Delayed SET Results Leave Thousands of Students in Limbo

Pune: "After completing my postgraduate studies, I took the State Eligibility Test (SET) hoping to at least get a teaching position on an hourly basis. However, even after three months, the SET results are still pending, while colleges are in the final stages of hiring professors. If this year is wasted, I will have to wait until next year for a job. As a woman, this is particularly challenging for me," said an MSc graduate.

The SET department of Savitribai Phule Pune University has sought guidance from the state government on whether to implement reservations for SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) category students for the SET exam.

However, senior officials have indicated that there has been no progress on this issue. The delay in decision-making is affecting approximately 100,000 students, making it imperative to announce the results promptly.

Savitribai Phule Pune University's SET examination department, the nodal agency for the Maharashtra government and authorized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), conducts the eligibility test for assistant professor positions in universities and senior colleges in Maharashtra and Goa.

The 39th SET exam was conducted on April 7, 2024, across 298 exam centers in 17 major cities of Maharashtra and Goa. A total of 128,243 students registered for the exam, with 109,154 appearing.

All these students are now awaiting their results, but the state government has yet to provide guidance on how to announce the results.

Dr. Vijay Khare, Acting Registrar, Savitribai Phule Pune University, said, "We have sought guidance on whether to implement reservations for SEBC category students when announcing the results.

The issue is now with the General Administration Department. As soon as we receive guidance, the results will be announced immediately."