A PhD student, Waseem Ahmmad Bhat cracked UGC NET (November) 2017 Geography paper for both JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) and Assistant Professor. He scored a whopping 252/350 marks (72%). His paper-wise scores include 64/100 (64%) in Paper I, 72/100 (72%) in Paper II, and 116/150 (78%) in Paper III.
An extremely dedicated student, Waseem never took any coaching for the exam. However, this is not his first attempt of UGC NET Geography paper. Regarding the same, Waseem stated, “I have qualified UGC NET five to six times before. But what I did different this time as part of my UGC NET (November) 2017 preparation strategy was that I focused on my strengths and tried to look into my weaknesses. I made my strengths stronger and at the same time also erased my weaknesses.” He added, “As part of my prep strategy, I also practiced previous years’ papers a lot more than my previous attempts of the exam.”
When we asked Waseem what as per him was the most difficult part of UGC NET exam, he revealed that he found Human Geography and World Geography to be most difficult. He further talked about the study plan he followed for the exam and shared that he studied for four to five hours regularly for a month. And, those four to five hours were mainly utilised to study Physical and Indian Geography.
Waseem shared that he studied the following books for his preparation for UGC NET 2017:
| Book |
Author |
| Fundamentals of Physical Geography |
Majid Husain |
| Physical Geography |
Savindra Singh |
| India: A Comprehensive Geography |
D R Khullar |
| Evolution of Geographical Thought |
Majid Husain |
| Human Geography |
Majid Husain |
| Geography |
Surender Singh |
| Practical Geography: A Systematic Approach |
Ashis Sarkar |
| NCERT practical books of Classes 11th and 12th |
|
When we questioned Waseem about the mistakes students should avoid while preparing for UGC NET, he answered, “Students usually do not study according to the syllabus formulated by UGC. This is not a good practice to follow.”
He also advised students on managing time well in the exam and said, “Students usually complain about the lack of time in Paper I of the exam. Time can be managed efficiently if they solve maximum possible number of previous years’ papers.” He added, “Students should work hard and always believe in themselves that they can crack the exam.”
Highly ambitious, Waseem loves studying. Before pursuing PhD, he was a post-graduate Geography student at University of Kashmir. Waseem also shared that playing Cricket is a hobby that he pursues.
In future, Waseem wants to make his career in the field of Research.
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Student Forum
Answered 2 weeks ago
You can access and download UGC NET History previous year question papers and solution PDFs through the Shiksha UGC NET Previous Year Question Papers portal.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
UGC NET law require PG in law or similar subjects .
Age limit for JRF is 30 years and for assistant professor there is no age limit.Candidates from reserved categories and specific backgrounds receive an upper age relaxation of up to 5 years, making the maximum age limit 35 years for them.
The paper c
Answered a month ago
With 88.6 percentile, it is better to shortlist PhD colleges based on the subject, research area, faculty, eligibility and entrance or interview process, not only the NET score. LPU can also be considered if its research areas and faculty match the topic you want to work on. Its PhD structure gives
S
Beginner-Level 1
Answered 2 months ago
Yes. The NTA conducted the re-exam for three subjects on September 9 and 10. The UGC NET re-exam schedule is provided below:
English: September 9, 2026 Shift 1 - 9 AM to 12 Noon
Commerce : September 9, 2026 Shift 2 - 3 PM to 6 PM
Sociology : September 10, 2026 Shift 1 - 9 AM to 12 Noon
C
Contributor-Level 7
Can you provide UGC net history previous year question paper?