About UGC /CSIR NET-SET Examination
The National Educational Testing Bureau of University Grants Commission (UGC) conducts National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine eligibility for lectureship and for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals in order to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts the UGC-CSIR NET for Science subjects. For the humanities and art discipline it is administered by the University Grants Commission (refereed as “UGC NET”) while for the science and engineering discipline it is jointly conducted by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and University Grants Commission (“CSIR-UGC” NET).
The tests are conducted twice in a year generally in the months of June and December. For candidates who desire to pursue research, the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) is available for five years subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. UGC has allocated a number of fellowships to the universities for the candidates who qualify the test for JRF. The JRFs are awarded to the meritorious candidates from among the candidates qualifying for eligibility for lectureship in the NET. JRFs are available only to the candidates who opt for it in their application forms. The award of JRF and or Eligibility for Assistant Professor depends on the aggregate performance of the candidate in Paper-I and paper-II of UGC-NET. The candidates qualifying only for Assistant Professor are not considered for the award of JRF. Candidates who qualify the test for eligibility for Assistant Professor are governed by the rules and regulations for recruitment of Assistant Professor of the concerned universities/colleges/state governments, as the case may be.
The test for Junior Research Fellowship is being conducted since 1984. The Government of India, through its notification dated 22nd July, 1988 entrusted the task of conducting the eligibility test for lectureship to UGC. Consequently, UGC conducted the first National Eligibility Test, common to both eligibility for Lectureship and Junior Research Fellowship in two parts, that is, in December 1989 and in March, 1990.
Till June 2018, the CBSE conducted the NET across the country. Since Dec 2018 onwards, the UGC- NET is being conducted by the NTA.
The National Eligibility Test (NET) is the national level entrance examination in India for postgraduate candidates who wish to qualify for admission in Ph.D. research and/or university level teaching jobs in India.
State Eligibility Test (SET): In view of the fact that the number of candidates who are required to be qualified for being appointed as lecturers is fairly large, the U.G.C. has authorized the State Governments or the State Agencies on behalf of the State Governments to conduct the State Eligibility Test (SET) for lectureship, provided, the SET is duly accredited by the U.G.C.
In accordance with the guidelines of the U.G.C., the Government of Maharashtra, Higher & Technical Education & Employment Department by their Resolution No. UGC-1391/2066/VS-4, dt: July, 14, 1994 have nominated the University of Pune as the State Agency for conducting the State Eligibility Test (SET). The U.G.C. has accredited the SET examinations being held by the University of Pune as the State Agency of the Government of Maharashtra and at the Government of Goa. Similarly SET examination is conducted separately in each states.
It may further be specifically understood that as per UGC guidelines, from June 2002, SET qualified candidates shall be eligible to apply for the post of lecturer only in the Universities/Colleges belonging to the same state whose SET Examination they have cleared provided he/she fulfills other academic qualifications prescribed for lecturer post by the U.G.C. and is selected by the respective Selection Committee. Unlike the NET/UGC-CSIR the candidates who qualifies the SET is only eligible for being selected as lecturer and not for the award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF).
WHY TO PREPARE FOR UGC / CSIR NET – SET EXAM
- Large number of students appears for master degree exams every year and these are increasing day by day. As many students are appearing for traditional courses such as M.COM, MA and MSC and with these courses there are only few who gets opportunity to work with good companies at respectable remuneration. so, this is the good choice for the students to crack NET- SET exam and gets a respectable job of professor and earn equally good salary as earned by the Engineers, MBA, Doctors, CA, etc.
- There is large number of new colleges established every year and many foreign universities is also getting attracted to capture the Indian education market which brings big opportunity for students who has qualified, UGC -NET / SET Examination.
- It appears from the past NET-SET examination that the students have realized the benefits of cracking this examination, such as, respect and status in the society, good remuneration, less working hours, better working condition, opportunity to do research and remain updated in recent trends.