UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: Age Limit, Minimum Qualification, Reservation & More

University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test 2024 ( UGC NET )

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Registration: 19 Nov '24 - 10 Dec '24

Updated on Apr 25, 2024 11:45 IST

UGC NET eligibility 2024 for JRF and Assistant Professor posts are provided below. Check UGC NET eligibility for 2024, including the educational qualifications, age limit, and relaxation norms, before filling out the UGC NET application form.

UGC_NET_ELIGIBILITY

UGC NET Eligibility 2024 for JRF & Lecturership

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: The National Testing Agency is going to conduct the UGC NET June 2024 exam on June 10, 2024. The UGC NET exam will be conducted for 83 subjects in a single day. The UGC NET apply online form for the June session is active for registration from April 20 to May 10, 2024. The candidates must check the UGC NET eligibility 2024 before applying for the NTA NET exam. The UGC NET eligibility criteria are provided in the article.

For the ease of candidates, we have shared here the complete UGC NET eligibility 2024 regarding educational qualification, age limit, and relaxation norms for reserved category candidates such as SC, ST, OBC, and PwD. Go through the eligibility details below before filling out the UGC NET 2024 application form

Also Read: UGC NET Admit Card 2024 Live Updates

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024

According to the UGC NET eligibility criteria for 2024, NTA revised the upper age limit for JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) on January 5, 2023. The candidates must not be more than 30 years old to apply for UGC JRF. Candidates who meet the UGC NET 2024 eligibility requirements will be able to fill out the application form. Candidates must go through the NET JRF eligibility criteria and NET Assistant Professors/Lecturers eligibility criteria before applying. The UGC NET is conducted twice every year to determine the qualifying status of candidates to be JRFs and Assistant Professors. Scroll down to learn about the UGC NET 2024 eligibility criteria in detail.

Also Read:

UGC NET Eligibility 2024: Educational Qualification

Candidates need to have the following educational qualifications to be eligible to apply for the UGC NET exam:

  • Candidates should have secured at least 55 per cent marks in master’s degree exams. A relaxation of five per cent is given to candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Other Backward Class (OBC)/Persons with Disability (PwD)/Transgender category. Therefore, candidates from reserved categories require only 50 per cent aggregate marks in their master’s degree exams.
  • Candidates should have completed their post-graduation from a UGC-recognised college/university in relevant streams such as Humanities, Social Science, Electronic Science, Computer Science & Applications, etc
  • Candidates appearing in or awaiting results for their final year examination for a master’s degree are also eligible to apply online for the UGC NET exam. However, such candidates are admitted provisionally and are considered eligible only when they pass their master’s exam with the required percentage. “Such candidates must complete their PG degree examination within two years from the date of NET result with required percentage of marks, failing which they shall be treated as disqualified”, informs the official website.
  • PhD degree holders whose master’s exams were completed on September 19, 1991 (regardless of the result declaration date) are eligible for a relaxation of five per cent marks in the aggregate i.e., only 50 per cent marks are required for such candidates.

Also Read:

UGC NET Age Limit 2024

The UGC NET age criteria that candidates need to meet to be eligible for the exam are as follows:

UGC NET Assistant Professor Age Limit 2024

There is no age limit to apply for the post of UGC NET Assistant Professor or Lecturership.

NTA NET JRF Age Limit 2024 As of 1/06/2024

Candidates applying for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) should not be more than 30 years of age as on the first day of the month i.e., 1/06/2024 in which the UGC NET 2024 exam concludes, that is, June. This age limit is applicable for the current examination only.

UGC NET JRF Age Limit Relaxation 2024

Relaxation of JRF age criteria is given to SC, ST, OBC, PwD, women, and other category candidates. Have a look at the age relaxation for the reserved categories below. 

Category

Age Relaxation (in years)

SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Third Gender

5

Females of all categories

5

Candidates having research experience

Limited to the period spent on research

(Maximum of 5 years)

Candidates holding LLM degree

3

Candidates in the armed forces

(subject to the length of service in the armed forces)

5

Also Read: UGC NET Normalisation of Marks

UGC NET JRF Eligibility 2024

NET JRF Eligibility: Those candidates who appeared for NET JRF are eligible for both Assistant Professors and fellowships programmes. Also, a candidate who qualifies for JRF will be deemed qualified for a lectureship. But, it is important to note here that if a candidate qualifies for a lectureship, he or she won't be considered qualified for JRF. In this case, a candidate will be considered for a lectureship only.

UGC NET Eligibility 2024: Exemptions (For Assistant Professor)

The exemptions in UGC NET eligibility criteria 2024 apply only to the candidates applying for the Assistant Professor post. These exemptions are:

  • The awardee of PhD degrees in accordance with UGC Regulations, 2009 are exempted from the requirement of meeting the minimum eligibility criteria for UGC NET
  • Candidates who have cleared UGC/CSIR JRF examination before 1989 are exempted from appearing for the UGC NET 2024 exam
  • Those who have cleared the State Eligibility Test (SET) such as MH SET, APSET, KSET, etc. before June 1, 2002, are exempted from appearing for the UGC NET 2024 exam. Such candidates can apply for the post of Assistant Professor in colleges/ universities across India based on their SET score.
  • Those who have cleared the State Eligibility Test after June 1, 2002, can apply for the post of Assistant Professor only in colleges/ universities that are located in the state from where they have cleared the SET exam.

