| Conducting body | National Testing Agency (NTA). Official website ↗ |
|---|---|
| Posts | Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), Assistant Professor eligibility, PhD admission |
| Qualification | A master's degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender candidates), without rounding off. Final-year students can apply provisionally. A four-year or eight-semester bachelor's degree with 75% (5% relaxation for reserved categories) also qualifies, but only for JRF and PhD admission, not for Assistant Professor; four-year degree holders may take the test in the subject they want to do a PhD in. |
| Domicile | Not required |
| Selection stages | One computer-based test of 3 hours with Parts A, B and C, total 200 marks → Merit list drawn on the combined marks of all three parts, subject-wise and category-wise |
| Latest notification | Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2026 Information Bulletin |
Last checked . Sources
About CSIR NET
The Joint CSIR-UGC NET decides eligibility for JRF, Assistant Professor posts and PhD admission in five science subjects: Chemical Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences; Life Sciences; Mathematical Sciences; and Physical Sciences. NTA conducts it for CSIR as a computer-based test, and the June 2026 cycle was held on 17 and 18 July 2026. The bulletin puts the CSIR JRF fellowship at Rs 37,000 a month for the first two years.
Eligibility
Age relaxation
- JRF only: not more than 30 years on 1 July 2026.
- JRF: up to 5 years for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender candidates and women.
- JRF: research experience in your PG subject up to 5 years, and armed forces service up to 5 years. Relaxation on these grounds cannot exceed 5 years in total.
- No upper age limit for Assistant Professor or PhD admission.
Qualification
A master's degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks (50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender candidates), without rounding off. Final-year students can apply provisionally. A four-year or eight-semester bachelor's degree with 75% (5% relaxation for reserved categories) also qualifies, but only for JRF and PhD admission, not for Assistant Professor; four-year degree holders may take the test in the subject they want to do a PhD in.
Other conditions
- Fee for June 2026: Rs 1,150 (General), Rs 600 (General-EWS and OBC-NCL), Rs 325 (SC, ST, PwD/PwBD and third gender).
- There is no separate cut-off for Parts A, B and C. The minimum aggregate is 33% for General, EWS and OBC and 25% for SC, ST and PwD/PwBD, for both fellowship and Assistant Professor.
- A CSIR notice of 13 January 2026 says Life Sciences and the DBT-BET biotechnology exam are being merged into a Joint CSIR-UGC-DBT JRF-NET from the December 2026 cycle, with a revised syllabus. Life Sciences candidates should check the next bulletin and the revised syllabus on csirhrdg.res.in.
Selection process
- One computer-based test of 3 hours with Parts A, B and C, total 200 marks
- Merit list drawn on the combined marks of all three parts, subject-wise and category-wise
Exam pattern
Chemical Sciences (701)
Mode: Computer-based MCQs · Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: 25% in all parts (0.5, 0.5 and 1 mark)
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: general aptitude (answer 15 of 20) | 20 | 30 |
| Part B: subject MCQs (answer 35 of 40) | 40 | 70 |
| Part C: higher-order questions (answer 25 of 60) | 60 | 100 |
Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences (702)
Mode: Computer-based MCQs · Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: 25% in Parts A and B, 33% in Part C (1.32 marks)
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: general aptitude (answer 15 of 20) | 20 | 30 |
| Part B: subject MCQs (answer 35 of 50) | 50 | 70 |
| Part C: higher-order questions (answer 25 of 80) | 80 | 100 |
Life Sciences (703)
Mode: Computer-based MCQs · Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: 25% in all parts (0.5, 0.5 and 1 mark)
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: general aptitude (answer 15 of 20) | 20 | 30 |
| Part B: subject MCQs (answer 35 of 50) | 50 | 70 |
| Part C: higher-order questions (answer 25 of 75) | 75 | 100 |
Mathematical Sciences (704)
Mode: Computer-based MCQs; Part C questions can have more than one correct option · Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: 25% in Parts A and B (0.5 and 0.75 mark); none in Part C
