(a) whether the candidates having Botany and Zoology subjects in Post Graduation are
allowed to appear in National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by the University Grants
Commission (UGC);
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether there is any scheme to include Botany and Zoology subjects in place of Life
Science; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SHASHI THAROOR)
(a) & (b) : Yes, Madam. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have informed us that the candidates having
Botany and Zoology subjects in Post Graduation are allowed to appear in the CSIR-UGC NET,
conducted by the CSIR, in the main subject area ‘Life Sciences’.
(c) & (d) : No, Madam. UGC-CSIR NET is conducted in five basic science subjects namely
Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Physical
Sciences. Candidates having post graduation in indicated subject specialisations are
eligible to appear in these subjects. The subject Life Sciences has many subject
specialisations such as Biochemistry, Biodiversity and Taxonomy, Biotechnology, Botany,
Genetics, Microbiology, Physiology, Zoology etc. and candidates who have done masters in
any of the above are eligible to appear in UGC-CSIR NET against this subject.