UGC (University Grants Commission) is a statutory organization, which was established by the Union government in 1956. Its main objective is to provide recognition to Indian universities and provide funds to such recognized universities and colleges. Every year, a huge number of candidates appear for the NET (National Eligibility Test). The test is conducted for determining the eligibility for college and university level lectureship and for awarding the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) to Indian nationals for pursuing their Ph.D. or research.

The NET examination is held twice a year, mostly in June and December. But there are many candidates who are confused between UGC NET and CSIR-UGC NET. Although the purpose of conducting both of these exams is same, there is a difference in the subjects involved. CSIR and UGC are two different government departments and both conduct their respective NET entrance exam. The former is conducted for the Science stream, whereas the latter is conducted for all the other streams.