The National Eligibility Test conducted by the University Grants Commission is a national-level examination conducted for Postgraduates who are determined to pursue a career in the Academic field. The exam is conducted twice a year in 82 subjects all over India. Currently, the exam is being conducted twice a year in June and December in online mode. Candidates can appear only in the subject of their post-graduation degree. Candidates who have secured at least 55% marks (without rounding off) in their Master's Degree or equivalent examination from universities or institutions recognized by UGC are eligible to apply for the exam. The exam consists of 2 papers. Paper I is a general paper that is common for all 82 subjects and includes teaching and research aptitude, mathematical, analytical, and logical reasoning, environmental science, basic computer science, etc. Paper II is subject-oriented, including Humanities (including languages) and Social Science, Computer Science & Applications, Electronic Science, etc. Paper I carries 100 marks for 50 questions and paper II carries 200 marks for 100 questions. The final-year students pursuing post-graduation can also apply for the exam provided, they are eligible for JRF or Assistant Professor only if they clear their papers.
ACADEMIC SCOPE OF UGC NET
Candidates who qualify for this exam are eligible to work as Assistant Professors or enroll in Ph.D. by qualifying for the Junior Research Fellowship award in Indian universities and colleges which is decided by the cutoff. Two cutoffs are set to determine the eligibility for Assistant Professor and JRF. A candidate should meet the minimum cutoff to qualify for the former and the latter requires a maximum cutoff. The top 16% of candidates per subject are eligible to be awarded JRF. The cutoff varies for each subject and each category in a subject. Eligible candidates are also awarded fellowships to pursue research. Senior and experienced faculty become academic board members in various colleges and universities to set the curriculum and syllabus.
OTHER SCOPE
The scope of this exam is not limited to the academic field. There are various government and private bodies which appoint NET-qualified candidates in their organizations. Research programs in Central and State ministries require candidates who have qualified for this exam. Freshers are recruited as research trainees and get promoted down the years. Qualified candidates are eligible to work in research institutes at the Central and State level. Public Sector Undertaking organizations such as thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, petroleum plants, etc also recruit NET-qualified candidates. Candidates can also work in research areas for government-funded projects. Books can be published in their area of research.
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