UGC NET Eligibility 2025: The National Testing Agency has published the UGC NET June 2025 notification PDF on its official website. Interested candidates can apply online for this exam from April 16 to May 7, 2025. Before applying, they must check the eligibility requirements, which include age limit, qualification, nationality, reservation policies, etc.
NET is an important exam that determines candidates’ eligibility for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D in Indian universities and colleges. Conducted by the NTA twice a year, this exam opens doors for candidates from different academic backgrounds.
Understanding the UGC NET eligibility helps aspirants ensure they fulfil the age limit and qualification requirements. Providing valid information regarding eligibility is essential for successful form submission. Failure to do so might lead to rejection of the form. This article covers all the details about the UGC NTA NET June 2025 eligibility and other information for candidates’ reference.
UGC NET Eligibility 2025 for JRF & Assistant Professor
The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the UGC NET June 2025 notification for candidates who wish to pursue academic and research careers in Indian universities and colleges. Prospective applicants must check the UGC NET eligibility criteria and confirm their fulfilment before applying. The primary criteria for UGC NET are age limit and educational qualification. Candidates must possess a master’s degree or equivalent with the required scores as a qualification. In terms of age criteria, the upper age limit for JRF shall be 30 years, with relaxation for reserved categories. However, there is no age limit for candidates applying for Assistant Professor and Admission to PhD. These guidelines ensure a fair selection process and allow only qualified candidates to appear in the selection process.
UGC NET Age Limit 2025
Given the importance of the exam, aspirants must confirm that they fall within the age bracket before submitting their applications. The age restrictions depend on the post you are applying for. The age limit for JRF is 30 years, with no age restrictions for Assistant Professor and admission to Ph.D. Refer to the table below for a better understanding.
| Posts | Upper Age Limit |
| JRF | 30 years as of 01.06.2025 |
| Assistant Professor | No Upper Age Limit |
| Admission to PhD | No Upper Age Limit |
UGC NET Age Limit Relaxation 2025
There shall also be relaxation on the upper age limit of reserved category candidates applying for Junior Research Fellowship. Some of the important guidelines related to age relaxation are as follows:
- A relaxation of up to 5 years is offered to reserved categories such as OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third gender categories and to women applicants.
- Applicants with research experience in the relevant/related subject of their post-graduation degree will receive relaxation, up to a maximum of 5 years, upon submission of a certificate from the competent authority.
- A relaxation of up to 3 years is applicable for aspirants with an L.L.M. degree. Applicants who have served in the armed forces will receive a relaxation of up to 5 years, based on their length of service in the armed forces up to 01.06.2025. However, the total age relaxation must not exceed five years under any conditions.
UGC NET Educational Qualification
Educational Qualification plays an important role in UGC NET eligibility. A Master's Degree is one of the qualifications required for exam eligibility. Check the detailed UGC NET educational qualification tabulated below:
- Master’s Degree or equivalent exam with a minimum of 55% marks (50% marks for OBC-NCL/ SC/ST/PwD /Third gender category candidates) from any recognised University.
- Aspirants who are pursuing their Master’s degree or whose result is still awaited can also apply for this exam. However, they will be considered eligible for the award of JRF/eligibility for Assistant Professor only after completing their qualifying degree. They must complete their degree within two years of the NET result date with the required marks. Those who qualify for ‘Admission to Ph.D. Only’ must complete their degree within one year of the NET result date with the required percentage. Failing to do so will lead to the disqualification of the candidature.
- Applicants belonging to the third gender category are eligible to avail of relaxation in fee, age and other eligibility for NET (i.e. JRF and Assistant Professor) applicable for SC/ST/PwD categories.
- The Ph.D. degree holders who completed their Master’s level exam by 19 September 1991 shall be eligible for a 5% relaxation in aggregate marks (i.e. from 55% to 50%) appearing in NET.
- Candidates with a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree with at least 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent can also apply. A relaxation of 5% marks is applicable for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other categories.
- Aspirants who are in the final year of Four Year/8 Semester Bachelor’s Degree can also apply for the test.
UGC NET Nationality Requirements
As per the official UGC NET Notification for June 2025 session, candidates must be citizens of India when applying for this test.
UGC NET Eligibility Exemptions
The UGC NET eligibility exemptions are available only for Assistant Professors. NET/SET/SLET is the minimum requirement for the recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities/Colleges/Institutions. Exemption from NET/SET/SLET will adhere to UGC guidelines and amendments prescribed in the Gazette of India from time to time.
Additionally, candidates who qualified UGC/CSIR/ JRF examination before 1989 are exempted from appearing in the NET. Those who have qualified UGC-accredited States Eligibility Test (SET) for Assistant Professor before 01st June 2002, are exempted from appearing in NET, and are eligible to apply for Assistant Professor across India.
UGC NET Eligibility 2025: Reservation Policies
The reservation policy applies to UGC-NET as per the official notification. Check the category-wise reservation of seats in the table below.
| Category | Relaxations |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) | 27% |
| General-Economically Weaker Sections (General- EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PwD) with 40% or more disability | 05% of the seats in the above-mentioned categories |
NTA UGC NET Eligibility 2025: Number of Attempts
There are no restrictions on the number of attempts for the UGC NET exam. Aspirants can appear in this test as long as they are meeting the age limit, qualification, and other important criteria.
UGC NET Eligibility 2025: List of Documents Required
Candidates must keep the following details and documents ready before filling out the UGC NET Application Form 2025:
- Copy of Board/ University Certificate for Candidate’s Name, Mother’s Name, Father’s Name and Date of Birth.
- Proof of Identity-Bank A/c passbook with photograph/ Passport Number/Ration Card/ Aadhaar Card Number/Voter ID Card Number/ Other Govt ID
- Qualifying Degree Certificate or last semester's marks sheet
- Your Mailing Address as well as your Permanent Address with PIN code
- Category Certificate, if applicable
- Person with Disability (PwD) Certificate, if applicable
- Economically Weaker Section (EWS) Certificate, if applicable
- E-mail address and Mobile Number
- Scanned images in JPG/JPEG format only
- Four cities for the Centres of your choice
- Code of UGC- NET Subject
- Code of Post-Graduation Course
- Code of subject at Post Graduation level, etc.
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