CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025, Age Limit, Qualification for JRF/Assistant Professor

CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria plays a pivotal role in the CSIR NET exam. All interested aspirants will be required to fulfil the CSIR NET age limit and other eligibility factors in order to participate in the exam. The CSIR NET eligibility is divided into various components such as age limit, qualification, nationality, and other crucial factors.

In brief, the CSIR JRF age limit shall be 30 years whereas there shall be no age limit for assistant professors or students applying for admission to Ph.D. In terms of qualification, candidates must possess a bachelor’s degree/master’s degree with a minimum required score. Aspirants are strongly advised to check the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria before submitting the form in order to avoid disqualification of the candidature.

CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts Joint CSIR NET twice a year to ascertain the eligibility of the aspirants for the ‘award of Junior Research Fellowship and appointment as Assistant Professor’, ‘appointment as Assistant Professor and admission to PhD’ and ‘admission to PhD only.

Thus, aspirants must thoroughly review the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria and ensure they fulfil all those parameters before applying for the exam. Failing to adhere to the CSIR NET age limit and other eligibility factors can also cause rejection of the application form.

CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 Overview

CSIR NET full form is the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research National Eligibility Test. Let’s discuss the key highlights of CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025 shared below for the knowledge of the candidates:

Exam Conducting Body	National Testing Agency (NTA)
Exam Name	CSIR NET
Frequency	Twice a Year
Level	National Level
CSIR NET Age Limit	30 years for JRF and no age limit for assistant professors and admission to Ph.D.
Educational Qualification	Masters/Bachelor’s Degree
Nationality	Indian
Official Website	csirnet.nta.ac.in

CSIR NET Age Limit & Relaxation

The CSIR NET age limit is an important component of the eligibility criteria. It varies for Junior Research Fellowship, Assistant Professor and admission to PhD. So, aspirants must ensure they fall into a certain age group when applying for the CSIR NET exam.

CSIR JRF Age Limit

The National Testing Agency has revised the CSIR JRF Age Limit from 28 years to 30 years. However, there shall be a relaxation on the upper age limit of different categories such as OBC-NCL, SC, ST, women applicants, etc.

CSIR NET Age Limit for Assistant Professor & Admission to Ph.D

As per the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria, there shall be no upper age limit in applying for assistant professor and Admission to Ph.D. If candidates are found ineligible in terms of their age or qualification, their candidature shall be cancelled immediately and they will be liable for legal action.

CSIR NET JRF Age Limit Relaxation

Relaxation in the upper age limit is applicable for candidates belonging to different categories when applying for CSIR NET JRF. The category-wise CSIR NET JRF age limit relaxation is tabulated below for reference purposes.

CSIR NET Educational Qualification

Another essential parameter of the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria shall be educational qualification. Aspirants must have the following qualification in order to be considered eligible for the CSIR NET exam.

• General/ Unreserved/ General-EWS Candidates must have obtained at least 55% marks (50% for Other Backward Classes (OBC) belonging to Non-Creamy Layer/Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/ Persons with Disability (PwD)/ Third gender category) in Master’s Degree or equivalent exam from recognized universities/ institutions.
• Candidates who are pursuing their Master’s degree or have appeared for their qualifying Master’s degree (final year) exam and are waiting for the result declaration or whose qualifying exams have been delayed can also apply.
• The PhD degree holders who have completed their Master’s level examination by 19 September 1991 will be eligible for age relaxation up to 5% in aggregate marks (i.e. from 55% to 50%) to appear in NET.
• Candidates who have completed a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programme with at least 75% marks (5% marks relaxation for those belonging to (SC/ ST/ OBC (non-creamy layer)/ Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in aggregate or its equivalent grade.
• Candidates pursuing Four Year/8 Semester Bachelor’s Degree Programme and are in their final semester/year are also eligible.

Note: Candidates passing the NET exam on the basis of a four-year undergraduate degree will be eligible for the award of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and for admission to the Ph.D. They will not be eligible for appointment as Assistant Professors.

CSIR NET Subject-wise Educational Qualification

Apart from knowing the CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria in terms of qualification, aspirants must also be familiar with the subject-wise educational qualification shared below. The CSIR NET exam comprises a total of five subjects such as Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. Check the subject-wise CSIR NET educational qualification below.

Subject	Educational Qualification
Chemical Sciences	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Chemistry
Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Earth Science
Life Sciences	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Life Science
Mathematical Sciences	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Mathematics
Physical Sciences	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Physics

CSIR NET Life Science Eligibility

Candidates must fulfil all the CSIR NET Eligibility for Life Science in terms of age limit, qualification, and nationality to be eligible for the exam. Check the detailed CSIR NET Life Science Eligibility shared below.

Age Limit	30 years (5 years relaxation for OBC-NCL, SC/ST, Pwd, Third Gender category and women applicants)
Educational Qualification	Master’s/Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Life Science with at least 55% marks (50% for Other Backward Classes (OBC) belonging to Non-Creamy Layer/Scheduled Caste (SC)/ Scheduled Tribe (ST)/ Persons with Disability (PwD)/ Third gender category)
Nationality	Indian Citizen

CSIR NET Eligibility for OBC

The CSIR NET eligibility criteria for OBC are different from other categories. Check the detailed eligibility requirements for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category below:

Age Limit	35 years
Educational Qualification	Master’s Degree or equivalent in the required discipline with at least 50% marks

CSIR NET Eligibility for Female

Female candidates applying for the CSIR NET exam must ensure they fulfil all the eligibility requirements before applying for the exam. Check the CSIR NET eligibility criteria for female candidates shared below for reference purposes.

Age Limit	35 years
Educational Qualification	Master’s Degree or equivalent in the required discipline with at least 55% marks

CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria 2025: Relaxation for Third Gender Category

Third-gender category candidates can avail relaxation in fee, age and CSIR NET Eligibility Criteria as are applicable for SC/ST/PwD categories. Additionally, the subject-wise cut-offs marks for this category will also be lowest among all categories in the corresponding subject.

CSIR NET Reservation Criteria 2025

Apart from relaxation in the CSIR NET age limit & qualification, there shall also be relaxation in the marks of reserved categories for both fellowship and Assistant Professor. Check the CSIR NET Reservation Criteria for all the categories below:

Category	Minimum Qualifying Marks
General & EWS	33%
OBC	33%
SC/ST & PwD	25%

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