The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially issued the examination notification for the CSIR UGC NET December 2026 cycle on behalf of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This nationallevel entrance and eligibility examination determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for appointment as Lecturer / Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges across five core science disciplines: Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

Fellowship and Career Prospects

Candidates qualifying for the Junior Research Fellowship receive a monthly stipend and contingency grant under CSIR/UGC fellowship schemes, typically governed under prevailing Central Government norms. Qualifying for Lectureship fulfills the baseline criteria for faculty recruitment across Central and State Universities as per UGC guidelines. The examination is conducted strictly as an online Computer Based Test (CBT).

Reservation and Guidelines

Reservation benefits and qualifying standard relaxations apply to candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC (NonCreamy Layer), EWS, and PwD categories in accordance with Government of India regulations. Eligible candidates must ensure all educational certificates and category credentials are valid and issued before the prescribed cutoff date.