UGC NET 2024 Exam postponed on January 15 due to Makar Sankranti, Pongal. Here’s the new date

The UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET) scheduled for January 15 has been postponed on account of festivals, including Makar Sakranti and Pongal, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced on January 13. 

The exam for admission to PhD programmes, awarding Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and appointment as assistant professors is being conducted from January 3 to January 16 for 85 subjects in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. 

"The NTA has received representations to postpone the exam on January 15 on account of festivals, including Pongal and Makar Sakranti. In the interest of the aspirants, the exam has been postponed and a new date will be announced later,” Rajesh Kumar, Director (Exams), NTA, said. 

“The exam on January 16 will be conducted as per the earlier schedule,” he added. 

On January 15, the exam was scheduled for 17 subjects, including mass communication and journalism, Sanskrit, Nepali, law, Japanese, women studies, Malayalam, Urdu, Konkani, criminology, folk literature, electronic science, environmental science and Indian knowledge system. 

The UGC-NET was also postponed last year after the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam might be compromised. 

This year, the exam will be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) format, across two daily shifts: the first shift from 9 am to 12 pm and the second from 3 pm to 6 pm.   

The UGC NET 2024, organized by the National Testing Agency, evaluates candidates for eligibility as "Assistant Professors" and for the "Junior Research Fellowship" (JRF) across 83 subjects. The exam consists of two papers featuring multiple-choice questions to be completed in a single three-hour session. Candidates will tackle a total of 150 questions for a maximum of 300 marks, with each correct answer earning 2 marks and no negative marking. A solid grasp of the updated UGC NET 2024 syllabus is crucial for effective preparation.