Eligibility Criteria for Assistant Professor through UGC NET Exam

Introduction:
UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) is conducted to determine the eligibility of candidates for the posts of Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Indian universities and colleges. For candidates aspiring to become Assistant Professors, there are specific eligibility criteria that need to be fulfilled. These criteria are set by the UGC and must be adhered to by the candidates.

Academic Qualifications:
To be eligible for the post of Assistant Professor through the UGC NET Exam, candidates must possess the following academic qualifications:

1. Master's Degree: Candidates must have completed a Master's degree or its equivalent from a recognized university or institute. The degree should be in a relevant subject in which the candidate wishes to pursue a career as an Assistant Professor.

2. Minimum Percentage: Candidates belonging to the General category must have obtained a minimum of 55% aggregate marks in their Master's degree. However, candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC (Non-creamy layer), and PWD categories are given a relaxation of 5% and require a minimum of 50% aggregate marks.

3. Ph.D. Degree: Candidates who have completed their Ph.D. degree before September 19, 1991, are exempted from the minimum eligibility criteria of 55% or 50% marks at the Master's level. They are eligible to apply for the Assistant Professor position irrespective of their percentage of marks in the Master's degree.

4. Relaxation for OBC/SC/ST/PWD/Women Candidates: As mentioned earlier, candidates belonging to these categories are given a relaxation of 5% in the minimum percentage required. Therefore, they need to have a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in their Master's degree to be eligible for the Assistant Professor position.

5. Qualifying the UGC NET Exam: Apart from the academic qualifications, candidates are also required to qualify the UGC NET Exam. The exam consists of two papers - Paper 1 and Paper 2. Candidates must score the minimum qualifying marks in both papers to be considered eligible for the Assistant Professor position.

6. Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for candidates applying for the post of Assistant Professor through the UGC NET Exam. However, for the JRF position, the maximum age limit is 30 years (relaxable for reserved categories).

Conclusion:
To apply for the Assistant Professor position through the UGC NET Exam, candidates must possess a Master's degree in a relevant subject with a minimum of 55% or 50% aggregate marks, depending on the category. They also need to qualify the UGC NET Exam, which consists of two papers. There is no upper age limit for the Assistant Professor position.