UGC NET 2025: Beginner’s Guide to Becoming a Professor or Researcher What is UGC NET? Hello! UGC NET stands for University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test, and it’s the exam you take to become an Assistant Professor or get a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities. As a professor, you can teach students at college, and with a JRF, you can do research and get paid for it while pursuing a PhD. The exam is run by the National Testing Agency (NTA), and about 2 lakh students take it every year. If you love teaching or research, this is the perfect exam for you! A Little History of UGC NET UGC NET started in 1989 to ensure that only qualified people teach at universities. Before that, each university had its own rules, which wasn’t fair. The exam also gives the JRF award, which started in 1984 to help young researchers. In 2018, the NTA took over from UGC to conduct the exam, making it computer-based and more efficient. The exam happens twice a year (June and Dece
