.jpg)
If you're preparing for the UGC NET Defence and Strategic Studies 2025 exam, this comprehensive guide will boost your readiness and confidence.
Subject Code: 11 🪖
This exam evaluates your understanding of security theories, geopolitical strategies, military history, and India’s defence frameworks.
Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), it opens opportunities for Assistant Professor roles and Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) in defence academies, policy institutes, and strategic research centers.
📘 UGC NET Defence and Strategic Studies 2025 Exam Overview
The December 2025 session (or early January 2026) follows the NTA’s biannual schedule.
It tests your analytical grasp of global conflicts, national security, arms control, cyber threats, and strategic policies — key for those aiming to work in strategic research, military education, or international relations.
🔑 Key Highlights:
- Eligibility: Master’s in Defence/Strategic Studies, Military Science, or related discipline with 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwD/Transgender).Final-year students can apply provisionally.
- JRF Age Limit: 30 years (5-year relaxation for reserved/women/third gender); no limit for Assistant Professor.
- Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT)
- Duration: 3 Hours (both papers combined)
- Languages: English and Hindi
📍 A qualifying score paves the way for impactful careers in defence education and policy formulation.
%202025_20251028_014727_0000.png)
🧭 Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme
A clear understanding of the pattern helps you prepare strategically.
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Nature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Teaching & Research Aptitude | 50 | 100 | Common for all subjects |
| Paper 2 | Defence & Strategic Studies | 100 | 200 | Subject-specific |
| Total | 150 | 300 |
Marking Scheme:
- ✅ +2 marks for each correct answer
- ❌ No negative marking
- Qualifying Marks: 40% (General/EWS/OBC-NCL) and 35% (Reserved categories)
🧩 UGC NET Defence and Strategic Studies 2025 Exam Analysis
The June 2025 session (June 27, Shift 1) was moderate in difficulty, blending theory with applied knowledge.
📄 Paper 1 (General Aptitude)
- Moderate difficulty
- Data interpretation was time-taking but straightforward
- Sections on research methods, SDGs, and ICT tested conceptual clarity
- Good Attempts: 35–40 questions
🎯 Paper 2 (Defence and Strategic Studies)
Balanced between history and current affairs:
| Section | Weightage | Focus Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Theories & Concepts | 20–25% | National power, deterrence, security theories |
| Strategic Thought & War | 25% | Thinkers, limited wars, insurgency |
| India’s Security & Global Issues | 20–25% | Sino-Indian ties, nuclear doctrines |
| Conflict Resolution & Economics | 15–20% | UN roles, budgeting |
| Technology & Disaster Security | 10–15% | Cybersecurity, disaster management |
💡 Expect December 2025 cycle to emphasize Indo-Pacific geopolitics, cyber warfare, and tech-driven security.
Score Target: 120–130 (Assistant Professor) | 140+ (JRF)
📚 UGC NET Defence and Strategic Studies Syllabus 2025
The syllabus consists of 10 comprehensive units, covering both classical theories and modern global challenges.
Unit 1: Theories and Concepts
- Nation-state, national security, power elements
- Policies: Defence, Foreign, Domestic
- Alliances, Treaties, Balance of Power, Deterrence, Détente
Unit 2: Strategic Thought
- Thinkers: Sun Tzu, Kautilya, Clausewitz, Douhet, Mao, Kissinger
- Gandhian and Nehruvian perspectives on peace and security
Unit 3: War and International Relations
- War theories and causes
- Insurgency, terrorism, and nuclear deterrence
- Democratic peace theory
Unit 4: WMDs and National Security
- Arms control, disarmament, and global treaties (NPT, CTBT, CWC, BWC)
- Issues like missile defence and terrorism links
Unit 5: Global Security Concerns
- Post-Cold War threats, climate change, migration, trafficking
- Human, food, energy, and water security
Unit 6: India’s Security Policies
- Sino-Indian & Indo-Pak relations
- Defence policy, maritime doctrine, Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific alliances
Unit 7: Conflict Resolution
- UN roles, humanitarian laws, CBMs, Gandhian non-violence
Unit 8: Disaster Management
- Natural/man-made disasters, case studies (Bhopal, Fukushima)
- NDMA, Armed Forces, institutional roles
Unit 9: Defence Economics
- Defence planning, budgeting, economic warfare
- Sustainable development, WTO, FTAs, NSG
Unit 10: Science & Technology and National Security
- Tech evolution, nuclear and space programs
- Cyber threats, RMA, media influence
📑 Refer to the official NTA syllabus PDF for the detailed structure.
🧠 Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
PYQs (2018–2024) reveal recurring focus areas — theories of war, Indian security policies, and strategic thinkers.
Recommended Sets: June/Dec 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018
Tips:
- Practice 5–7 years’ PYQs under exam conditions
- Note frequent question types (treaties, thinkers, doctrines)
- Identify weak areas and revise using topic mapping
📘 ANSS Academy integrates PYQs into its mock series for realistic simulation and progress tracking.
🧩 Preparation Tips for UGC NET Defence & Strategic Studies 2025
To succeed, combine discipline + smart planning:
- 📅 4–6 month schedule — weekly unit coverage
- 📚 Refer to Clausewitz, Liddell Hart, Indian Defence reports
- 🧮 Practice 50+ MCQs daily, and 2 mocks per week
- 📰 Stay updated on geopolitics, cyber defence, and Indian security news
- 🧭 Connect theoretical models with India’s strategic realities
💪 With ANSS Academy’s smart mock tests, analysis tools, and summaries, your preparation becomes precise and result-oriented.
