UGC NET Women Studies Syllabus 2026 PDF: Official Download & Exam Pattern

UGC NET Women Studies Syllabus 2026

UGC NET Women Studies Exam Pattern

The comprehensive UGC NET Women Studies syllabus is available in the sections below. The exam, conducted biannually by the National Testing Agency (NTA), is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) consisting of two distinct papers: Paper 1 (General Aptitude) and Paper 2 (Subject-specific).

Paper 1: Teaching and Research Aptitude

• Total Marks: 100
• Total Questions: 50
• Duration: 1 hour (60 minutes)
• Nature of Questions: Objective-type, multiple-choice questions
• Topics Covered: Teaching aptitude, research aptitude, reading comprehension, communication, reasoning, logical reasoning, data interpretation, information and communication technology (ICT), and people and environment.

Paper 2: Women Studies

• Total Marks: 200
• Total Questions: 100
• Duration: 2 hours (120 minutes)
• Nature of Questions: Objective-type, multiple-choice questions
• Topics Covered: Feminist theories, Women’s education, Health issues affecting women, Gender and entrepreneurship
  Laws and governance related to women, Gender portrayal in media, Empowerment and development of women, Gender-based violence and legal protection, International conventions on women’s rights and Feminist research methodology.

UGC NET Women Studies Paper II Important Topics

The UGC NET Women Studies Paper II covers a diverse range of critical subjects. Below is a structured breakdown of the core topics you must master to excel in the examination.

• Key concepts in Gender studies
• New Feminist Debates- Post Colonial /Post Modern, LGBT, Masculinity Studies
• Education for the Marginalized Women
• New Economic Policy and Its Impact on Women’s Employment
• Gender and Emerging Technology
• Life Cycle Approach to Women’s Health
• Women Development Approaches in Indian Five-Year Plans
• Gender Equality, Gender Discrimination, Women’s Rights as Human Right
• Coverage of Women’s issues
• Understanding Feminist Research

Free UGC NET Mock Test – Click to Attempt

UGC NET Women Studies Syllabus for Paper II

The syllabus for Paper II explores the multifaceted dimensions of gender equality, societal challenges, and the historical trajectory of women's movements. This section is designed to test your analytical depth regarding institutionalized gender roles and contemporary empowerment trends.

Unit – I: Introduction to Women’s Studies

• Key concepts in Gender studies.
• Need, Scope and Challenges of Women’s Studies – Women’s Studies as an academic discipline. Women’s Studies to Gender Studies,
• Need for Gender Sensitization.
• Women’s Movements – global and local: Pre-independence, Post-independence and Contemporary Debates.
• National Committees and Commissions for Women

Unit – II: Feminist thinkers and theories

• Liberal Feminism, Marxist Feminism, Radical Feminism, Socialist Feminism, Indian Feminism, Black Feminism, Eco-Feminism.
• New Feminist Debates- Post Colonial /Post Modern, LGBT, Masculinity Studies.
• Contemporary Contestations – Intersex and Transgender Movements.
• Feminist thinkers in 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st Century

Unit – III: Gender and Education

• Women’s Education – Gender diversities and disparities in enrolment, Curriculum content, Dropouts, profession and Gender.
• Gendered Education- Family, Culture, Gender roles, Gender Identities.
• Education for the Marginalized Women.
• Recent Trends in Women’s Education – Committees and Commissions on Education.
• Vocational education and skill development for women.

Unit – IV: Women, Work and Employment

• Theoretical Perspective: Fredrick Engels, Rosa Luxemburg, Sandra Whiteworth, Boserup Esther.
• Concept of Work – Productive and non – productive work – Use value and market value.
• Gender Division of Labour – Mode of Production – Women in organized and unorganized sectors.
• New Economic Policy and its Impact on Women’s Employment – Globalization – Structural Adjustment Programs.

Unit – V: Gender and Entrepreneurship

• Concept and meaning, Importance of Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial traits, Factors contributing to Entrepreneurship, enabling environment, small Enterprises, women in agri-business.
• Gender and emerging Technology – Impact.
• Self-help Groups and Micro Credit.
• Gender mainstreaming, Gender budgeting, planning and Analysis

Unit – VI: Women and Health

• Life Cycle Approach to Women’s Health – Health status of women in India, factors influencing health and Nutritional status.
• Maternal and Child Health (MCH) to Reproductive and Child Health Approaches.
• Issues of declining Child Sex Ratio, Widowhood and old age.
• Occupational and mental health.
• Health, Hygiene and Sanitation.
• National Health and Population Policies and Programmes.

Unit – VII: Women Empowerment and Development

• Theories of Development, Alternative approaches – Women in Development (WID), Women and Development (WAD) and
• Gender and Development (GAD).
• Empowerment- Concept and indices: Gender Development Index (GDI), Gender Inequality Index (GII), Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI).
• Women Development Approaches in Indian Five–Year Plans.
• Women and leadership– Panchayati Raj and Role of NGOs and Women Development.
• Sustainable Development Goals, Policies and Programmes

Unit – VIII: Women Law and Governance

• Rights: Gender Equality, Gender Discrimination, Women’s Rights as Human Rights.
• Constitutional provisions for Women in India.
• Personal laws, Labour Laws, Family Courts, Enforcement machinery – Police and Judiciary.
• Crime against Women and Child: Child Abuse, Violence, Human Trafficking, Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013 – Legal protection
• International Conventions and Legislations Related to Women’s Rights.

Unit – IX: Gender and Media

• Discourse on Women and Media Studies- Mainstream Media, Feminist Media.
• Coverage of Women’s issues and issues of women in Mass Media and Media Organizations (Audio-Visual and Print media).
• Digital Media and legal protection.
• Alternative Media – Folk Art, Street Play and Theatre.
• Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, Impact of media on women.

Unit – X: Feminist Research Methodology

• Understanding Feminist Research – Concepts, Debates and Limitations.
• Feminist Epistemology, Feminist Standpoint, Sexist and Non-Sexist Research Methodology, Ethnography, Queer Theories.
• Research Design and Methods – Survey, Exploratory, Diagnostic, Experimental, Action Research and Case Studies.
• Qualitative versus Quantitative Research.

Download UGC NET Women Studies Syllabus PDF

You can access the official UGC NET Women Studies syllabus directly via the link provided below. We offer both Hindi and English versions to ensure ease of preparation for all candidates.

Download the UGC NET Women Studies Syllabus in English

UGC NET Women Studies Paper II Marking scheme

The UGC NET 2026 marking scheme awards 2 marks for every correct answer, with no negative marking for incorrect responses. This format allows candidates to attempt all questions strategically to maximize their final score.

• Total Marks: 200
• Total Questions: 100
• Each question carries: 2 marks
• Negative marking: There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.

UGC NET Minimum Women Studies Paper-II Qualifying marks

Minimum qualifying marks for UGC NET Women Studies depend on category-specific criteria. Final cut-offs are determined by factors such as exam difficulty, the total number of test-takers, and overall candidate performance in both papers.

• General Category (Unreserved): 40% (which translates to 40 marks out of 100 for Paper II).
• OBC Non-creamy Layer, PWD/SC/ST and Transgenders: 35% (which translates to 35 marks out of 100 for Paper II).