Status (as of 16 October 2026): Updates below are labelled as official (from NTA / CSIR notices) or reported (from news sources).

7–8 October 2026: CSIR NET December 2026 Registration Opens

Official. NTA released the Information Bulletin and public notice for Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2026. Applications are open from 7 October to 5 November 2026 (11:50 pm), with a late window from 6 to 9 November (₹500 late fee) and a correction window from 10 to 12 November. The exam will be held on 19, 22 and 27 December 2026 in CBT mode.

From December 2026: Life Sciences Merged with DBT-BET

Official. As per a CSIR HRDG notice, the CSIR NET Life Sciences paper and the DBT-BET exam are merged into a joint CSIR-UGC-DBT JRF/NET. Subject 703 is now Life Sciences and Bio-Technology with a revised 14-unit syllabus. The notice states that the total number of fellowships is not affected.

25 September 2026: June 2026 Certificates Notice

Official. NTA issued a notice on certificates for the June 2026 cycle.

9–10 September 2026: June 2026 Result and Cutoffs

Official. CSIR HRDG published the June 2026 result and category-wise cutoffs. JRF (UR) cutoffs ranged from 43% (Mathematical Sciences) to 71.02% (Earth Sciences). A total of 3,308 candidates were awarded JRF.

18 July 2026: June 2026 Exam Statistics

Official. NTA reported 1,87,739 registrations and 1,50,057 candidates appearing (79.9%) in the June 2026 exam held on 17–18 July.

Key Takeaways

• December 2026 applications close on 5 November 2026.

• Exam dates: 19, 22 and 27 December 2026.

• Life Sciences is now Life Sciences and Bio-Technology with a new syllabus.

Pro Tip: Follow csirnet.nta.nic.in for notices on the city slip, admit card and answer key. Ignore unofficial links that ask for payment outside the NTA portal.

Official Websites

• NTA CSIR NET portal: csirnet.nta.nic.in

• CSIR Human Resource Development Group: csirhrdg.res.in

• National Testing Agency: nta.ac.in

Source: NTA public notices (csirnet.nta.nic.in, nta.ac.in); CSIR HRDG notices and results (csirhrdg.res.in)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CSIR NET December 2026 registration open?

Yes. Applications are open from 7 October to 5 November 2026 on csirnet.nta.nic.in.

What is new in CSIR NET December 2026?

Life Sciences is merged with DBT-BET as Life Sciences and Bio-Technology, with a revised syllabus.

Where are CSIR NET results published?

Scorecards are on csirnet.nta.nic.in, and results, cutoffs and qualified lists are on csirhrdg.res.in.