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UGC NET eligibility criteria are one of the most important and foremost things to check before applying for this entrance exam. UGC NET eligibility criteria are released every year by the National Testing Agency, where a minimum level of education qualification, age limit and nationality needs to be fulfilled by the candidates to apply for this national-level entrance examination.
Candidates who are interested in the UNC NET must keep themselves updated about what is the eligibility requirements for this entrance exam. In this article, we will cover all the aspects of the UGC NET eligibility criteria.
| Exam Name | UGC NET 2024 |
| Exam Full Form | University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test |
| Conducted By | National Testing Agency |
| Exam Frequency | Bi-annual |
| Exam Dates | 10-Jun-2024 to 21-Jun-2024 |
| Education Qualification | At least 55% in Postgraduation |
| Location | Pan-India |
| Official Website | https://ugcnet.nta.nic.in |
Table of Contents
What are UGC NET Eligibility Criteria?
The UGC NET eligibility criteria were revised on 5th January 2024 by the NTA for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). candidates applying for the UGC NTA Junior Research Fellowship should not be more than 31 years of age. The UGC NET eligibility criteria include education qualifications, age limit, nationality and reservation status. In order to successfully get through the UGC NET, candidates must fulfil all the eligibility criteria. We have discussed all these categories of UGC NET eligibility criteria.
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Education Qualification
There is a minimum educational qualification required for the UGC NET examination, which is as follows:
- Candidates must have completed their master’s degree with a minimum aggregate of 55%.
- Candidates belonging to the reserved categories will be given a 5% relaxation and are only required to score 50% in their master’s degree: Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Class, Persons with Disabilities.
- Candidates must have completed their master’s degree from a university recognised by the UGC (University Grants Commission).
- Candidates who are in their final year of master’s and have taken their final exams are also eligible to apply for UGC NET.
- Candidates who possess a PhD degree and completed their master’s before 1991, are eligible for a 5% relaxation; they are required to only have an aggregate of 50% in their master’s.
Age Limit
There is a limit on how old an applicant can be to become eligible for the UGC NET. The UGC NET age limit criteria differ depending on the role for which the applicant is interested. UGC NET offers two different positions: Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship. The table below highlights the UGC NET age limit for both of these categories.
| Category | Age Limit |
| Assistant Professor | No age limit |
| Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) | <31 years of age, as of 1st June 2024 |
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Nationality
The Unversity Grants Commission National Entrance Test is only applicable to individuals possessing Indian nationality. Candidates belonging to any other country are not eligible to apply for this entrance examination.
UGC NET Reservation Policy
The UGC NET follows the standard reservation policy set up by the Government of India so that candidates from different categories and castes can have equal access to education in central institutions and universities. The UGC NET reservation policy or criteria is listed in the table below.
| Category | Seats Reserved (%) |
| Scheduled Castes (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40% and more disability | 4% |
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FAQs
UGC NET is the abbreviation for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test, which is conducted in different phases by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Candidates who possess a master’s degree with an aggregate of 55% and are under the age limit can apply for UGC NET. There is a 5% relaxation for candidates belonging to reserved categories.
Candidates applying for the UGC NET Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) must be below 31 years of age. The UGC NET Assistant Processor position does not have any age-limit criteria.
This was all about the “UGC NET Eligibility Criteria”. For more such informative blogs, check out our Teaching Exams Section, or you can learn more about us by visiting our Indian exams page.