this option inappropriate.

Option C:
Accreditation is an external quality certification for institutions and programmes. It is not a measure of student retention or attrition, so this option does not fit the stem.

Option D:
Dropout rate directly counts students who discontinue before finishing the programme, matching the situation described.