The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced ‘Ayurveda Biology’ as a new subject for the National Eligibility Test (NET), effective from the December 2024 session. This addition aligns with UGC's objective to broaden academic options by embracing India's traditional sciences alongside modern disciplines.
"Ayurveda Biology is now part of the UGC-NET exam, available for candidates from December 2024 onwards," UGC announced on X. The commission emphasised that this unique subject aims to foster interdisciplinary knowledge, blending ancient Ayurvedic principles with modern biological sciences.
The decision to introduce Ayurveda Biology was based on recommendations from an expert committee and was formally approved during UGC’s 581st meeting on June 25, 2024. This new addition follows the recent inclusion of Disaster Management in June, as UGC continues to diversify subjects in the NET, which is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) twice a year in June and December.
The syllabus for Ayurveda Biology comprises 10 distinct units, covering a range of topics:
The detailed syllabus is available on the official UGC NET website, ugcnetonline.in, for prospective candidates to review as they prepare their applications. NTA recently released the results for the June 2024 UGC NET exams on October 17, along with the subject-wise and category-wise cut-offs. Applications for the December 2024 session will open shortly.