How to apply for CSIR NET

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts a national exam to identify candidates eligible to become Junior Research Fellows (JRF) and Assistant Professors. The CSIR is among the largest publicly funded research and development organizations. Every year, thousands of candidates pass the CSIR NET exam and start their journey to become successful researchers and professors in different subjects.

If you aspire to become a Junior Research Fellow, Lecturer, or Assistant professor in India, appearing for the CSIR NET exam is inevitable. Let’s understand the difference between CSIR NET and UGC NET before getting into the CSIR NET application process details.

Difference Between UGC NET and CSIR NET

UGC NET and CSIR NET are two different exams for Junior Research Fellowship and eligibility for Lectureship. 

The UGC NET and CSIR NET exams differ in eligibility criteria, applicability, and subjects. 

1. The UGC NET has 81 subjects whereas the CSIR NET exam covers five subjects. The five subjects covered in CSIR NET are:
   1. Chemical Sciences
   2. Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean, and Planetary Sciences
   3. Physical Sciences
   4. Mathematical Sciences
   5. Life Sciences
2. An acceptable CSIR NET application form requires a candidate to possess an MSc degree or a four-year course such as BTech/BE/BPharma/MBBS/BS or integrated BS-MS/MSc with at least 55% aggregate. Whereas the UGC NET requires candidates to hold a postgraduate degree.
3. JRF candidates appearing for the CSIR NET exam cannot be older than 28 years; there is no age limit for lectureship. The UGC NET accepts candidates until 31 years for JRF with no age limit for lectureship.
4. The CSIR NET exam paper consists of three parts, A, B, and C, whereas the UGC NET exam paper is divided into two parts, paper-1 and paper-2. Both are three-hour examinations. 
5. In 2019, there were over 2,82,117 CSIR NET applications, while UGC NET saw more than 10 lakh applicants.
6. CSIR NET candidates are only eligible to work with CSIR Research Laboratories, and aspirants appearing for UGC NET are eligible for all UGC recognized institutes.

Now that you know the difference between CSIR NET and UGC NET, it is time to understand how to fill the CSIR NET application form.

CSIR NET Application Process

Last year, the CSIR NET June notification was out by late February 2021. Candidates must regularly visit the CSIR HRDG website for updates. Ideally, the registration process should start from the second week of March 2022. Every institute publish crucial information on its official website. If an institute does not have a website, they can create one using the website builder.

The application fees for General category candidates are INR 1000, INR 250 for SC/ST/PwD, and INR 500 for OBC candidates.

Steps for CSIR NET Exam Application Process

1. Visit the official CSIR UGC website. 
2. Click on “Fill Online Application Form”.
3. Enter your personal information such as name, date of birth, and contact details.
4. Click on submit, and you will receive a registration number and password on your mobile number and email ID. 
5. Log in to the CSIR NET website with the credentials and upload a passport size photograph (not more than 200kb) along with your scanned signature (not more than 30kb) in jpeg format. 
6. Enter your educational information, such as choice of subjects, past academic performance, and select a convenient examination center. 
7. Click on submit, and you will be redirected to a secure payment page.
8. Applicants must pay the exam fees through online banking using SBI/HDFC/Syndicate/ICICI bank gateway.
9. The transaction can be done using Debit/Credit card/Netbanking/UPI and Paytm. 

The NTA provides the facility of  CSIR NET application form correction. So do not worry if you enter incorrect information in fields such as name, parents’ name, date of birth, contact details, category, gender, etc. To change your details, visit the official CSIR NET exam website and upload supporting documents.

Documents Required for CSIR NET Application Form

Just as with every other examination, the CSIR NET application form also requires documents. Here are the two necessary documents for the CSIR NET application:

1. Marksheets of Class 10, 12, graduation, and post-graduation. 
2. Category certificate proving your caste or disability.

The CSIR NET application form is pretty simple. However, it is difficult to crack the exam. Candidates must be well versed with their subjects to stand a chance. Prepare well for your exam using the education lms and fill the CSIR NET application diligently for the best results. All the best candidates!