CSIR UGC NET 2026 — Eligibility, Exam Pattern & Syllabus (5 Streams)
CSIR UGC NET is the joint CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test for JRF and Assistant Professor/Lectureship eligibility in five science streams: Life Science, Physical Science, Chemical Science, Mathematical Science, and Earth Science.
- Exam: Joint CSIR-UGC NET, conducted by NTA for CSIR & UGC
- Streams: Life Science, Physical Science, Chemical Science, Mathematical Science, Earth Science
- Pattern: 200 marks, 3 hrs, CBT — Part A (General Aptitude, attempt 15/20, 2 marks each) + Part B (attempt 35/40, 2 marks) + Part C (higher-order, attempt 25/60, 4 marks)
- Negative marking: 0.5 in Parts A & B, 1 mark in Part C
- JRF stipend: ₹37,000/month rising to ₹42,000/month as SRF — confirmed via official CSIR-HRDG guidelines
- परीक्षा: संयुक्त CSIR-UGC NET, NTA द्वारा CSIR हेतु आयोजित
- स्ट्रीम: जीवन विज्ञान, भौतिक विज्ञान, रसायन विज्ञान, गणितीय विज्ञान, पृथ्वी विज्ञान
- पैटर्न: 200 अंक, 3 घंटे — भाग A + B + C
- नकारात्मक अंकन: भाग A व B में 0.5, भाग C में 1 अंक
- JRF वजीफा: ₹37,000/माह से ₹42,000/माह (SRF)
Some coaching portals report CSIR and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) plan to merge CSIR-NET (Life Sciences) with the DBT-BET exam into a joint exam from the December 2026 cycle. *This is not confirmed against a primary CSIR/NTA document — the June 2026 exam itself follows the existing pattern regardless. Verify directly with csirhrdg.res.in before stating this as fact.
Overview
| Exam | Joint CSIR-UGC NET |
| Conducted by | NTA, for CSIR & UGC |
| Streams | Life Science, Physical Science, Chemical Science, Mathematical Science, Earth Science |
| Pattern | 200 marks, 3 hrs, CBT — Parts A/B/C |
| Leads to | JRF fellowship, Assistant Professor/Lectureship eligibility, PhD admission |
Eligibility
- *55% marks in Master's/equivalent for General/EWS; 50% for OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwBD/Third Gender — consistent across portals, not independently confirmed on the official site.
- *JRF age limit reported as 30 years (relaxations: OBC-NCL +3, SC/ST/PwD +5, women +5) — a frequently-revised figure, verify against the current cycle's bulletin.
- No upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility or PhD-admission-only category.
Selection Process & Exam Pattern
- 200 marks, 3 hours, CBT mode.
- Part A (General Aptitude, common to all): 20 questions, attempt 15, 2 marks each.
- Part B (subject-specific conventional MCQs): 40 questions, attempt 35, 2 marks each.
- Part C (higher-order/analytical): 60 questions, attempt 25, 4 marks each.
- Negative marking: 0.5 mark for wrong answers in Parts A & B; 1 mark in Part C.
Syllabus
- Life Sciences: cellular/molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, developmental biology, microbiology, ecology, physiology, systematics/evolution
- Physical Sciences: mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics & statistical physics, quantum mechanics, optics, electronics, atomic/nuclear/particle physics
- Chemical Sciences: organic, inorganic, physical, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy
- Mathematical Sciences: analysis, algebra, topology, differential equations, numerical analysis, mechanics, probability/statistics
- Earth Sciences: geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, ocean sciences, planetary sciences, environmental sciences
*This is a high-level topic list only — for exam-grade accuracy, cross-check the detailed unit-wise official syllabus PDF for your specific stream at csirnet.nta.nic.in.
Pay Scale
JRF stipend: ₹37,000/month (years 1-2), rising to ₹42,000/month as SRF (years 3-5), plus ₹20,000/year contingency grant and HRA per host-institution norms — confirmed via CSIR-HRDG's official "Revised JRF guidelines w.e.f. 1 March 2023."
Recommended Reference Books
*No official book list from CSIR/NTA. Commonly cited: Organic Chemistry — Jonathan Clayden; Inorganic — Shriver & Atkins; Physical — Peter Atkins; CSIR-NET General Aptitude by Varghese & Francis.
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What streams does CSIR UGC NET cover?
Five: Life Science, Physical Science, Chemical Science, Mathematical Science, and Earth Science.
How is the exam marked?
200 marks total across Part A (general aptitude), Part B (subject MCQs) and Part C (higher-order questions), with negative marking of 0.5 in Parts A/B and 1 mark in Part C.
What is the JRF stipend for CSIR NET?
₹37,000/month for the first two years, rising to ₹42,000/month as SRF for years 3-5, confirmed via official CSIR-HRDG guidelines.
CSIR UGC NET में कौन-कौन सी स्ट्रीम हैं?
पाँच: जीवन विज्ञान, भौतिक विज्ञान, रसायन विज्ञान, गणितीय विज्ञान, और पृथ्वी विज्ञान।
CSIR NET का JRF वजीफा कितना है?
पहले दो वर्ष ₹37,000/माह, फिर वर्ष 3-5 में SRF के रूप में ₹42,000/माह — आधिकारिक CSIR-HRDG दिशानिर्देशों से पुष्ट।
Sources
CSIR NET official site · CSIR-HRDG official JRF fellowship guidelines
Exam purpose, pattern structure, and JRF stipend are confirmed from official/near-primary sources. Eligibility percentages, age limits, and detailed unit-wise syllabus need verification against the current Information Bulletin and subject-wise syllabus PDFs before publishing.
Notes for CSIR UGC NET 2026
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CSIR UGC NET 2026 — नोट्स
ज़ेनिथ इस परीक्षा के लिए पाठ्यक्रम-आधारित नोट्स हिन्दी एवं अंग्रेज़ी दोनों माध्यमों में प्रकाशित करता है — वर्तमान पैटर्न के अनुसार तैयार, विषय-विशेषज्ञ द्वारा समीक्षित, और चयनित विद्यार्थियों की प्रतिक्रिया से संशोधित। निर्णय से पहले एक पूरी यूनिट निःशुल्क पढ़ें।
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