If you are interested in teaching undergraduates or graduates start preparing yourself for the National Eligibility Test to qualify as a lecturer. Here is all you need to know about it

If you are looking to teach at the university level then there are certain essential steps you must follow. Although a doctoral degree qualifies you to teach at the university level automatically, teaching positions in colleges and universities are also open to MA students. All you need to do is qualify the UGC NET examination to teach after your Master’s.

What is the NET?

The National Eligibility Test (NET) is conducted by the Educational Testing Bureau of University Grants Commission (UGC) twice a year to determine eligibility for lectureship. Apart from this, it also awards the Junior and Senior Research Fellowships to Indian nationals who pass the examination with distinction. The Test is held for all fields: Humanities (including languages), Social Sciences, Forensic Science, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Applications and Electronic Science.

For other science subjects like Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Earth Atmospheric Ocean and Planetary Science, the UGC conducts the NET in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Preparation

The National Eligibility Test is based on your knowledge of the undergraduate syllabus. Question papers of the previous years are available on the UGC. The syllabus too is uploaded on the site. Along with that there are special test papers and books available for this examination. They are available at all university bookshops.

Schedule

The National Eligibility Test is held twice a year, in the months of June and December. If you have decided to pursue post graduate studies then if you fulfil the minimum criteria you could qualify for the Junior Research Fellowship. But make sure to opt for it while you are applying for the NET examination.

The dates for the NET are usually announced in March and September for the June and December exams respectively, in the nationwide publication Employment News.

Application for NET

Once you have downloaded the application forms from the internet or procured it from your campus, you need to fill in the required details and submit the form along with a demand draft of the required amount.

Eligibility

If enrolled in a Master’s Degree programme in any university in India, you would be eligible to appear for the National Eligibility Test.

Declaration of results

The results of the National Eligibility Test are announced in October for the June examination, and in April for the December examination. The results are available on the UGC website as well as in Employment News.

Scholarships of UGC-NET

In case you are pursuing or interested in pursuing a PH.D, then UGC-NET awards several scholarships twice a year. 120 fellowships are awarded to the sciences, 30 are awarded to the social sciences, and 100 are awarded under various schemes of the ICMR. Special policy guidelines are in place for SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped applicants.

The stipend per month for meritorious students who have qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship is Rs 18,000 which is subject to revision. The award is granted for three years. The performance of the student is reviewed at the end of two years and if found satisfactory, the stipend is revised to Rs 20,000. The awardees also receive an annual contingency grant of Rs 20,000.(Subject to change)

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