UGC NET 2025 Changes in Eligibility Rules: Mandatory for Assistant Professor Jobs

UGC NET 2025 Changes in Eligibility Rules: Mandatory for Assistant Professor Jobs

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UGC NET Application Date:07 Oct' 25 - 07 Nov' 25

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Team Careers360Updated on 18 Jan 2025, 05:58 PM IST
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UGC NET 2025 Changes in Eligibility Rules - University Grants Commission has released a draft notification regarding the revised UGC NET qualifications for teachers in universities and colleges. According to the notification, the key changes include removal of the National Eligibility Test (NET) requirement for assistant professors having a Masters degree in Engineering and Technology (ME/M.tech). The UGC NET exam 2025 is being conducted from January 3 to 16, 2025.

UGC NET 2025 Changes in Eligibility Rules: Mandatory for Assistant Professor Jobs
UGC NET 2025 Changes in Eligibility Rules

Under the revised UGC NET regulations, candidates holding a post graduate degree in Masters of Engineering and Technology (M.E/M.tech) with a minimum 55% marks will be considered eligible to be appointed as an assistant professor. This remarks a shift from the current UGC NET policy, which mandates NET exam for everyone. For more details regarding UGC NET 2025, eligibility criteria and selection process, candidates can refer to the information given below.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025

The National Testing Agency has prescribed UGC NET 2025 eligibility criteria. Candidates looking to appear for the exam must fulfil the basic UGC NET eligibility criteria 2025. The criteria for eligibility of UGC NET 2025 include provisions based on age and educational qualification.

Age limit: The maximum age limit for UGC NET under Junior Research Fellowship is 30 years. Whereas there will be no age limit for UGC NET attempts in case of Assistant Professors. An age relaxation of 5 years is provided for OBC, SC,ST, Transgender, and women candidates.

Related UGC NET articles:

Education Qualifications:

  • Candidates with a Masters Degree in Humanities and Social Sciences (including languages), Computer science and applications, Electronic sciences etc, from a recognized board or university are considered eligible to apply for UGC NET 2025.

  • Applicants with a bachelors degree (NCrF Level 6) and 75% marks, a post graduate degree (NCrF Level 6.5) with at least 55% marks, along with a PhD (NCrF Level 8) would be eligible.

  • Clearing the UGC NET 2025 exam is mandatory for candidates pursuing their Masters degree in non-professional courses like arts, commerce, humanities, law, sciences, languages, journalism and more.

  • In case of candidates having a post graduation degree in Masters of Engineering and Technology (M.E/M.tech) will be considered qualified for JRF and Assistant Professor not requiring UGC NET exam qualification, according to the revised policy.

The notification with revised UGC NET regulations is aimed at standardising eligibility qualifications for teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges, with guidelines to ensure higher standards of education.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Is PhD compulsory for Assistant Professor job?
A:

No, a PhD is not mandatory for candidates looking for Assistant Professor Job.

Q: What are the new UGC NET eligibility norms 2025?
A:

The notification with revised UGC NET regulations is aimed at standardising eligibility qualifications for teachers in universities, with guidelines to ensure higher standards of education.

Q: Is NET qualification valid for lifetime?
A:

The UGC NET certificate for Assistant Professor or Lectureship is valid indefinitely, or for the rest of the applicant's life. In contrast, the UGC NET JRF Award Letter is only valid for three years from the date of issuance.

Q: Is NET compulsory for PhD admission in 2025?
A:

Yes, as per the notification by the official commission, the decision was made that UGC-NET examination scores are valid to pursue PhD in India.

Q: Is NET compulsory for assistant professor 2025?
A:

Except for candidates holding a Masters Degree in engineering and technology (M.E/M.tech) will require to qualify in UGC NET 2025 exam.

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Questions related to UGC NET

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to UGC NET ?

Hello,

Not clearing UGC NET is not a big problem unless you want to become an Assistant Professor or apply for a PhD with fellowship.

You can still apply for PhD without NET in many universities, but you may need to clear their entrance test. For teaching jobs in colleges and universities, NET is usually compulsory.

So, it depends on your career goals. If you plan for research or teaching, you should try to clear it.

Hope it helps !

Steps to Download Syllabus PDF

  1. Visit the official UGC NET Syllabus page on the NTA portal. Look for the "Updated Syllabi of UGC-NET" section.
    (https://www.ugcnetonline.in/syllabus-new.php)

  2. Download the Paper 1 PDF , which covers topics like teaching and research aptitude, communication, reasoning, ICT, higher education system, and more.

  3. Also download the Paper 2 PDF for your chosen subject—choose from 85+ disciplines listed.

If your MBA (Finance) is from an accredited university and you have at least 55% of the possible points (or 50% for reserved categories), you can take the UGC NET in Commerce.
Your MBA in finance is relevant because UGC NET Commerce covers business, accounting, finance, economics, and management topics.
If you are well-versed in the fundamentals of commerce, pick commerce.

As an alternative, you can choose UGC NET Management, which is closely related to MBA courses.
Your subject-matter expertise and career objectives should guide your decision.

Hello,

Here are some links where you can access UGC NET study materials :

1. Best Books for NTA UGC NET

2. UGC NET Question Papers

Hope it helps !

Hii,

Yes, you can still appear for the UGC NET in Geography, but there's a small change. UGC prefers candidates to write NET in the subject of their post-graduation. However, if your Rural Development MA had strong overlaps with geography topics like environment, population studies, etc., and you feel confident with Geography concepts, you can go for it. Just be ready to justify your choice if asked during verification. Otherwise, another option is to appear for UGC NET in Rural Development if that’s more aligned with your MA.

Thank you for reaching out and all the best for your exam !