UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2022

Candidates applying for the UGC NET are suggested to make sure that they fulfill the basic eligibility for appearing in the exam. UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2022 will lay down certain rules with respect to age and academic qualification of the candidates. Only the candidates who meet all these criteria will be eligible for final selection after clearing the exam. Basic eligibility for UGC NET is a master’s degree in any field. It is advisable to ensure the eligibility before submitting the UGC NET Application Form 2022 as any kind of fee submitted during application process will not be refunded in case the candidate is found ineligible.

Important Highlights

• UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2022 must be checked before applying for the test.
• In case any ineligibility is being detected by the UGC / NTA at any stage, the candidature of the applicants will be cancelled and they shall be liable for legal action.
• The candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their post graduation only.
• Candidates are not required to send any certificates or documents in support of their eligibility.
• Selection of a candidate in the test is provisional subject to being found otherwise eligible for admission / appointment.
• Those who are found ineligible at any stage, even if they are provisionally selected, will lose their candidature immediately.
• No rounding off of the minimum qualifying marks will be allowed.
• Candidates belonging to the transgender category would be eligible for the same relaxation in fee, age and other qualifying criteria for NET as are available to SC / ST / PWD category candidates.
• List of recognized university and subjects at post graduation level can be found on the official website of NTA.
• The candidates whose post graduation subject is not covered in the list of NET subjects are also eligible and can appear in a related subject.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2022

Complete details of the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2022 in terms of age limit and educational qualification are provided below. Candidates must make sure that they fulfill the age and qualification criteria depending on their category.

Age limit:

For JRF:

• The age of the candidate should not be more than 30 years as on 1^st June/ 1^st December (as applicable).

For Assistant Professor:

• There is no upper age limit for applying for Assistant Professor.

Relaxation in upper age limit:

• An age relaxation of upto 5 years is provided to the candidates belonging to OBC (Non-creamy layer) SC / ST / PWD / Transgender / Women categories.
• Candidates with research experience will also be given relaxation of maximum 5 years limited to the period spent on research in the relevant subject of post-graduation degree.
• The candidates with LLM degree will be permissible for three years relaxation in the upper age.
• A relaxation of upto 5 years is provided to the candidates who have served in the armed forces subject to the length of service in the armed forces upto the first day of the month in which the concerned UGC NET is to be held.

Academic qualification:

• The candidates who have secured at least 55% marks (without rounding off) in master’s degree in Humanities (including languages) and Social Science, Computer Science and Applications, Electronic Science etc or any other equivalent examination from universities/ institutions recognized by UGC are eligible.
• Those belonging to the SC / ST / OBC-NCL category should have secured at least 50% marks in their master’s degree programme.
• The PhD degree holders whose Master’s level exam has been completed by 19 September 1991 (irrespective of date of declaration of result) will also be eligible for a relaxation of 5% in aggregate marks.
• Applicants in the final year of their master’s degree course who will appear in the final exams in the year 2020 or those who are awaiting their result or candidates whose qualifying examinations have been delayed can also apply for NET.
• Candidates with postgraduate degree / diploma/ certificate awarded by Indian University / Institute or foreign degree/ diploma/ certificate awarded by the foreign University / institute are advised in their own interest to ascertain the equivalence of their diploma / degree / certificate with Master’s degree of recognized Indian universities from Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.

Exemption from NET (Eligibility for Assistant Professor)

• The candidates who have passed the UGC / CSIR / JRF examination prior to 1989 are exempted from appearing in UGC NET.
• Applicants, who have cleared the States Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC for Assistant Professor held prior to 1^st June 2002, are also exempted from appearing in NET.
• Such candidates are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor anywhere in India.
• However, the candidates who have qualified the SET held from 1^st June 2002 onwards are eligible to apply only for the post of Assistant Professor in the universities / colleges situated in the State from where they have cleared their SET.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can candidates with bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply for the National Eligibility Test?

No. The applicants must have a master’s degree in Humanities, Social Science, Computer Science and Applications, Electronic Science etc or its equivalent in order to be eligible for the UGC NET.

What is the provision for relaxation in the minimum qualifying marks?

Relaxation in the qualifying marks will be given to the candidates belonging to the reserved categories. Candidates of SC / ST category, OBC NCL category and the transgender candidates will be given a relaxation of 5% in qualifying marks. Similarly, the PhD degree holders whose master’s level exam has been completed by 19 September 1991 (irrespective of date of declaration of result) will also be given a relaxation of 5% in qualifying marks.

Am I eligible for appearing in NET if I scored 54.95% in my master’s degree programme?

Candidates of reserved categories for whom the minimum qualifying marks is 50% can appear with 54.95% in master’s degree programme. For the candidates belonging to general category for whom the minimum qualifying marks is 55% cannot appear with 54.95% in master’s degree programme as no rounding off of marks will be allowed. However, the candidates of reserved categories with 49.95% marks will not be eligible to appear in NET by rounding off their marks.

Can I get an age relaxation of more than 5 years after combining different categories?

No. Total relaxation in the upper age provided to the candidates cannot exceed five years under any circumstances.