Start with the subject code and the official syllabus
The December 2026 bulletin identifies five CSIR-UGC NET subject codes: 701 Chemical Sciences, 702 Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, 703 Life Sciences and Bio-Technology (LS-BT), 704 Mathematical Sciences and 705 Physical Sciences. Check the code on the application against the matching official subject page before choosing study materials. This page gives a practical map of the official syllabus families and selected representative topics; it is not a replacement for the detailed syllabus PDFs linked by CSIR-HRDG.
The HRDG syllabus page lists the five science areas and links each subject’s syllabus. Four currently accessible files use “Proposed Syllabus” in their PDF titles and their official file paths date from 2020; the page does not label them as a December 2026 revision. For LS-BT, the HRDG subject page separately links a “Syllabus (Revised)” PDF dated 21 January 2026, and this document contains a 14-unit Life Sciences and Bio-Technology syllabus. Because syllabus maintenance can change by cycle, candidates should use the subject page and check the current bulletin or later notice for updates. Do not silently treat an old file title or a prior “Life Sciences” label as proof of a new exam change.
Chemical Sciences (701)
The HRDG Chemical Sciences syllabus is divided into Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and interdisciplinary topics. Inorganic Chemistry includes chemical periodicity, bonding and molecular shapes, coordination compounds, organometallic chemistry, analytical methods, bioinorganic chemistry and nuclear chemistry. A candidate can turn those headings into problem sets: for example, connect transition-metal coordination and spectroscopy with reaction mechanisms rather than memorising isolated compound names.
Physical Chemistry covers quantum mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, thermodynamics, statistical thermodynamics, electrochemistry, kinetics, colloids and surfaces, solid state, polymers and data analysis. The listed data topics include mean and standard deviation, absolute and relative errors, linear regression, covariance and correlation. Organic Chemistry includes stereochemistry, aromaticity, reactive intermediates, reaction mechanisms, named reactions, synthesis, pericyclic chemistry, heterocycles, natural products and structure determination by spectroscopic methods. The PDF also identifies nanoscience, catalysis/green chemistry, medicinal chemistry, supramolecular chemistry and environmental chemistry as interdisciplinary topics. Use these as topic clusters, then study the subtopics in the official document rather than assuming every textbook chapter has equal weight.
Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences (702)
The Earth Sciences PDF begins with foundational coverage of Earth and the Solar System, Earth materials and surface processes, interior structure and tectonics, oceans and atmosphere, and environmental Earth science. The detail extends from geological time, minerals and rock processes to seismology, plate tectonics, ocean circulation, atmospheric dynamics, monsoon systems, pollution, natural hazards and remote sensing. Part C then branches into disciplinary areas such as geology, physical geography, geophysics and meteorology, with ocean and planetary topics in the wider subject name. The breadth matters for preparation: a geology-only plan would leave the common Paper I/Part B foundations and other offered subject domains underprepared.
The official PDF describes the broad Part B/Part C split, while the December 2026 bulletin should be used for that cycle’s actual question counts and penalties. The current exam scheme is not inferred from the older syllabus PDF. Candidates should compare the official content with their degree background, mark unfamiliar units, and then practise switching between conceptual earth-system questions and quantitative or data-based problems. Keep local examples such as Indian geology, monsoon systems or river basins only where the syllabus itself names them; do not substitute general geography notes for the listed scientific scope.
Life Sciences and Bio-Technology (703)
The revised HRDG LS-BT PDF dated 21 January 2026 lists 14 units: Structure and Function of Biomolecules; Cellular Organization; Fundamental Processes; Cell Communication and Cell Signaling; Developmental Biology; System Physiology – Plant; System Physiology – Animal; Inheritance Biology; Evolution and Diversity of Life Forms; Ecology and Behavioural Biology; Bioinformatics and Computational Biology; Biochemical Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology; Advances in Biotechnology; and Methods in Biology. The document is explicitly titled for Life Sciences and Bio-Technology, which matches the December 2026 bulletin’s subject name and code 703.
The unit names are a revision-planning map, not a complete checklist. For instance, the official text includes membrane transport and organelles under Cellular Organization, replication/repair/recombination and RNA processing under Fundamental Processes, and biomolecules, enzyme kinetics and bioenergetics under the opening unit. Methods in Biology and computational topics mean that preparation should include experimental interpretation and quantitative reasoning alongside factual recall. Keep the revised 2026 LS-BT PDF separate from the older June 2026 Life Sciences result/cutoff labels; the completed June exam and the December LS-BT syllabus are different source contexts.
The bulletin also notes that DBT-funded LS-BT fellowships are routed through the Joint CSIR-UGC NET from the December 2026 cycle. That funding arrangement does not change the syllabus into a separate standalone DBT test. Use the subject’s code, the December exam bulletin and the revised HRDG syllabus together, and follow any later official NTA/CSIR notice if it expressly changes the syllabus or scheme.
Mathematical Sciences (704) and Physical Sciences (705)
The Mathematical Sciences syllabus labels a common syllabus for Parts B and C. Its four units cover analysis and linear algebra; complex analysis, algebra and topology; ordinary and partial differential equations alongside numerical analysis, calculus of variations, integral equations and classical mechanics; and probability/statistics topics including random variables and convergence. The official PDF includes topics such as compactness, eigenvalues, residue calculus, groups and rings, PDE classification, numerical methods, Markov chains and statistical inference. Because the list spans proof-based mathematics and applied computation, prepare by topic family and practise showing intermediate reasoning, not only memorising theorem statements.
The Physical Sciences PDF divides material into Part A “Core” and Part B “Advanced.” The core topics include mathematical methods, classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory, quantum mechanics, thermodynamic/statistical physics, and electronics and experimental methods. The advanced list extends into areas such as Green’s functions and PDEs, Hamilton-Jacobi theory, radiation and waveguides, scattering, relativistic quantum mechanics, and advanced statistical physics. This core/advanced syllabus organization is not the same as the exam’s A/B/C paper parts; do not confuse syllabus labels with question-paper parts. The December 2026 question scheme assigns the examination’s own Part A/B/C counts and marking separately.
A practical way to use these lists
Download the syllabus from the responsible HRDG subject page and retain the PDF date/title. For each heading, mark it as familiar, needs revision, or not yet studied; then attach a practice source to the weak areas. Use the official model question paper when available from HRDG to see the kind of question presentation, and pair it with the current-cycle bulletin for the marking scheme. For LS-BT, select the explicitly revised 2026 PDF. For the other four subjects, the accessible HRDG PDFs currently carry proposed titles; check for a later cycle-specific replacement before treating them as final. The exam content edition on this site remains evergreen, while these syllabus documents retain their publication and cycle context.