UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

NEP 2020 allows small colleges to join together as clusters that can collectively satisfy requirements for becoming a university. The idea is to pool resources, governance and academic programmes to create viable multidisciplinary institutions rather than many weak single colleges.

Option A:
A lone college with no partners is not a cluster by definition. NEP explicitly uses clustering as a consolidation strategy, so this option is incorrect.

Option B:
This option clearly states that several geographically proximate colleges function as one unit in the path toward university status. It mirrors the NEP explanation and is therefore correct.

Option C:
Virtual teacher groups can be useful for CPD but do not correspond to the structural notion of cluster universities described in the policy.

Option D:
School complexes apply to school education, not higher education. Cluster universities are about HEIs, so equating them with primary level complexes is inaccurate.

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.