The National Testing Agency (NTA) has published an official announcement outlining the eligibility requirements for the UGC NET test. Postgraduate students under the age of 30 are able to apply for the test. Check out the UGC NET age relaxation, and other important information here. The National Testing Agency administers the NET. The UGC NET test evaluates a candidate’s eligibility for the jobs “Assistant Professor” or “Junior Research Fellowship and Assistant Professor” at various institutes and colleges across India. Candidates must satisfy the qualifying requirement before applying for the UGC NET test. The UGC NET Eligibility Criteria are available on the National Testing Agency’s official website.

UGC NET Age Limit 2024

The UGC NET age restriction differs between JRF and associate professor posts. When applying for the exam, candidates must ensure that they are under the age restriction in the indicated day. There is no maximum age for applying to UGC NET for Assistant Professor and PhD programs. Check the UGC NET age restriction for each vacancy listed below.

The age limit for applying to the UGC NET 2024 test is that a candidate must not have crossed the age of 30 years as of the first day of the month in which the examination is held that is, June 1, 2024.

UGC NET Assistant Professor Age Limit 2024

  • There is no maximum age limit for person seeking for the UGC NET Assistant Professor position.
  • There is no maximum age for individuals enrolling for UGC NET Admission to PhD.
UGC NET 2024 Age Limit
Category Upper Age Limit
JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) Not older than 30 years as of the first day of the month in which the test is completed.
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor There is no upper age restriction for applying to UGC NET 2024 for the position of Assistant Professor.

The UGC NET 2024 provided age relaxations to applicants, as stated in the table below. It should be noted that these age relaxations only apply to individual qualifying for the JRF category.

UGC NET 2024 Age Relaxation
Category Age Relaxations
Candidates pursuing LLM degree 3 years
Ex-Army personnel (Service length up to the first day of the month of the UGC-NET) 5 years
SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Female/Transgender 5 years
Research candidates (with a valid certificate from the appropriate authority) 5 years

UGC NET Educational Qualification 2024

Candidates must meet the educational requirements to apply for the UGC NET test in 2024. Aside from age, the candidate’s educational history is another important eligibility factor to evaluate. The table below provides a broad overview of the UGC NET 2024 educational requirements for participation in the test.

UGC NET 2024 Educational Qualification
Category Eligibility Criteria
General/Unreserved/General-EWS candidates Candidates in this category must secure a minimum of 55% marks in their Master’s Degree or an equivalent examination from universities/institutions recognized by UGC. The UGC NET is open to student studying Computer Science and Applicants, Electronic Science, and other Subject.
Other Backward Classes (OBC) OBC candidates, falling under the Non-Creamy Layer, along with SC, ST, PwD, and Third Gender category, require a minimum of 50% marks in their Master’s degree.
Master’s Degree Candidates presently pursing a Master’s degree or who have taken their qualifying Master’s degree examination are eligible to apply for the UGC NET test. However, admission is temporary, and eligibility for JRF/Assistant Professor position is subject on completion of the Master’s degree.
Third Gender Category Candidates from the Third Gender category benefit from the same fee, age, and eligibility criteria relaxations as candidates in the SC/ST/PwD categories for the UGC NET Test.
Ph.D. degree holders Ph.D. degree holders, completing their Master’s level examination by 19th September 1991 (regardless of result declaration date), are eligible for a 5% reduction in aggregate marks for the UGC NET Test.
Post-Graduate diploma/certificate from Indian/Foreign University Before applying for the UGC NET Test, candidates with a post graduate diploma/certificate from an Indian or foreign institution must establish that it equivalent to a Master’s degree from a reputable Indian university accredited by the Association of Indian University, New Delhi.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024: Assistant Professor

The NET/SET/SLET examinations are necessary qualifications for the Assistant Professor post in Indian universities and colleges. For this, the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024 had been set. However, there are some relaxations from the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria, as mentioned in the UGC regulations and updates in the Gazette of India. These are exemptions only in the case of candidates applying for the Assistant Professor post. There may be certain relaxations permitted by the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria and its amendments for eligible candidates.

UGC NET Eligibility 2024 Assistant Professor
Educational Qualifications UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024
Assistant Professors The successful completion of NET/SET/SLET shall be the minimum eligibility condition for employment of Assistant Professor at university/college/institution. Exemptions from NET/SET/SLET shall be as per UGC guidelines.
UGC/CSIR/JRF Examination However, candidates who successfully passed the UGC/CSIR/JRF test before 1989 are exempted from the NET.
For SET Candidates
  • The candidates who have qualified States Eligibility Test (SET) accredited by UGC NET 2024 for Assistant Professor prior to 1st June 2002 are exempted from appearing in NET and are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor anywhere in India.
  • For SETs carried out on or after 1st June, 2002, the qualified candidates shall be eligible to apply for Assistant Professor only in Universities/Colleges of the State from where they have cleared their SET.

UGC NET Nationality

According to the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024, the candidate applying for the test should be an Indian. Documents relating to this regarding the confirmation of the candidate need to be furnished. These documents would be imperative for the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria and proof that the candidate is indeed an Indian national.

  • Birth Certificate
  • Pan Card
  • Aadhar card
  • University /board certificate

FAQ

There is no upper age limit for individuals applying for the position of Assistant Professor through the UGC NET exam.

The age limits for the UGC NET Exam for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) are as follows:
  • For Males: 30 years
  • For Females: 35 years

Yes, there is a 5-year age relaxation for candidates belonging to the SC/ST/OBC categories.

Candidates in this category must achieve at least 55% marks in their Master’s Degree or an equivalent examination from universities or institutions recognized by the UGC. For OBC candidates from the Non-Creamy Layer, as well as SC, ST, PwD, and Third Gender categories, the required minimum is 50% marks in their Master’s degree.

As per the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2024, candidates applying for the test must be Indian citizens. To verify this, the following documents need to be provided:
  • Birth Certificate
  • PAN Card
  • Aadhaar Card
  • University/Board Certificate

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