Central Government UGC Junior Research Fellowship: ₹37,000 a Month for PhD

11 November 2026, 1:52 AM • Harish Sharma • Category: All India Schemes

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News: Central Government UGC Junior Research Fellowship: ₹37,000 a Month for PhD
Date: 11 November 2026, 1:52 AM
Author: Harish Sharma
Category: All India Schemes
Source: See the official portal for details — the link is inside the story.

Photo: David Silver, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The most popular route to a PhD in India is the UGC Junior Research Fellowship (UGC-JRF). It is a scheme of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Every year lakhs of students take the UGC NET exam, and those who qualify for JRF get a fellowship for a PhD. A selected student gets ₹37,000 a month as JRF and later ₹42,000 a month as SRF. The fellowship is for a maximum of 5 years. Its special feature is that it covers all three areas — science, humanities and social sciences. After getting the fellowship, the student can do a PhD at any recognised university or institute in the country.

How much money is given

The UGC-JRF pays as follows.

JRF: ₹37,000 a month — for the first 2 years.
SRF: ₹42,000 a month — for the remaining 3 years, after a review.
HRA — a housing allowance is given as per the category of the city.
Contingency (humanities and social sciences): ₹10,000 a year as JRF, ₹20,500 a year as SRF.
Contingency (sciences): ₹12,000 a year as JRF, ₹25,000 a year as SRF.
Total duration: up to 5 years — 2 years as JRF and 3 years as SRF.

These amounts follow the revised rates from 1 January 2023. The fellowship is paid directly into the student’s Aadhaar-seeded bank account.

Who can apply

This fellowship is for those who qualify the UGC NET exam.

A Master’s degree with 55% marks. For SC, ST, OBC and PwD students, 50% marks are enough.
Age not more than 30 years. SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer), PwD and transgender applicants get 5 years of relaxation.
The applicant must qualify the UGC NET exam for JRF.
Admission to a PhD must be taken within 3 years of the date of the JRF award letter.
The fellowship is only for a full-time PhD.

How to apply

The UGC NET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) twice a year — in June and December. Applications are made online on the ugcnet.nta.nic.in portal. For the December 2026 cycle, applications closed on 31 October 2026. Check the exam schedule on the NTA portal. After qualifying for JRF, students must register on the UGC’s Scholarship and Fellowship Management Portal (SFMP), after which the fellowship payments begin. Never pay anyone for applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How much money is given under UGC-JRF? A: ₹37,000 a month as JRF and ₹42,000 a month as SRF, plus HRA and contingency. Q2: Which exam do I take for JRF? A: The UGC NET exam; those who qualify for JRF get the fellowship. Q3: What is the age limit? A: Up to 30 years; 5 years of relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, PwD and transgender applicants. Q4: How long is the JRF award valid? A: For 3 years from the date of the award letter; admission to a PhD must be taken within this period.