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    CSIR UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age, Qualification, Marks, Reservation

    CSIR UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age, Qualification, Marks, Reservation

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    Meghana Mohana KrishnanUpdated on 26 Sep 2025, 09:44 AM IST
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    National Testing Agency specified the CSIR UGC NET eligibility criteria 2025 for December session in the official notification. The CSIR UGC NET notification can be downloaded at csirnet.nta.nic.in. Only those candidates who fulfil the CSIR NET eligibility criteria 2025 can apply for the CSIR NET exam.

    CSIR UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age, Qualification, Marks, Reservation
    CSIR UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025

    Before filling out the application form, candidates must confirm that they are eligible by going through the CSIR NET eligibility criteria. The CSIR NET eligibility criteria provide information about the conditions candidates must meet to become a Lecturer or to receive a Junior Research Fellowship. The CSIR UGC NET 2025 eligibility criteria are released for all fields of the exam. The UGC NET 2025 eligibility Criteria have conditions based on nationality, educational qualifications & age of the candidates.

    CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Determining Factors

    There are certain parameters on which the authorities will decide the CSIR NET 2025 eligibility criteria. The factors that determine the CSIR NET eligibility criteria are given below:

    • Nationality

    • Age

    • Educational Qualification

    CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Nationality

    A candidate must be an Indian citizen to be eligible to appear in the CSIR NET 2025 exam.

    CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 Age Limit

    The age limit for JRF from 28 to 30 years. However, age relaxation is provided to the reserved category candidates. For the position of Assistant Professor or for applying for PhD programs, there is no upper age limit. Check the category-wise age relaxation for JRF as per the eligibility criteria of CSIR NET 2025.

    Relaxation in age limit for CSIR NET 2025

    Sl No

    Category

    Age Relaxation

    1.

    SC/ST

    5 years

    2.

    PWD

    5 years

    3.

    Female

    5 years

    4.

    OBC

    5 years

    Note: There is no upper age limit as per the CSIR NET eligibility criteria for Joint CSIR UGC-NET for Assistant Professor/ Joint CSIR-UGC-NET for Admission to PhD.

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    CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 – Education Qualification

    • Candidates from general (UR) / general-EWS and OBC must hold an M.Sc. or equivalent degree / Integrated BS-MS with at least 55% marks and BS-4 years / BE / B.Tech / B. Pharma / MBBS with at least 75% marks in order to be eligible for CSIR UGC NET.

    • Candidates who are currently enrolled in an M.Sc. course or have completed their graduation are also eligible for CSIR UGC NET 2025 under Result Awaited (RA) category given that they complete their degree with the required scores within two years.

    • Candidates from SC/ST and persons with disability (PwD) category are required to attain a minimum of 50% marks in M.Sc. or equivalent degree / Integrated BS-MS / BS-4 years / BE / B. Tech / B. Pharma / MBBS.

    • Candidates who hold a B.Sc (Hons) or equivalent degree or are currently enrolled in an Integrated MS-Ph.D program scoring a minimum of 55% marks for General candidates (50% marks for SC/ST/PWD) are also eligible for the exam.

    • Bachelor’s degree holders are eligible for the fellowship given that they get registered/enrolled for Ph.D/Integrated PhD program within two years.

    • Candidates who have completed their Master’s degree before September 19, 1992, will have a relaxation of 5% in their aggregate marks for appearing in NET.

    • Candidates belonging to the Third gender category are eligible to enjoy the similar relaxation in fee, age and Eligibility Criteria for NET (i.e. JRF and Assistant Professor) as given to SC/ST categories. The subject-wise qualifying cut-offs for this category would be the lowest among those for SC/ ST/ PwD/ OBC–NCL / General-EWS categories in the particular subject.

    Note:

    • Candidates who hold only a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree must score a minimum of 75% to be eligible for the CSIR NET exam. Candidates who have an undergraduate degree and have qualified the CSIR NET exam will be eligible for the JRF award and to the admission to the Ph.D.

    CSIR NET Subject-wise Educational Qualification 2025

    Subject

    Educational Qualification

    Life Science

    Academic Qualification in Life Science only

    Chemical Science

    Candidate must hold a degree in M.Sc./BS/B-Tech or any other equivalent qualification in Chemistry.

