After a master's, research and teaching

Research

A funded PhD is a job with a stipend. Never pay your own way through a PhD in India if you can help it.

• PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)A PhD is a research degree: you spend several years answering one original question under a supervisor, and write it up as a thesis that outside…3–6 years
• Postdoctoral fellowship (India and abroad)A postdoc is a fixed-term research job after the PhD.1–3 years per position

College teaching eligibility

NET qualifies you to be considered for assistant professor posts; it is not a job offer.

• UGC NET (Assistant Professor eligibility, JRF and PhD admission)UGC NET is the national test that decides who is eligible to be appointed Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges, who gets a Junior…Exam, twice a year
• CSIR NET (science JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility and PhD admission)CSIR NET is the science counterpart of UGC NET.Exam, twice a year
• SET / SLET (State Eligibility Test for Assistant Professor)A State Eligibility Test is the state-level version of UGC NET.Exam

Medical super-speciality

DM / MCh follow an MD / MS and take another three years.

• DM / MCh / DrNB (super-specialty medicine and surgery)DM and MCh are the super-specialty degrees that turn an MD physician or MS surgeon into a cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist,…3 years after MD/MS/DNB

The year, month by month

1. Final year of master'sUGC-NET / CSIR-NET (usually twice a year) — a JRF award funds your PhD.
2. SpringPhD admission rounds at IITs, IISc, IISERs and central universities; many take NET/GATE scores or hold their own tests.
3. During PhDpublish, present, and plan your postdoc two years before you finish.