Who can appear for the UGC NET 2025 exam?

Candidates must have a Master’s degree or equivalent with at least 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender candidates) in their qualifying exam. Final-year students awaiting results are also eligible to apply.

What is the age limit for UGC NET 2025?

For the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), the maximum age is 30 years. There is no age limit for candidates applying for Assistant Professor positions.

Is there age relaxation for reserved categories?

Yes. Age relaxations are as follows: SC/ST – 5 years OBC-NCL – 3 years Women – 3 years PwD – 10 years Transgender – same relaxation as SC/ST/PwD Research experience – up to 5 years L.L.M. degree holders – 3 years Armed forces service – 5 years

Are there any exemptions from UGC NET for Assistant Professor posts?

Yes. Exemptions apply to: Candidates who cleared UGC/CSIR JRF before 1989 SET candidates who cleared before 1st June 2002 (eligible anywhere in India) SET candidates who cleared after 1st June 2002 (eligible only in their respective state) PhD degree holders as per UGC Regulations 2009

What are the educational qualifications required for UGC NET 2025?

A Master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university with minimum 55% marks (50% for reserved categories) in any subject relevant to the NET exam.

Are there specific relaxations for transgender candidates?

Yes. Transgender candidates are eligible for the same relaxations in age, fee, and eligibility for JRF and Assistant Professor posts as SC/ST/PwD categories.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025, Age Limit and Qualification

Table of Contents

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 on its official website. Aspirants applying for Assistant Professor positions, PhD admission, or the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) must carefully verify their eligibility before submitting the application. The NTA has clearly outlined the eligibility norms for JRF, PhD admission, and Assistant Professor posts, and this article provides a complete guide to help candidates navigate the criteria for building a career as a university or college professor.

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025

To appear for the UGC NET 2025 exam, candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications, age limits, and reservation norms, as outlined in this post. The official notification provides detailed information on these requirements, and this article also summarizes the key UGC NET 2025 eligibility criteria to help aspirants confirm their qualification before applying.

UGC NET Eligibility 2025- Overview

Candidates should refer to the table below to review the key highlights of the UGC NET eligibility criteria. This table provides a clear and concise overview, allowing aspirants to quickly understand the requirements for appearing in the exam.

UGC NET Eligibility 2025
UGC NET Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit	30 years for Junior Research Fellowship No age limit for Assistant Professorship
UGC NET Education Eligibility Criteria	Master’s Degree or equivalent with minimum 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwD/Transgender candidates)
UGC NET Eligibility Number of Attempts	No limit on attempts for JRF & AP
UGC NET Eligibility Nationality	Indian
Subject UGC NET Eligibility	The subject of your Post-Graduation

UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2025

1. Educational Qualification

Candidates belonging to the General/Unreserved/General-EWS categories must have secured at least 55% marks (without rounding off) in their Master’s Degree or equivalent examination from a UGC-recognized university or institution in subjects such as Humanities, Social Sciences (including languages), Computer Science, Electronic Science, etc.
Candidates belonging to OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)/SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third Gender categories must have obtained at least 50% marks (without rounding off) in their Master’s degree or equivalent examination.
Candidates appearing for their final year Master’s degree examination or awaiting results are also eligible to apply. However, they must complete their Master’s degree within two years from the date of the NET result with the required percentage, failing which their candidature will be disqualified.
For candidates qualifying for ‘Ph.D. Admission Only’, the Master’s degree must be completed within one year from the date of the NET result.

2. Qualification Relaxations

Ph.D. degree holders whose Master’s level examination was completed by 19 September 1991 (irrespective of result declaration date) are entitled to a 5% relaxation (i.e., from 55% to 50%) in the qualifying marks.
Third Gender candidates receive the same relaxation in age, fee, and eligibility as SC/ST/PwD categories.
Candidates are advised to appear in their post-graduation subject only. If the subject is not listed in UGC NET subjects, they may appear in a related subject.