    Earth Science

    Candidate must have completed their M.Sc./BS-MS/BS-4 Years/B-Pharma or any other equivalent degree in Earth Science

    Mathematics

    Candidate must hold an M.Sc./BS-MS/BS/B-Tech degree or any other equivalent qualification in Mathematics

    Physical Science

    Candidate must have completed M.Sc. Physics or BS-MS in Physics or any other equivalent qualification.

    Selection for Junior Research Fellowship and Lectureship

    Candidates are required to specify the positions they are applying for at the time of filling out the CSIR UGC NET 2025 December application form. On the basis of eligibility, aspirants are required to give their preference in JRF and/ or LS.

    • Candidates who are applying for JRF but also fulfil the CSIR NET eligibility criteria for Lectureship will be considered for both JRF & LS.

    • In case a candidate is found to be over-aged for JRF (NET), he/she will only be considered for Lectureship (NET).

    • Once a candidate enters their Option/preference in their CSIR NET application form, it will be considered final and no request for change will be entertained later.

    • Candidates with M.Sc qualification or under the M.Sc Result Awaited (RA) category shall be eligible for a Lectureship (LS) subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria as laid down by the UGC.

    Check Here For A List of Other Government Exams

    CSIR NET Application Form 2025

    National Testing Agency (NTA) released the registration form for the CSIR NET 2025 exam for December session on September 25, 2025 on the official website. The last date to submit the CSIR NET application form 2025 is October 24, 2025. Candidates can make the CSIR NET fee payment until October 25, 2025.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: Will the CSIR NET 2025 exam be conducted in online mode?
    A:

    Yes. NTA conducts the CSIR NET exam 2025 in online mode only.

    Q: I'm in Graduation. Can I apply for CSIR NET 2025?
    A:

    Yes, 4 year degree holders who have a score of 75% can also apply for the CSIR exam 2025. Go through the above eligibility criteria for more details.

    Q: Is B.Ed mandatory for NET?
    A:

    B. Ed is not mandatory for NET. A candidate holding an M.Sc. degree can apply online as per the CSIR NET eligibility criteria 2025.

    Q: Who provides the CSIR NET eligibility criteria for 2025?
    A:

    CSIR sets the parameters for CSIR UGC NET 2025 eligibility criteria for the candidates.

    Q: I did post-graduation in Mathematics. Can I apply for Physical sciences?
    A:

    No, according to the eligibility criteria for CSIR NET 2025, candidates need to have a post-graduation degree in the subject they are applying for.

    Q: What is the validity of the JRF certificate?
    A:

    The validity of JRF is 3 years from the issue of the declaration of result. However, no such validation limit is prescribed for lectureship.

    Q: Is there any limit on the number of attempts in CSIR UGC NET?
    A:

    No, candidates can appear for the exam as many times as they want given they are within the upper age limit as per their category.

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    Questions related to CSIR UGC NET

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CSIR UGC NET ?

    No, since you have already cleared the General Category cutoff of CSIR UGC-NET , you are considered a meritorious candidate, and you can apply for a PhD seat in the General Category without any issues regarding your OBC-NCL declaration.

    Hello Aspirant,

    To prepare for CSIR UGC Net Examination you need to follow some steps:

    1.Know the exam pattern

    Total Marks 200

    It consists 3 section-

    Part A(Aptitude common for all).

    Part B and C(Subject specific questions)

    2.Choose your subject for this examination

    As this examination consider in different subjects,so

    A six month preparation window is ideal for CSIR UGC NET, especially if you follow a structured plan. Below is a month wise breakdown of how you can prepare effectively, balancing core subjects, General Aptitude, revision, mock tests , and research paper reading .

    In the first three months ,

    Hi aspirant.

    If you're looking to download the CSIR UGC NET question papers, you can follow this method for easy access:

    1. Start by visiting the official CSIR (HRDG) website.
    2. Once you are on the homepage, look for the section specifically dedicated to the "CSIR-UGC NET Exam."
    3. Under the "Examinations" subsection,

    Hello,

    As of now there is no official announcement made regarding the release date of application form for CSIR NET for June session, you may follow the official website at https://csirnet.nta.nic.in/ to know the latest information pertaining this,

    CSIR NET is conducted to determine the eligibility of candidate for JRF/Assistant