National Eligibility Test (NET)

University Grants Commission (UGC) conducts National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine eligibility for lectureship and for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals in order to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research. National Eligibility Test (NET) is conducted in 77 subjects at 66 selected university centres around the country. The Examination is conducted in Humanities (including languages), Social Sciences, Forensic Science, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Applications and Electronic Science.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts the UGC-CSIR NET for other Science subjects, namely, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Earth Atmospheric Ocean & Planetary Sciences jointly with the UGC. The tests are conducted twice in a year generally in the months of June and December. For candidates who desire to pursue research, the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) is available for five years subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. UGC has allocated a number of fellowships to the universities for the candidates who qualify the test for JRF. The JRFs are awarded to the meritorious candidates from among the candidates qualifying for eligibility for lectureship in the NET. JRFs are available only to the candidates who opt for it in their application forms.

The test for Junior Research Fellowship is being conducted since 1984. The Government of India, through its notification dated 22nd July, 1988 entrusted the task of conducting the eligibility test for lectureship to UGC. Consequently, UGC conducted the first National Eligibility Test, common to both eligibility for Lectureship and Junior Research Fellowship in two parts, that is, in December 1989 and in March , 1990.

The eligibility test at the national level may not be completely able to represent the subjects which are regional in their character. Moreover, the demand for enabling the candidates to appear for the Test in their own mother tongue was also being made. The state governments and union territories were, therefore, given the option of conducting their own Test for eligibility for Lectureship at the state level. Thus was born the concept of SET, i.e., State Eligibility Test for Lectureship Eligibility only. It is conducted both in English and the vernacular.

Schedule

UGC conducts NET twice a year, i.e., in the months of June and December. The notifications announcing the June and December examinations are published in the months of March and September respectively in the weekly journal of nation-wide circulation, viz, Employment News.

SET/SLET:

It was felt that an eligibility test at the national level may not be completely able to represent the subjects which are regional in their character. Moreover, the demand for enabling the candidates to appear for the Test in their own mother tongue was also being made. The state governments and union territories were, therefore, given the option of conducting their own Test for eligibility for Lectureship at the state level. Thus was born the concept of SET, i.e., State Eligibility Test for Lectureship Eligibility only. It is conducted both in English and the vernacular.

The Commission at its meeting held on 25 May 1990 decided to constitute a UGC Committee on Accreditation of Test (U-CAT). The terms of reference of U-CAT are as follows:

• Laying down guidelines for holding the tests.

• Laying down guidelines for holding the tests/CSIR.

• Monitoring of tests conducted by other agencies and suggesting follow-up measures.

• Extend guidance and help to State level agencies in the organization of the tests.

Based on the recommendations made by U-CAT, the following guidelines are given to the states regarding test design, course content, organization of the test etc. for conducting State Eligibility Test (SET) for Lectureship only.

In accordance with the mandate given by the Government of India, the University Grants Commission (UGC), on request of State Governments, proposed to have State Eligibility Test (SET) duly accredited by UGC for a fixed term. This state level Test is based on the pattern of the National Eligibility Test (NET) conducted by UGC and UGC/CSIR for Humanities, Social Sciences and Sciences subjects respectively. The State Governments and Union Territories, which wish to conduct their own SET, are required to obtain accreditation from UGC from time to time.

Eligibility:

The eligibility criteria’s are :

i) Only those candidates are eligible to appear in NET who have completed/ are pursuing a UGC specified Master’s degree in :
LLM, MBA, M.Com, MD, M.Dance, M.Ed., M.Ind., ML, M.Lib.Sc., M.Litt., M.Mus., MOL, MPEd., MSW, M.Sc., M.Stat., M.Tech., M.Text, Shikshan Parangat, MA, MCA, MFA , MJ, MLIS, Shiksha Acharya, MPA, MPS, M.E., M.F.C., M.B.E., M.I.B., M.C.S.

ii) Candidates who have secured at least 55% marks (without grace or rounding off) in Master’s Degree (or) equivalent examination from Universities/ Institutions recognised by UGC in Humanities (including languages) and Social Sciences, Computer Science & Applications, Electronic Science etc. are eligible for this Test. 
The Scheduled Caste(SC)/ Scheduled Tribe(ST)/ Physically Handicapped(PH)/ Visually Handicapped(VH) category candidates who have secured at least 50% marks (without grace or rounding off) in Master’s degree examination are eligible for this Test.

iii) Candidates who have appeared OR will be appearing at the qualifying Master’s degree (final year) examination and whose result is still awaited OR candidates whose qualifying examinations have been delayed may also apply for this Test. However, such candidates will be admitted provisionally and shall be considered eligible for award of JRF/Lectureship eligibility only after they have passed their Master’s degree examination or equivalent with at least 55% marks (50% in case of SC/ST/PH/VH category candidates).  Such candidates must complete their P.G. degree examination within one year from the date of NET with required percentage of marks, failing which they will be treated as disqualified.

iv) The Ph.D. degree holders whose Master’s level examination had been completed by a particular time/ year declared by the UGC (irrespective of date of declaration of result) shall be eligible for a relaxation of 5% in aggregate marks (i.e., from 55% to 50%) for appearing in NET.

Old Questions Papers for National Eligibility Test (NET) :

Question Papers December 2009

NET Syllabus:

Syllabus for National Eligibility Test (NET)

Eligibility for Lectureship

Clearing of NET Examination confers eligibility for lectureship upon Indian nationals, i.e. the NET qualified candidates are eligible to apply for the post of lecturer in all Indian universities/Institutes/colleges. It was resolved in the UGC's Commission Meeting held on January 1, 2001 that for SET examinations scheduled in or after June 2002, the SET qualified candidates would be eligible for appointment to the post of lecturer only in the universities and colleges belonging to the state from where they have passed the SET examination. The status of SET was decreed to remain unchanged for SET examinations conducted prior to 1 June 2002, that is, the candidates clearing SET were eligible for appointment to the post of lecturer anywhere in India.

Junior Research Fellowship

The candidates who qualify the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Examination of UGC/CSIR NET are also eligible for the post of lectureship. In addition they are also eligible to receive Fellowships (UGC/CSIR) under various schemes subject to the candidates finding their placement in the universities/IITs/other national organizations. The validity of the offer is currently within two years with effect from the date of issue of the JRF award letter. The validity period of the offer has been raised from one year to two years for JRF Award Letters issued on or after 1 May 2005. However, in case the candidates have already joined M.Phil. /Ph.D. programs, the date of commencement of fellowship will be from the date of declaration of NET examination result or date of their joining, whichever is later.

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Fellowship

To commemorate the birth centenary year (2000) of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who was the first Vice-President of CSIR in the Independent India, the CSIR has instituted a special fellowship, namely, "Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (SPM) Fellowship" open to the selective CSIR-UGC JRF (NET) awardees. Around top 50 candidates in Life Sciences and Chemical Sciences and top 25 each in Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences & Earth Sciences from each of the two NET examinations conducted in a calendar year and GATE qualified candidates in the subject areas of NET with percentile score of 99% and above are called for interview. The eligible candidates are first screened by a specially constituted panel of subject-experts. The shortlisted candidates after first interview are further interviewed by a panel of SPMF Core Committee members and subject- committee chairmen for making final recommendations. It is the most prestigious fellowship given in India for doing PhD and a preferential qualification in recruitment to CSIR jobs.