Can a B.Tech GATE qualified Student give CSIR -JRF/NET exam?

Options from CSIR after B.Tech+ GATE
This is a repeated question from students at Biotecnika forums asking whether they need to give CSIR NET JRF exam after qualifying GATE for a Ph.D.  Many of you seem unaware of this fact that CSIR has a separate Option for you if you have qualified GATE with high percentile/Rank. This is popularly known as GATE-JRF. JRF’s selected under this scheme have excellent opportunity to work with the CSIR scientists with state-of-art R&D facility and obtain PhD degree. These fellowships are tenable only at CSIR laboratories.

Who can apply?
Fresh BE/ B Tech degree holders with valid GATE score. The selected candidates will have to pursue Ph.D. There can be two possibilities under this:
  

• Get direct admission to Ph.D programme of University/ IIT/ NIT/REC etc
• After joining as JRF-GATE, the candidate may pursue MTech as a part of PhD programme, where their thesis semester (last semester) should be spent at the CSIR laboratory relating to lab specialization in order to keep the continuity for the PhD programme.                          OR 
• Those who are starting the thesis semester of ME/ MTech programme and having valid GATE score and desirous of pursuing PhD.It may be noted that these candidates have to work on their PhD problem and should not be employed in sponsored projects.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Selection of these GATE qualified JRF’s can be done by the Director of the CSIR laboratories and forwarded to Head, HRDG for the issue of requisite award letters. Director may permit the candidate to provisionally join JRF-GATE subject to meeting the eligibility criteria and issue of formal award letter from HRDG.

WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE

M.Tech candidates (either with BTech/ MTech or with MSc/ MTech) are not eligible for this fellowship. They have a separate opportunity for direct SRFship through interview. All those eligible for direct CSIR SRF cannot apply for this fellowship.

STIPEND AND TENURE

The fellowship is to be given to a candidate for a total duration of five years within which the candidate is required to complete the PhD degree. This fellowship amount is Rs 12000/- plus HRA per month. In addition, contingency grant of Rs 20,000/- per annum (calculated on pro rata basis for fraction of a year) is available to each fellowship as per the CSIR guidelines.
Further on completion of two years as JRF-GATE, the fellowship may be upgraded to SRF-GATE and stipend may be increased to Rs 14000/- per month in the subsequent years on the basis of assessment as per normal CSIR rules. In exceptional cases where the fellow has completed MTech within one year of joining JRF-GATE, the Director may assess the performance of the fellow (through a three member assessment committee) and recommend upgradation of the fellowship to SRF-GATE. All other conditions of JRF-NET will apply.

View original notification at http://csirhrdg.res.in/gate.htm

So we can conclude that you need not give NET JRF in order to go for a Ph.D rather a high percentile in GATE itself is more than enough, Now the second question is "Can a Btech + GATE qualified Student appear for CSIR NET JRf exam for fellowship".

The answer lies in the information brochure of CSIR NET JRF, which clearly says "M.Sc. or Equivalent degree under the subjects, with minimum 55% marks for General & OBC candidates; 50% for SC/ST candidates"

Now This means that you have to have Masters degree in order to apply. But in no case qualifying GATE exam makes you equivalent to M.Sc. Hence you can not write CSIR NET JRF Exam.

This Question was asked to Biotecnika Team Recently by Ms Anshika Tandon in Ask Queries section. If you also are facing any such career related problem, feel free to ask us and we will do our best to resolve it as soon as possible.