UGC NET Eligibility Criteria 2026: Age Limit, Educational Qualification, and Age Relaxation

Age Details

• JRF: Up to 30 years (as per the notification cut-off).
• Assistant Professor: No upper age limit.
• Relaxations: Category and other allowances apply as per Government of India rules (e.g., OBC-NCL, SC/ST, PwD, Women, etc.).

Eligibility Details

Nationality

• Candidates must be Indian nationals. valid government-issued photo IDs (such as Aadhaar, Voter ID, Passport) may be requested as proof.

Educational Qualification

• Master’s degree or equivalent from a UGC-recognized university/institution. The subject chosen for Paper 2 should generally align with the postgraduate subject.
• General/EWS category: Minimum 55% marks (without rounding off).
• OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/Third Gender: Minimum 50% marks.
• Final-year Master’s students or those awaiting results may apply provisionally.
• Candidates with a 4-year UG degree (75% marks or equivalent; 70% for reserved categories) may be eligible in select cases.

Age Requirements

• JRF: Maximum 30 years as on the notification’s cut-off date.
• Assistant Professor: No upper age limit.

Number of Attempts

• There is no limit on the number of attempts, subject to the JRF age limit.

Reservation Policy

• 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 27% OBC-NCL, 10% EWS, and 5% PwBD (40% or more disability) are reserved in central universities and deemed universities where applicable.

Important Dates

• Updated: May 7, 2026 12:47 PM
• Note: Specific application dates are not provided in the available content. If dates are released, update accordingly.

Additional Information

• Follow official notifications for reservation criteria and age relaxation updates.
• The information above summarizes eligibility and reservation policies as of the latest update. For definitive guidelines, refer to the official UGC NET notification and NTA portal.