3. Eligibility for Candidates with a Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree

Candidates who have passed a 4-year/8-semester Bachelor’s Degree Programme must have secured at least 75% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade. A 5% relaxation is allowed for SC/ST/OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)/EWS/Differently-Abled candidates.
Such candidates qualifying in UGC NET will be eligible only for JRF and Ph.D. admission, not for Assistant Professor appointments.
Final-year candidates of the Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree Programme may also apply provisionally, provided they complete the degree with the required marks within: Two years (for JRF-qualified candidates) and One year (for Ph.D. admission only)

4. Foreign and Equivalent Qualifications

Candidates holding foreign qualifications must obtain an equivalence certificate from the University Grants Commission (UGC) as per the UGC (Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications Obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2025.
Post-Graduate Diploma holders must verify the equivalence of their diploma with a Master’s degree from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

UGC NET Age Limit 2025

The UGC NET Age Limit varies for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor/Ph.D. Admission, as mentioned below.

Category	Maximum Age Limit	Cut-off Date
JRF	Not more than 30 years	01 December 2025
Assistant Professor / Ph.D. Admission	No upper age limit	—

UGC NET Age Relaxation 2025

Candidates belonging to reserved or specific categories are entitled to relaxations in the upper age limit for JRF, as per the official guidelines.

Category	Age Relaxation	Conditions
OBC-NCL / SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third Gender / Women	Up to 5 years	Applicable as per Central Government norms
Candidates with Research Experience	Up to 5 years	Limited to the period spent on research in a related subject of post-graduation; valid proof required
Candidates with L.L.M. Degree	3 years	Over and above the upper age limit
Armed Forces Personnel	Up to 5 years	Based on length of service up to 01.12.2025
Total Maximum Age Relaxation	5 years	Under any circumstances, relaxation shall not exceed five years

UGC NET Eligibility For Assistant Professor

To help candidates quickly understand the eligibility requirements for Assistant Professor positions through UGC NET 2025, the key criteria including educational qualifications, minimum marks, age limit, subject selection, and exemptions have been summarized in the table below.

Particulars	Details
Minimum Qualification	55% in Master’s Degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognized University/Institution.
Final Year/Appearing Candidates	Eligible to apply provisionally; must complete Master’s Degree within 2 years from the date of the NET result with the required marks.
Ph.D. Degree Holders (Master’s completed by 19.09.1991)	Eligible for 5% relaxation (i.e., 50% marks required).
Subject Criteria	Candidates should appear in the subject of their post-graduation; if not available, they may choose a related subject as per UGC guidelines.
Age Limit	No upper age limit for Assistant Professor eligibility.
Exemption from NET/SET/SLET	UGC/CSIR JRF before 1989: Exempt from appearing in NET. SET cleared before 1st June 2002: Eligible for Assistant Professor positions anywhere in India. SET cleared on/after 1st June 2002: Eligible only within the state where the SET was cleared. Ph.D. holders (as per UGC Regulations 2009): Exempt from the minimum eligibility requirement for UGC NET.

UGC NET Eligibility for PhD Admission 2025

Candidates who wish to pursue a PhD in Indian universities through UGC NET December 2025 must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Criteria	Details
Minimum Qualification	Master’s Degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognized university/institution. General/UR/EWS- 55% OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/PwBD/Third Gender- 50%
Final Year/Appearing Candidates	Eligible provisionally; must complete Master’s within 1 year of NET result.
Ph.D. Degree Holders (Master’s completed by 19.09.1991)	5% relaxation (50% marks)
Subject Selection	Post-graduation subject or a related subject if not listed in NET subjects.
Age Limit	No upper age limit

UGC NET Eligibility For SC, ST, OBC, and GEN

The reservation policy of the Government of India applies to UGC-NET as the NET Eligibility Criteria. According to this, in the Central Universities and Institutions that are deemed to be Universities, the reservation of seats shall be as follows, as recommended by the UGC NET Eligibility:

15% of the seats for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates
7.5% of the seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates
27% of the seats for Other Backward Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) candidates as per the Central List
10% of the seats for General – Economically Weaker Sections (General – EWS) candidates
04% of the seats in the mentioned categories for Persons with Disability (PwD) with 40% or more disabilities.
Reservation for Kashmiri Migrant (subject to notification from the Ministry of Education for the Academic Session 2021-22).