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: general aptitude (answer 15 of 20) | 20 | 30 |
| Part B: subject MCQs (answer 25 of 40) | 40 | 75 |
| Part C: higher-order questions (answer 20 of 60) | 60 | 95 |
Physical Sciences (705)
Mode: Computer-based MCQs · Duration: 3 hours · Negative marking: 25% in all parts (0.5, 0.875 and 1.25 marks)
| SUBJECT | QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Part A: general aptitude (answer 15 of 20) | 20 | 30 |
| Part B: subject MCQs (answer 20 of 25) | 25 | 70 |
| Part C: higher-order questions (answer 20 of 30) | 30 | 100 |
CSIR NET syllabus
Part A: General Aptitude (common to all subjects)
- Logical reasoning
- Graphical analysis
- Analytical and numerical ability
- Quantitative comparison
- Series formation and puzzles
Chemical Sciences
- Inorganic chemistry, including analytical chemistry and bioinorganic chemistry
- Physical chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Interdisciplinary topics
Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences
- Common part: the Earth and solar system, earth materials and processes, oceans and atmosphere
- Geology
- Physical geography
- Geophysics
- Meteorology
- Ocean sciences
Life Sciences (syllabus up to the June 2026 cycle)
- Molecules and their interaction relevant to biology
- Cellular organisation, fundamental processes, and cell communication and signalling
- Developmental biology
- Plant and animal system physiology
- Inheritance biology
- Diversity of life forms, ecological principles, evolution and behaviour
- Applied biology and methods in biology
Mathematical Sciences
- Unit 1: analysis and linear algebra
- Unit 2: complex analysis, algebra and topology
- Unit 3: ODEs, PDEs, numerical analysis, calculus of variations, integral equations and classical mechanics
- Unit 4: statistics and probability
Physical Sciences
- Mathematical methods of physics
- Classical mechanics
- Electromagnetic theory
- Quantum mechanics
- Thermodynamic and statistical physics
- Electronics and experimental methods
- Atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear and particle physics
What they ask
Every subject paper has three parts in three hours and a total of 200 marks. Part A is general aptitude and is the same for all five subjects, with questions on reasoning, graphs, numerical ability and puzzles. Part B has standard subject MCQs, while Part C has higher-order questions that ask you to apply scientific concepts. You answer only a fixed number from each part, and if you answer more, only the first ones in order are evaluated.
How to prepare
- Know the attempt limits for your subject before exam day. Extra answers are not evaluated, so answering beyond the limit wastes time.
- Give Part C the most revision. It carries 100 of the 200 marks in four subjects and 95 in Mathematical Sciences.
- Learn your subject's negative marking: 25% in most parts, 33% in Earth Sciences Part C, and none in Mathematical Sciences Part C.
- Practise Part A puzzles, graphs and number series regularly; the section is common to every subject and worth 30 marks.
Practise CSIR NET syllabus topics a few minutes a day with short quizzes in the Improvam app.
Photo and signature
- Photo: JPG/JPEG, 10 KB to 200 KB
- Signature: JPG/JPEG in running hand, 10 KB to 50 KB
Source: official instructions ↗
Resize your photo and signature for CSIR NET
CSIR NET FAQs
Not more than 30 years on 1 July 2026 for the June 2026 cycle, with up to 5 years' relaxation for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender candidates and women. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or PhD admission.
Sources
- Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2026 Information Bulletin (NTA) ↗ (official, checked )
- CSIR NET information bulletin page (NTA) ↗ (official, checked )
- NTA press release, 29 August 2026: scores of Joint CSIR-UGC NET June 2026 ↗ (official, checked )
- CSIR HRDG subject syllabus pages (Chemical, Earth, Life, Mathematical and Physical Sciences) ↗ (official, checked )
- CSIR HRDG notice, 13 January 2026: Joint CSIR-UGC-DBT JRF-NET from the December 2026 cycle ↗ (official, checked )
Checked against official sources on . Rules change with each notification, so read the latest one before you apply.
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