New Delhi:  Do you have ambition to pursue career in research or teaching fields in the universities, colleges or other higher learning institutes?  Then you have to appear National Eligibility Test (NET). UGC conducts NET via the CBSE twice a year for Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Group subjects and others. UGC-CSIR jointly conducts NET for five core science subjects twice a year.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Relation (CSIR) has already released official notification for conducting Joint CSIR-UGC Test on Sunday 18 June 2017 (Tentative). The online application window has already opened since 08 February 2017. Here, SkillOutlook presents Ten Key points of the CSIR-UGC JRF-NET exam.

1 Subjects: CSIR-UGC test will be held on the subject areas falling under the faculty of Science & Technology. These subjects are as followed: (i) Life Sciences, (ii) Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, (iii) Mathematical Sciences, (iv) Chemical Sciences, and (v) Physical Sciences.

2 Students enrolled for MSc degree can apply: Candidates enrolled for MSc or having completed 10+2+3 years of the above qualifying examination as on 01.03.2016, are also eligible to apply in the above subject under the Result Awaited (RA) category. However, the Result Awaited candidates should complete the qualifying degree with requisite percentage of marks within the validity period of two years to avail the fellowship from the effective date of award.

The minimum educational qualification to appear the test is that the candidate should have MSc or equivalent degree/ Integrated BS-MS/BS-4 years/BE/BTech/BPharma/MBBS with at least  55% marks for general and OBC-Non Creamy layer candidates  and 50% for SC/ST, Persons with disability (PwD) candidates.

3 For lectureship there is no upper age bar: For Junior Research Fellowship, the maximum age of the candidate should be 28 years. The upper age limit is relaxed up to 5 years in case of candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non creamy layer)/ Persons with disability (PwD) and female.

There is no upper age limit for candidates apply for Lectureship (NET). Age will be calculated as on 01 January 2017.

4 Pattern of the Test:  There will be one paper which will be based on MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions) having 200 marks. The test will be conducted in two sessions (Moring and Afternoon session). Negative marking for wrong answers, wherever required, shall be applicable as per subject wise scheme of Exam.

As per the main notification of CSIR-UGC Test, the question paper will have three parts, (A, B & C) as per syllabus & Scheme of Exam.

Part A will be common to all subjects. This part will have questions pertaining to General Aptitude with emphasis on logical reasoning, graphical analysis, analytical and numerical ability, quantitative comparison, series formation, puzzles, etc.

Part B will have subject-related conventional Multiple Choice questions (MCQs), generally covering the topics given in the syllabus.

Part C will have higher value questions that may test the candidate’s knowledge of scientific concepts and/or application of the scientific concepts. The questions will be analytical nature where a candidate is expected to apply the scientific knowledge to arrive at the solution to the given scientific problem.

5 Examination Centers:  The test will be held at 27 Centres spread all over India: Bangalore, Bhavnagar, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Guntur, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Imphal, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Jorhat, Karaikudi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Nagpur, Pilani, Pune, Raipur, Roorkee, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Udaipur and Varanasi.

6 Final Selection: CSIR will prepare two separate merit lists – one comprising the candidates qualifying for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF – NET) and the second, of those candidates qualifying the Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET) – on the basis of their performance in the Test. Here, it can be mentioned that candidates qualifying for JRF (NET), will also be eligible for Lectureship (NET) subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down by UGC. The candidates qualifying for Lectureship will be eligible for recruitment as Lecturers as well as for JRF-ship in a Scheme/Project, if otherwise suitable. However, they will not be eligible for Regular JRF-NET Fellowship.

7 Key Dates:  The closing date for submission of online application is 08 March 2017. The last date of receipt of duly completed Hard Copy of Online Application Forms is 14 March 2017. For Remote Areas, the last date of receipt of duly completed Hard Copy of Online Application Forms is 21-03-2017.

8 Syllabus and Sample Papers:  For the benefits of candidates, CSIR has uploaded the Syllabus for Joint CSIR UGC Test for JRF & LS (NET) on the CSIR, HRDG website: http://www.csirhrdg.res.in/ . Also CSIR has uploaded sample or model question papers on the all five subjects on the above website.

9 No of CSIR-UGC JRF Awards:  In June 2014 CSIR-UGC Test, 1200 candidates qualified for the UGC-JRF while 2793 candidates qualified for lectureship only. Meanwhile, in December 2014 test, 781 candidates qualified for the UGC-JRF and  2097 candidates qualified for lectureship only. As per the UGC Annual Report 2014-15, an upward of 3200 JRFs is awarded by the UGC under each UGC-NET and around 1200 JRFs (subject to overall performance of candidates) through each Joint CSIR-UGC NET.

10 JRF Fellowship Benefits: Under the scheme of Junior Research Fellowships (Indian Nationals), Fellowships are provided to candidates who qualify UGC NET conducted by either UGC or CSIR. The JRF carries the fellowship amount of Rs 25,000 per month for first two years and Rs 28,000 per month for the remaining period. There is also provision of annual contingency amounts. JRF is available for a maximum period of five years.