Also Read: How to prepare for UGC NET 2024? 

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: Reservation Policy

The reservation policy applicable to the UGC NET exam is as per the Government of India rule. Accordingly, the seats are reserved in the central universities and institutes which are deemed to be universities. The reservation of seats is given below.

Category Reservation of seats (In %)
Scheduled Castes (SC) 15
Scheduled Tribes (ST) 7.5
Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) 27
General-Economically Weaker Sections (General- EWS) 10
Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40 per cent or more disability 4

Also Read:

How To Calculate UGC NET Cut-Off Marks?

UGC NET exam centres 2024

UGC NET Subject Eligibility 2024

One of the most important eligibility criteria for the UGC NET 2024 exam is the selection of the appropriate subject while submitting the application form. The UGC NET 2024 exam comprises Paper 1 and Paper 2. While Paper 1, that is, 'General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude' is compulsory for all, candidates need to choose an appropriate subject for Paper 2. As per the official UGC NET notification 2024, candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their Post-Graduation only. However, there are some exceptions as mentioned below:

  • Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Geography (with specialisation in Population Studies) or Mathematics/ Statistics are also eligible to appear for 'Population Studies (Subject Code 015).
  • Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Humanities (including languages) and Social Sciences are eligible to appear for 'Women Studies' (Subject Code 074).

Important Points for UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024

Some of the important points that candidates need to note regarding UGC NET eligibility criteria are:

  • Candidates are recommended to give the UGC NET 2024 exam in the subject of their post-graduation only
  • If the post-graduation subject is not covered in the list of subjects given by UGC, candidates may appear in a related subject as per the official recommendation
  • Those holding a post-graduate diploma/certificate from an Indian university or degree/diploma/certificate from a foreign university must determine if their diploma/degree/certificate is equivalent to a master’s degree from a recognised Indian university.
  • The equivalence must be determined by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi

Read More:

UGC NET Eligibility 2024 FAQs

Q. Can graduates apply for the UGC NET exam?

A. No, graduates are not eligible to apply for the UGC NET exam. Only postgraduates can fill the UGC NET application form. However, if you are appearing in or awaiting results for the final year exams of MA degree, you can apply for the exam.

Q. Can the 12th pass apply for UGC NET?

A. No, Class 12 pass candidates are not eligible to apply for the UGC NET exam.

Q. What is UGC NET qualification?

A. Qualifying the UGC NET exam implies that the candidate has gained eligibility for only Assistant Professor or both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor posts in Indian universities and colleges.

Q. Is Masters necessary for UGC NET?

A. Yes, having a Masters degree is necessary for appearing for the UGC NET exam.

Q. Is BEd compulsory for the UGC NET exam?

A. No, BEd is not at all compulsory for the UGC NET exam. In order to appear for UGC NET, candidates need to clear their master's degree.

Q. What is the age limit for UGC NET?

A. The upper age limit for the UGC NET exam is different for Assistant Professor and JRF posts. The age limit for JRF is 30 years whereas there is no age limit for Assistant Professor.

Q. Is NET compulsory after PhD?

A. As per UGC Regulations, 2009, PhD degree holders are exempted from the requirement of meeting the minimum eligibility criteria for UGC NET.

Q. What is the minimum educational qualification required to apply for the UGC NET exam?

A. Candidates should secure at least 55 per cent marks in their master’s degree exams in order to apply for the UGC NET exam.

Q. How many attempts are there for the UGC NET exam?

A. There is no limit on the number of attempts for the UGC NET exam. Candidates can apply and appear for the exam as many times as they want, provided they meet the educational and age criteria for the exam.

Q. Is there any age relaxation for reserved category candidates in UGC NET exam?

A. Yes, a relaxation of five years in age criteria is given to candidates belonging to reserved categories such as SC, ST, OBC and PwD. Women candidates of all categories are also given age relaxation. This means that the upper age limit for SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Women candidates is 35 years if they apply for the role of JRF. There is no age restriction for any candidates applying for the role of Assistant Professor.

Q. Is there relaxation in minimum educational criteria required for UGC NET?

A. Yes, a relaxation of five per cent in the educational criteria is given to SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates. Such candidates can apply for the UGC NET exam if they secure a minimum of 50 per cent marks in their master’s degree exams.

Q. I am appearing for my final year post-graduation exams. Can I apply for the UGC NET exam?

A. Yes, you can apply for the UGC NET exam provided you pass your master’s degree exams with at least 55 per cent (50 per cent for SC/ST/OBC/PwD) within two years from the date of declaration of UGC NET result.

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Exam Fees

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  • INR 600 for OBC
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