UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Educational Qualification, Relaxation & Reservation for December Session

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: National Testing Agency (NTA) released the UGC NET December 2026 session notification on October 8, on the official website at ugcnet.nta.ac.in. The online application form link is active from October 8 to October 28 (up to 11:50 PM). Candidates can submit UGC NET form with a late fee from October 29 to October 31 (up to 11:50 PM). The application correction window will open from November 2 to November 4(up to 11:50 PM). The exam will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode from December 14 to December 19.   

Candidates must check eligibility criteria before applying for UGC NET December 2026 session. Below are the complete eligibility criteria covering educational qualifications, age limit, and category-wise relaxations.

For the ease of candidates, we have shared here the complete UGC NET eligibility 2026 regarding educational qualification, age limit, and relaxation norms for reserved category candidates such as SC, ST, OBC, and PwD. Go through the eligibility details below before filling out the application form for the UGC NET.

UGC NET Eligibility 2026: Educational Qualification

Candidates need to have the following educational qualifications to be eligible to apply for the UGC NET exam:

• Candidates should have secured at least 55 per cent marks in master’s degree exams. A relaxation of five per cent is given to candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Other Backward Class (OBC)/Persons with Disability (PwD)/Transgender category. Therefore, candidates from reserved categories require only 50 per cent aggregate marks in their master’s degree exams.
• Candidates should have completed their post-graduation from a UGC-recognised college/university in relevant streams such as Human, Social Science, Electronic Science, Computer Science & Applications, etc
• Candidates appearing in or awaiting results for their final year examination for a master’s degree are also eligible to apply online for the UGC NET exam. However, such candidates are admitted provisionally and are considered eligible only when they pass their master’s exam with the required percentage. “Such candidates must complete their PG degree examination within two years from the date of NET result with required percentage of marks, failing which they shall be treated as disqualified”, informs the official website.
• Candidates pursuing a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programme and who are in their final year/semester, or those who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree, are eligible to appear for UGC NET (both for JRF and Ph.D. admission). Such candidates must have secured a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade.
• PhD degree holders whose master’s exams were completed on September 19, 1991 (regardless of the result declaration date) are eligible for a relaxation of five per cent marks in the aggregate i.e., from 55 per cent to 50 per cent marks are required for such candidates.
  

  UGC NET Age Limit 2026

  The UGC NET age criteria that candidates need to meet to be eligible for the exam are as follows:

  UGC NET Assistant Professor Age Limit 2026

  There is no age limit to apply for the post of UGC NET Assistant Professor or Lecturership.

  NTA NET JRF Age Limit 2026

  Candidates applying for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) should not be more than 30 years of age as on the first day of the month i.e., 1/6/2026 in which the UGC NET 2026 exam concludes.

  UGC NET JRF Age Limit Relaxation 2026

  Relaxation of JRF age criteria is given to SC, ST, OBC, PwD, women, and other category candidates. Have a look at the age relaxation for the reserved categories below.

  Category	Age Relaxation (in years)
  SC/ST/OBC/PwD/Third Gender	5
  Females of all categories	5
  Candidates having research experience	Limited to the period spent on research (Maximum of 5 years)
  Candidates holding LLM degree	3
  Candidates in the armed forces (subject to the length of service in the armed forces)	5

  UGC NET JRF Eligibility 2026
  NET JRF Eligibility: Candidates who qualify for NET JRF are eligible for both Assistant Professor posts and fellowship programmes. Also, a candidate who qualifies for JRF will be deemed qualified for a lectureship. But, it is important to note here that if a candidate qualifies for a lectureship, he or she won’t be considered qualified for JRF. In this case, a candidate will be considered for a lectureship only.

  UGC NET Eligibility 2026: Exemptions (For Assistant Professor)

  The exemptions in UGC NET eligibility criteria 2026 apply only to the candidates applying for the Assistant Professor post. These exemptions are:

  • NET/SET/SLET shall remain the minimum eligibility condition for recruitment and appointment of Assistant Professors in Universities/Colleges/Instructions/ In this regard, exemption from NET/SET/SLET will be governed by UGC regulations and amendments notified in the Gazette of India from time to time.
• Those who have cleared the State Eligibility Test after June 1, 2002, can apply for the post of Assistant Professor only in colleges/ universities that are located in the state from where they have cleared the SET exam.
  

  UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Reservation Policy

  The reservation policy applicable to the UGC NET exam is as per the Government of India rule. Accordingly, the seats are reserved in the central universities and institutes which are deemed to be universities. The reservation of seats is given below.

  Category	Reservation of seats (In %)
  Scheduled Castes (SC)	15
  Scheduled Tribes (ST)	7.5
  Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL)	27
  General-Economically Weaker Sections (General- EWS)	10
  Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40 per cent or more disability	5

  UGC NET Subject Eligibility 2026

  One of the most important eligibility criteria for the UGC NET exam is the selection of the appropriate subject while submitting the application form. The UGC NET exam comprises Paper 1 and Paper 2. While Paper 1, that is, ‘General Paper on Teaching and Research Aptitude’ is compulsory for all, candidates need to choose an appropriate subject for Paper 2. As per the official UGC NET notification 2026, candidates are advised to appear in the subject of their Post-Graduation only. However, there are some exceptions as mentioned below:

  • Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Geography (with specialisation in Population Studies) or Mathematics/ Statistics are also eligible to appear for ‘Population Studies (Subject Code 015).
  • Candidates with a Master’s Degree in Humanities (including languages) and Social Sciences are eligible to appear for ‘Women Studies’ (Subject Code 074).

  Important Points for UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026

  Some of the important points that candidates need to note regarding UGC NET eligibility criteria are:

  • Candidates are recommended to give the UGC NET 2026 exam in the subject of their post-graduation only
  • If the post-graduation subject is not covered in the list of subjects given by UGC, candidates may appear in a related subject as per the official recommendation
  • Those holding a post-graduate diploma/certificate from an Indian university or degree/diploma/certificate from a foreign university must determine if their diploma/degree/certificate is equivalent to a master’s degree from a recognised Indian university.
  • The equivalence must be determined by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026