Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026 — what this exam is for

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has released the official notification for the Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026 examination, and the online application window is open on the official portal, csirnet.nta.nic.in. Candidates searching for the CSIR UGC NET December 2026 apply online link will find the application form, the Information Bulletin and the public notice — both dated 07 October 2026 — on that portal. This is the national eligibility test for science subjects, and qualifying opens three doors at once: Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), eligibility for Assistant Professor, and admission to Ph.D. programmes. The exam covers five science subjects, is held as a Computer Based Test, and every rule that governs it — eligibility, age limit, fee, pattern and the application process — comes from the official Information Bulletin, so applicants should go by the bulletin rather than by second-hand summaries.

CSIR NET December 2026 — important dates, late fee and correction window

The CSIR NET December 2026 last date is 05 November 2026, up to 11:50 PM, and the online application window opened on 07 October 2026. The last date for fee payment is the same day, 05 November 2026, up to 11:50 PM. Candidates who miss that deadline still get one more chance: a late submission window runs from 06 to 09 November 2026, up to 11:50 PM, with a late fee of Rs 500 added to the normal application fee. After submission, a correction window from 10 to 12 November 2026, up to 11:50 PM, allows changes to the application form. The admit card and exam city details will be announced later, and the exam itself is scheduled on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026. It is a Computer Based Test with an MCQ pattern, lasting 180 minutes, held in two shifts — 09:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and 03:00 PM to 06:00 PM — with the question paper in both English and Hindi.

CSIR NET application fee, JRF age limit and eligibility

The CSIR NET application fee depends on the candidate’s category: General / Unreserved candidates pay Rs 1,150, General-EWS / OBC-NCL candidates pay Rs 600, and SC / ST / PwD / Third Gender candidates pay Rs 325. GST and bank charges are extra, as applicable, and candidates applying in the 06–09 November late window pay an additional Rs 500 late fee. Payment is online, through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking or UPI. For the JRF age limit, the rule is that a candidate must not be more than 30 years old as on the first day of the month in which the exam is concluded — December 2026. Relaxation of up to 5 years is available for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and Third Gender candidates and for women, and further relaxation of up to 5 years applies for research experience and for armed-forces service, subject to the conditions in the bulletin. There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission. On eligibility, a candidate needs an M.Sc. or equivalent Master’s degree in the relevant subject with at least 55% marks, without rounding off, for General, Unreserved and General-EWS categories, and at least 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and Third Gender candidates. Final-year and result-awaited candidates can apply provisionally and must complete the Master’s degree within 2 years of the exam result date — 1 year for Ph.D.-only admission. B.Sc. (Hons.) or equivalent holders, and candidates enrolled in Integrated MS-Ph.D. programmes, with at least 55% marks — 50% for reserved categories — are also covered, as specified in the Information Bulletin. The five subjects are Chemical Sciences; Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences; Life Sciences; Mathematical Sciences; and Physical Sciences.

How to apply for CSIR NET December 2026 — and CSIR NET vs UGC NET

To fill the CSIR NET December 2026 online form, candidates should visit the official CSIR-NET portal at csirnet.nta.nic.in and open the Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026 application link. Registration needs a valid email ID and mobile number. After registering, candidates fill the form, choose their subject, and upload the documents as required. The application fee is then paid online — with the Rs 500 late fee added if applying during the 06–09 November window — and the form is submitted with a printout of the confirmation page kept for future reference. One question that comes up every session is the difference between CSIR NET and UGC NET. Both are NTA exams held as Computer Based Tests, but the CSIR-UGC NET covers only the five science subjects listed above, with the exam on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026 and applications from 7 October to 5 November, plus the late window from 6 to 9 November. The UGC NET covers 87 subjects, with its exam on 14–19 December 2026 and applications from 8 to 28 October, plus a late window from 29 to 31 October. The fee structure is the same in both — Rs 1,150, Rs 600 and Rs 325 by category, with a Rs 500 late fee — so the choice is simple: candidates in science subjects apply through CSIR NET, and candidates in other subjects apply through UGC NET.