The CSIR NET Chemical Sciences syllabus is one of the most comprehensive among all science subjects, covering Inorganic, Organic, Physical, and Interdisciplinary Chemistry. The exam tests both conceptual understanding and problem-solving ability, with questions ranging from basic principles to advanced applications.
In this article, we cover the CSIR NET Chemical Sciences syllabus in detail for Part A, Part B, and Part C, along with unit-wise topics and weightage.
📌 CSIR NET Chemical Sciences Exam Pattern
The exam consists of three parts:
| Part | Questions Asked | Marks/Question | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A (General Aptitude) | 20 | 2 | 30 |
| Part B (Core Chemistry) | 40 | 2 | 70 |
| Part C (Advanced Chemistry) | 60 | 4.75 | 100 |
| Total | 120 | – | 200 |
👉 Part A is common for all CSIR NET subjects, while B & C are subject-specific.
📝 Detailed CSIR NET Chemical Sciences Syllabus
🔹 Part A: General Aptitude (Common to All)
- Numerical Ability: Arithmetic, ratios, percentages, simple equations, probability.
- Reasoning: Series, coding, puzzles, data interpretation.
- Graphical Analysis: Pie charts, bar graphs, tabular reasoning.
- Research Aptitude: Scientific method, basic logical analysis.
🔹 Part B: Core Chemistry (Fundamentals)
1. Inorganic Chemistry
- Periodic Table & General Properties of main group elements
- Transition & Inner Transition Elements – electronic structure, oxidation states, coordination complexes
- Acid-Base Chemistry (Lewis, HSAB, Bronsted)
- Stereochemistry of Coordination Compounds
- Crystal Field Theory (CFT) & Ligand Field Theory (LFT)
- Bioinorganic Chemistry – role of metals in biological systems
- Analytical Chemistry – qualitative & quantitative analysis, gravimetric & volumetric methods
2. Organic Chemistry
- Reaction Mechanisms: Nucleophilic substitution (SN1, SN2, SNi), elimination (E1, E2, E1cb)
- Reactive Intermediates: Carbocations, carbanions, radicals, carbenes, nitrenes
- Stereochemistry: Conformation, chirality, optical isomerism, stereoselective reactions
- Pericyclic Reactions: Electrocyclic, cycloaddition, sigmatropic rearrangements
- Named Reactions: Aldol, Claisen, Michael addition, Wittig, Reformatsky, etc.
- Photochemistry: Jablonski diagram, photophysical processes, Norrish reactions
- Organometallics in Organic Synthesis: Grignard reagents, Gilman reagents, Pd-catalyzed coupling
3. Physical Chemistry
- Quantum Chemistry: Operators, particle in a box, hydrogen atom, angular momentum
- Chemical Thermodynamics: Laws of thermodynamics, free energy, entropy, phase equilibria
- Statistical Thermodynamics: Partition function, distribution laws
- Chemical Kinetics: Rate laws, collision & transition state theory, chain reactions
- Electrochemistry: Nernst equation, conductance, Debye–Hückel theory, electrode kinetics
- Surface Chemistry: Adsorption isotherms, catalysis, colloids
- Spectroscopy Basics: UV-Vis, IR, NMR, ESR, Mass spectrometry
🔹 Part C: Advanced Chemistry (Application-Oriented)
1. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
- Molecular orbital theory (MOT) of coordination complexes
- Magnetochemistry: spin-only formula, magnetic susceptibility
- Electronic spectra of transition metal complexes (Orgel diagrams, Tanabe-Sugano diagrams)
- Organometallic chemistry: metal carbonyls, sandwich compounds, catalysis
- Reaction mechanisms of coordination compounds: substitution, electron transfer, photochemistry
2. Advanced Organic Chemistry
- Frontier Molecular Orbital (FMO) theory, Huckel’s rule
- Mechanistic organic chemistry with isotopic labeling
- Supramolecular chemistry (host-guest interactions)
- Advanced stereochemistry (atropisomerism, stereoelectronic effects)
- Organic synthesis strategies: retrosynthesis, protecting groups, multi-step synthesis
- Advanced pericyclic reactions (Woodward–Hoffmann rules)
- Organic photochemistry in detail
3. Advanced Physical Chemistry
- Group theory in chemistry (point groups, symmetry operations, character tables)
- Quantum chemistry advanced: perturbation theory, variation method
- Spectroscopy in depth:
- IR & Raman Spectroscopy – vibrational transitions
- NMR Spectroscopy – chemical shift, spin-spin coupling, 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY)
- Mass Spectrometry – fragmentation patterns
- Mössbauer Spectroscopy
- Chemical dynamics: reaction dynamics, molecular collisions, potential energy surfaces
- Surface science: heterogeneous catalysis, Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism
- Photochemistry & lasers in chemistry
🔹 Interdisciplinary Topics (Special Focus in CSIR NET)
- Green chemistry principles
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Nanomaterials and applications
- Medicinal chemistry basics
- Computational chemistry methods (DFT, ab initio, semi-empirical methods)
📊 CSIR NET Chemical Sciences – Weightage (Approx.)
| Section | Weightage |
|---|---|
| Inorganic Chemistry | 25–30% |
| Organic Chemistry | 30–35% |
| Physical Chemistry | 30–35% |
| Interdisciplinary Topics | 5–10% |
✅ Final Thoughts
The CSIR NET Chemical Sciences syllabus covers everything from fundamental chemistry to advanced interdisciplinary applications. To succeed:
- Prioritize Organic Chemistry & Physical Chemistry, as they often carry the most weight.
- Strengthen basics in spectroscopy & reaction mechanisms (frequent in Part C).
- Revise Inorganic Chemistry coordination compounds thoroughly.
- Solve previous year papers to understand the trend of conceptual & numerical problems.
By mastering the CSIR NET Chemical Sciences syllabus, candidates can maximize their chances of qualifying for JRF and Assistant Professor positions.
