The National Testing Agency (NTA) has opened applications for the Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026. You can use this exam to qualify for a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), for Assistant Professor posts, or for Ph.D. admission in Chemical, Earth, Life, Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Apply online at csirnet.nta.nic.in from 7 October to 5 November 2026. The computer-based exam is on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026.
You need a Master's degree with 55% marks (50% for OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/third gender), or a 4-year bachelor's degree with 75%. Final-year students can also apply. The JRF stipend is ₹37,000 a month. Candidates from Uttarakhand can choose Dehradun, Haldwani or Roorkee as their exam city. All details below are from the official NTA information bulletin.
CSIR NET December 2026 — Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Online application starts | 7 October 2026 |
| Last date (normal fee) | 5 November 2026, 11:50 PM |
| Late application with ₹500 late fee | 6 – 9 November 2026 |
| Correction window | 10 – 12 November 2026 |
| City intimation slip and admit card | To be announced |
| Exam dates | 19, 22 and 27 December 2026 |
| Shift timings | 9 AM – 12 noon and 3 PM – 6 PM |
Application Fee
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General | ₹1,150 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third gender | ₹325 |
| Late fee (6–9 Nov), all categories | + ₹500 |
Pay by UPI (no charge), debit card, credit card or net banking through the SBI or Canara Bank gateway. The fee is not refunded, except for duplicate payments.
What You Qualify For
| Result category | JRF | Assistant Professor | Ph.D. admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 — JRF + Assistant Professor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Category 2 — Assistant Professor + Ph.D. | No | Yes | Yes |
| Category 3 — Ph.D. admission only | No | No | Yes |
- The Assistant Professor eligibility certificate never expires.
- For Ph.D. admission under Categories 2 and 3, your NET marks are valid for one year. They carry 70% weightage, and the university interview carries 30%.
- If you qualify on the basis of a 4-year bachelor's degree, you are eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission, but not for Assistant Professor.
JRF Stipend
- ₹37,000 a month for the first two years, plus a contingency grant of ₹20,000 a year.
- From the 3rd year, if you are registered for a Ph.D. and an expert committee approves your progress, the fellowship is upgraded to SRF at ₹42,000 a month.
Eligibility
Educational qualification
- Master's degree or equivalent with at least 55% for General/EWS, or 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and third gender candidates. There is no rounding off.
- 4-year / 8-semester bachelor's degree with at least 75% (70% for reserved categories). You can take the test in any subject you want to pursue a Ph.D. in, whatever your degree discipline.
- Students in the final year of a Master's degree or a 4-year bachelor's degree, and those whose results are awaited, may apply. They must upload the attestation form in Annexure XI and complete the degree with the required marks within 2 years of the NET result, or within 1 year for "Ph.D. only".
- Ph.D. holders whose Master's was completed by 19 September 1991 get a 5% relaxation.
Age limit
| Purpose | Upper age limit |
|---|---|
| JRF | 30 years as on 1 December 2026 |
| Assistant Professor | No upper limit |
| Ph.D. admission only | No upper limit |
For JRF, there is up to 5 years of relaxation for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD/PwBD, third gender and women candidates. Research experience in the relevant subject, and service in the armed forces, also earn relaxation. The total relaxation cannot exceed 5 years.
Exam Pattern (CBT, 3 hours, 200 marks)
Each paper has three parts and no break between them. Part A (general aptitude) is common to all subjects. Part B has subject MCQs, and Part C has higher-order analytical questions. If you answer more questions than allowed, only the first ones you answered are evaluated, so stick to the limit. Calculators are not allowed.
| Subject (code) | Questions A/B/C | Attempt A/B/C | Marks per correct answer A/B/C | Negative marking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Sciences (701) | 20 / 40 / 60 | 15 / 35 / 25 | 2 / 2 / 4 | 25% in all parts |
| Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean & Planetary Sciences (702) | 20 / 50 / 80 | 15 / 35 / 25 | 2 / 2 / 4 | 25% in A and B; 33% in C |
| Life Sciences & Bio-Technology (703) | 20 / 50 / 75 | 15 / 35 / 25 | 2 / 2 / 4 | 25% in all parts |
| Mathematical Sciences (704) | 20 / 40 / 60 | 15 / 25 / 20 | 2 / 3 / 4.75 | 25% in A and B; none in C |
| Physical Sciences (705) | 20 / 25 / 30 | 15 / 20 / 20 | 2 / 3.5 / 5 | 25% in all parts |
- In Mathematical Sciences Part C, a question can have more than one correct option. You get credit only if you mark all the correct ones.
- From this cycle, Life Sciences is "Life Sciences and Bio-Technology (LS-BT)". It also leads to DBT-JRF fellowships, which DBT administers.
- The paper is bilingual (Hindi and English). The English version prevails in case of any difference.
- There is no separate cut-off for each part. To be considered at all, you need a minimum of 33% (General/EWS/OBC) or 25% (SC/ST/PwBD) of total marks.
- The syllabus is on the CSIR HRDG website csirhrdg.res.in.
Exam Cities in and near Uttarakhand
You choose 4 cities, and only from the state of your permanent or present address. The Uttarakhand cities are Dehradun (UK01), Haldwani (UK02) and Roorkee (UK06). Nearby options outside the state include Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Moradabad, Bareilly, Chandigarh/Mohali and Delhi, but you can pick them only if one of your addresses is in that state.
How to Apply
- Go to csirnet.nta.nic.in. Registration is through MeriPehchaan / DigiLocker single sign-on, or with your own email and mobile number.
- Fill in your personal details as they appear on your Class 10 certificate. Then choose your subject, specialisation, purpose (JRF / Assistant Professor / Ph.D.), medium and 4 exam cities.
- Capture a live photo by webcam or by scanning the QR code with your phone, with 80% of your face visible, ears showing and no mask.
- Upload a photo (10–200 KB, JPG) and signature (10–50 KB, JPG). If they apply to you, also upload a category certificate, attestation form or disability/UDID certificate (each a PDF of 50–300 KB).
- Pay the fee and download the confirmation page. Fill only one form. Appearing under more than one application number is treated as unfair means.
Exam-Day Checklist
- Admit card with the self-declaration filled in, printed on A4
- Two passport photos, the same as the one you uploaded
- Original photo ID (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport, driving licence, ration card with photo or bank passbook with photo)
- Simple ball pen, transparent water bottle, and a PwD certificate if you claim relaxation
- Reach the centre 2 hours early. Watches, belts, jewellery, wallets and calculators are not allowed.
Important Links
| Link | URL |
|---|---|
| Apply online / admit card / result | csirnet.nta.nic.in |
| Syllabus | csirhrdg.res.in |
| NTA helpdesk | 011-40759000 / 011-69227700 · [email protected] |
This page is based on the official Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026 Information Bulletin issued by NTA. UttarakhandJobs.in is not affiliated with NTA, CSIR or UGC.