UNIRAJ has announced the date for the conduct of the MPAT examination for MPhil and PhD seats on October 29, 2021. The exam is going to be held after a gap of three years, last MPAT exam was conducted in September 2019. Considering the pandemic, it was a hurdle for conducting the exam as per schedule following that.
The MPAT exam is conducted for PhD and MPhil admissions. This year, 324 seats for NET+JRF and 354 seats for teachers have been allotted for which students will register.
Seats for NET+JRF are generally for those students who are still studying and teachers’ candidates are people who are already in a job as an assistant professor without a PhD.
"This year after pandemic we will conduct our first MPAT. In the last three years, JRF students and teachers’ candidates had to give separate exams. That process was time-consuming. This year, everyone will give the exam on the same date," said Rashmi Jain, RU faculty and conveyor for MPAT.
Further, separate research aptitude tests were conducted for science students and arts/commerce students. However, this year only one research aptitude exam will be conducted for all the students.
Lately, more than 100 enrolled faculty members of the University of Rajasthan were promoted which increased 200 seats for Ph.D program. However, these 200 seats will be adjusted in the next MPAT exam as some more procedures have to be completed.
"Some professors will be retiring within six months who cannot take new PhD admissions. Many other approvals are needed from the vice-chancellors’ office. It would have taken us more than 15 days to complete the entire process so we issued the MPAT exam dates. MPAT exam will be conducted next year for these additional seats," said Jain.
One important change has been made this year in the MPAT exam. NET+ JRF students who earlier used to get 10% extra marks will now get just 10 marks. Similarly, students who have done MPhil from the university will get seven marks extra in the exam.
