The National Educational Testing Bureau of University Grants Commission (UGC) conducts National Eligibility Test (NET) to determine eligibility for lectureship and for award of Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) for Indian nationals in order to ensure minimum standards for the entrants in the teaching profession and research. The Test is conducted in Humanities (include languages), Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Applications, Social Sciences, Forensic Science, and Electronic Science.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducts the UGC-CSIR NET for other Science subjects Namely, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Atmospheric Ocean & Planetary Sciences jointly with the UGC. The Examinations are performed twice in a year generally in the months of June and December. For students who wish to pursue research, the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) is available for five years subject to achievement of specific conditions. UGC has allocated a number of fellowships to the universities for the candidates who qualify the exams 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 students who opt for it in their application forms.