The University Grants Commission (UGC) determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for the Award of Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and eligibility for Lectureship in Indian universities and colleges by means of an eligibility test known as “UGC - National Eligibility Test”. The UGC- NET is conducted for 77 (seventy seven) subjects - Humanities (including languages), Social Sciences, Forensic Science, Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Applications and Electronic Science at 66 (sixty six) selected University Centres spread across the country.

While the UGC conducts test for most of the humanities and social science subjects, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research conducts (CSIR) conducts tests for other Science subjects, namely, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences and Earth Atmospheric Ocean & Planetary Sciences. The tests are conducted twice in a year generally in the months of June and December.

For candidates who desire to pursue research, the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) is available for five years subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. UGC has allocated a number of fellowships to the universities for the candidates who qualify the test for JRF. The JRFs are awarded to the meritorious candidates from among the candidates qualifying for eligibility for lectureship in the NET. JRFs are available only to the candidates who opt for it in their application forms.