Kolkata

A PhD scholar from West Bengal has scored a 100 percentile in UGC-NET 2025 while conducting research in Bengali.

Neelofa Yasmin, 26, hails from the Kathua district in Bengal. She has topped the recent UGC's National Eligibility Test (NET) examination which qualified candidates for appointment as assistant professors and Junior Research Fellowship scholarship during their PhD studies.

Neelofa loves Bengali literature and is currently researching Madhugiri Bangla Shahtu (medieval Bengali literature).

Neelofa said that when she wrote the NET exam on June 26, she had a feeling that he would get the JRF (Junior Research Fellowship). "However, I did not even think that I would top it."

This was her third attempt. "In the first two exams, she cleared the NET, but missed the JRF. This time, I was determined to get a good rank."

Her parents are teachers. Neelofa says her parents never forced her to follow their profession. "I'm not an early riser," she says with a laugh. "I used to study late into the night. Often until the morning. Whenever my father would see me awake at these odd hours, he would say, 'Don't put so much pressure on yourself, you don't need to study so hard.'

With her excellent academic record, it was her love for literature that led her to pursue higher studies in Bengali literature. She scored more than 90% in both the Madhyamik and Uchchu Madhyamik (10th and 12th) examinations.

"Everyone told me to take the science stream, but I chose the arts. And later, I chose Bengali because I loved singing and literature, especially Bengali literature. What was the study routine behind my success? Neelofa laughs. "I didn't have a specific routine. Sometimes I would study for hours, sometimes I would take long breaks. Many times I would get bored by reading the same thing over and over again, and call my mother. Whenever I complained about this exhaustion, my mother would calmly say, 'Don't worry, this time you will get full marks."

What does Neelofa do in her spare time from research work?

I am a trained Rabindra Sangeet singer, and I also have a YouTube channel. Singing is my passion. When I get tired of research, singing gives me new energy," she says happily.

Does she want her success to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for others? 

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That is what I would like. Every girl who wants to do something in the academic field should try for JRF. It makes you financially independent during your PhD."