CSIR NET eligibility: qualifications, JRF age limit and stipend
Who can apply for CSIR NET December 2026, the JRF age limit and relaxations, the four-year degree route, and what the JRF pays.
These rules are from section 2 of the CSIR NET December 2026 Information Bulletin. Read the bulletin itself before applying, because the exceptions and documents are set out there in full.
What does CSIR NET qualify you for?
CSIR NET results decide eligibility for three things, and the benchmarks on the cutoff page apply to all three:
| Result | Age limit |
|---|---|
| Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) | 30 as on 1 December 2026, with relaxation |
| Assistant Professor | No upper limit |
| Ph.D. admission only | No upper limit |
Who can apply for CSIR NET December 2026?
Nationality
Only bona fide Indian citizens can take the test.
Master’s degree route
You need a Master’s degree or equivalent with at least:
- 55% for General/EWS candidates
- 50% for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD and Third gender candidates
Candidates waiting for their result can apply provisionally.
Four-year bachelor’s degree route
Holders of a four-year bachelor’s degree can apply with 75%, with a 5% relaxation for reserved categories. If they qualify, they are eligible for JRF and Ph.D. admission, but not Assistant Professor.
What is the CSIR JRF age limit?
For JRF you must be not more than 30 years old as on 1 December 2026. Relaxation of up to 5 years is available for:
- OBC-NCL, SC, ST, PwD, Third gender and women candidates
- Research experience
- Armed-forces service
The total relaxation is capped at 5 years.
There is no upper age limit for Assistant Professor or Ph.D.-only eligibility.
What does the CSIR JRF pay?
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| JRF stipend (first two years) | ₹37,000 a month |
| Contingency grant | ₹20,000 a year |
| On upgrade to SRF | ₹42,000 a month |
In Life Sciences and Bio-Technology, DBT-JRF fellowships are also now awarded through CSIR NET under a CSIR–DBT arrangement, and DBT administers them.
How long is a CSIR NET result valid?
- Assistant Professor certificate: the bulletin says there is “no end period” for its validity.
- Marks for Ph.D. admission (categories 2 and 3): valid for 1 year from the result date.
- JRF: the terms for taking up the fellowship are set by CSIR HRDG. Check them at csirhrdg.res.in. Do not assume the UGC NET rule applies; that is for UGC JRF.
What is the application fee?
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| General | ₹1,150 |
| General-EWS / OBC-NCL | ₹600 |
| SC / ST / PwD / PwBD / Third gender | ₹325 |
Applications close on 5 November 2026. Every date is on the important dates page.
Being eligible is the first step
Qualifying then depends on your total marks against the benchmarks on the cutoff page. The exam pattern page shows how your subject’s paper is built.
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