India’s education sector is changing rapidly, with many welcome reforms. UGC is bringing many reforms to the university education system in India, making it more flexible, student-friendly and quality-oriented. All of these reforms are aimed at making students qualified and work-ready for future employment scenarios.
According to the recent All India Higher Education Survey (AISHE) Survey Report 2019-2020, around 38.5 million students are enrolled in various universities across India. Among them, 19.6 million (50.9%) are men and 18.9 million (49.1%) are women. It is estimated that 79.5% of students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, while only 0.5% of total students are enrolled in doctoral programs. Many of these students are aspirants to government jobs.
Government jobs are among the most in-demand and competitive jobs in India. In 2020-2021, according to the 71st annual report of the UPSC, 25,03,345 applications were received for various examinations. In its 2020-2021 annual report, SSC stated that 1,00,42,723 candidates participated in various open competitions from all over India. Apart from UPSC and SSC, other recruitment exams for government jobs are banking, railway, PSU, military, teaching, etc.
Prepp has studied the various reforms and initiatives launched by the UGC and the Indian government from the perspective of how they will help government job aspirants achieve their dreams and secure their careers. The conclusions are as follows-
Double degrees
As part of the dual degree program, students can now follow two full-time degree programs in parallel, in offline, hybrid or online mode. It allows students to diversify their learning and explore career opportunities in various fields.
It also helps aspirants for government jobs in several ways. Although the majority of recruiting exams for government jobs are open to students from all backgrounds, some recruiting positions require specific credentials. Positions such as accountant, food security officer, agricultural officer, statistician, etc. are only open to students with degrees in the respective field. For example, a B.Sc (Mathematics) student can now simultaneously take a B.Com course to pursue opportunities in the accounting field.
Dual degrees, while requiring extra effort, will help students become eligible for many otherwise unreachable positions. It will also help students develop multidisciplinary expertise.
National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF)
The National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) is being prepared as part of the National Education Policy 2020. The NHEQF has brought flexibility to the university education system, with initiatives such as the Credit Bank academic, multiple entry/exit, mobility between courses and institutions, international Equivalence, etc. This will help in synchronizing the Indian higher education system under a common framework.
Students can now optimize and plan their higher education based on their learning needs and goals. Students can take an academic break and complete their course within 7 years of completing the course.
The multiple entry and exit system will help students complete post-graduation courses while preparing for exams for government jobs. Even if students do not pass government employment exams, a PG degree will help open up new government job positions available only to postgraduate students. After completing the PG course, students can take the UGC NET exam for academic and PSU jobs or the CSIR UGC NET exam for science jobs.
UGC NET exam
NET TOS and CSIR UGC NET The reviews have significantly pushed research in India. According to NTA, around 12.67 Lakh aspirants registered for UGC NET 2021, of which 48% were women, which shows the popularity of this exam. Students should prepare for the UGC NET exam with a proper preparation strategy. The career opportunities available after qualifying for the UGC NET exam are growing rapidly. Many government and private job opportunities are available for qualified UGC-NET-JRF students like-
- Education- UGC-NET-JRF qualified students can work as lecturers in public and private colleges. Some government institutes require students to also have a doctorate or are pursuing a doctorate; the condition varies from state to state.
- Doctorate- Government job opportunities for PhD students have increased significantly over the years. Aspirants can pursue full-time or part-time doctorates. Doctoral degree holders can work as assistant professors, scientists, senior researchers, etc., in various government and private institutes. According to UGC regulations, it would be mandatory to have a doctorate to become an assistant professor after July 2023.
- Research Assistant/Research Associate- UGC-NET qualified students can work as research assistants in various government institutes (like universities, research institutes, ministries, etc.), private institutes (like universities, companies, research firms, etc.) .), colleges or under the guidance of professors. The assistantship is of short duration, according to the schedule of the project. However, it helps students get a taste of what research looks like and how it is done. The certificate of experience will also help students during interviews.
- Corporate Jobs- Qualifying for the UGC-NET exam can open many corporate job opportunities for students. For example, if an M.Com student qualifies for UGC-NET-JRF, they can apply to various companies like Deloitte, KPMG, etc.
- PSU- Various PSUs like IOCL, ONGC, BHEL, GAIL, SAIL, etc., and ministries are recruiting qualified UGC-NET students for various positions. Qualified UGC-NET-JRF students are not required to take the entry tests for the positions and can go directly to the interviews.
SWAYAM Portal
SWAYAM was launched by the Government of India to provide students with quality online certificate courses along with credit transfer facility. Students can take many professional and educational courses on the SWAYAM portal. Classes feature video lectures, quizzes, reading material, assignments and exams.
Aspirants to government jobs can benefit immensely from SWAYAM courses. Students can simultaneously take professional courses at SWAYAM with their preparation. Certificates can help students with career development and job interviews. Aspirants to the UPSC Civil Service and State Civil Service can use initiatives such as Vidya-Mitra to prepare for options and other subjects. SWAYAM courses can help government job aspirants secure their careers by learning new skills and concepts, while with Vidya-Mitra they can prepare for competitive exams.
4-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP)
A milestone reached for teacher education under the National Education Policy 2020 is the 4-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP). As part of the ITEP, NCTE offers a holistic double major BABEd., B. Sc. Lit. and B.Com. Bachelor of Education.
According to CBSE, in December 2021, 18,92,276 candidates registered for CTET 2021 Paper 1, while 16,62,886 candidates registered for CTET 2021 Paper II. education in India.
This program will help aspirants a lot for a government teaching position. First, it will help students save a year of study. Second, students do not have to prepare for the B.Ed. Entrance exams separately; instead, they can focus on recruiting exams. Third, the program will have higher quality educational content with core courses in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Basic Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), etc.
Government job exams are very competitive where some achieve their dreams while others have to struggle a bit longer. The reforms mentioned above will help students plan their educational path and make better career choices. Students will have more flexibility to prepare for government employment exams with their graduation course. For students who failed to get selected for government jobs, these reforms can be a savior to pick themselves up and give their career a fresh start.
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