UGC NET June 2026 Political Science Topper Saleem Khan's Journey to 99.47 Percentile and JRF with PW

Preparing for UGC NET Political Science can be challenging when aspirants are balancing multiple examinations and trying to cover a wide syllabus. Saleem Khan's journey shows how preparation can evolve through different attempts, self-made notes, PYQs and focused revision.

After completing his postgraduate studies in 2022-23, Saleem cleared NET in his first attempt but later shifted his focus to UPSC preparation. He eventually returned to UGC NET preparation and, after multiple attempts, secured 99.47 percentile and JRF in Political Science in the June 2026 cycle.

How Saleem Khan's UGC NET Journey Took Shape

Saleem completed his PG in 2022-23 and appeared for UGC NET soon after. He cleared NET in his first attempt but then took a one-year gap to prepare for UPSC. When he returned to the examination in December 2024, he could qualify only for a PhD. In June 2025, he qualified NET with a better score but missed the JRF cut-off. His next attempt was affected when his examination centre was allotted in Jaipur, which he could not reach.

The June 2026 examination became his fourth attempt, and this time he cleared JRF with a 99.47 percentile. Looking back at his preparation, Saleem explained how his approach became more structured with each attempt:

“Maine koi propar pehle notes nahi banaye the but uske baad phir maine propar notes banaye is baar jo mera attempt tha kyunki main UPSC ki bhi tayari saath mein kar raha hoon…”

His preparation had also been shaped by his UPSC journey, as Political Science was his optional subject. He explained how this preparation helped him to some extent in UGC NET:

“GS mein mera score achha tha aur Political Science mera optional tha to us wajah se mujhe is NET mein bhi uski wajah se help hui thodi bahut…”

These experiences helped Saleem refine his preparation and understand the areas that needed greater focus. His later strategy placed more emphasis on organised notes and preparation that could support both his UPSC and UGC NET goals.

Saleem Khan Found Direction Through PW YouTube Content

While preparing for UGC NET Political Science, Saleem used free content available on PW's YouTube channel. He particularly relied on marathon classes, question-answer sessions and revision videos.

“Main ye kahunga ki jo meri preparation hai wo right direction mein right track par jo aayi, wo aayi aapki wajah se jab maine YouTube pe aapko reach out kiya aur mujhe maalum chala ki ek achhi faculty hai jo achha padhati hai…”

He began with marathon classes covering subjects such as Public Administration, Comparative Politics and International Relations. He also highlighted the Cold War sessions and question-answer sessions as particularly useful.

Saleem further explained that he wrote down a large number of questions from the YouTube sessions and revised them repeatedly.

“Maine aapke YouTube pe jitne sawal the na almost every question I write down in my notebooks aur mujhe lagbhag saare yaad bhi ho gaye the baad mein…”

This approach helped him turn free video content into a personal revision resource.

Saleem Khan's Notes and PYQ Strategy

Saleem divided each page of his notebook into two sections: factual information and conceptual information. He used one side for facts that required repeated revision, including book names, years and chronological information.

He also arranged questions and information about thinkers chronologically. Alongside the questions covered in classes, he made additional efforts to find more questions and information for practice.

“Mera notes banane ka tarika ye tha ki main ek copy ko do parts mein divide karta tha ek page ko. Ek side mein factual cheezein, ek side mein conceptual cheezein.”

To strengthen this preparation further, Saleem looked for additional questions and information beyond the class material. He explained how he used online tools to find chronological questions and information about books:

“Aur main uske baad phir AI ka use karta tha aur Google pe search karta tha ki bhai chronological order mein aise questions bana do ya books bata do.”

For PYQs, Saleem said he worked through questions from 2017-18 to 2025 and attempted them multiple times.

What Saleem Khan Observed About the UGC NET Political Science Paper

Saleem highlighted the growing importance of factual preparation along with conceptual clarity. According to his experience, candidates should not rely only on conceptual understanding because questions can also cover factual information, chronology, thinkers, events and treaties.

He particularly pointed to Indian political processes, political institutions and constitutional topics, including federalism, judgments, amendments, Fundamental Rights and DPSP. He advised aspirants to study the complete syllabus instead of leaving topics out.

Saleem also observed a shift towards more factual questions in recent papers:

“Recent mein jo paper aarahe hain wo thode factual zyada ho gaye hain, to aapko facts padhne padenge.”

Along with factual preparation, he stressed the importance of active study through writing. His advice was straightforward:

“Aap jo bhi padhein write down zaroor karein. Likhkar padhein. Aisa nahi ho ki sirf aur sirf mug karke chale jayenge. Woh kaam nahi karega.”

For Saleem, physically writing information helped him stay active while studying and retain information more effectively.

Saleem Khan's Advice for Future UGC NET Aspirants

After securing JRF, Saleem advised candidates preparing for the December cycle to focus on self-made notes, repeated topics, factual information, chronology, revision and PYQs.

“Agar aapko sirf NET qualify karna hai jo ki koi nahi chahta sabko JRF chahiye to for JRF aapko proper notes banane honge…”

He also recommended maintaining separate short notes for factual information and life-related events that can be revised close to the examination.

His final message was to study without unnecessary tension and maintain a strategic approach:

“Plus ek cheez ye hai ki tension nahi lena. Free hokar padhai karo.”

He added that, in his view, four months of strategic study could be enough to qualify NET, depending on the preparation approach.

His journey shows that missing the JRF cut-off in one attempt does not necessarily determine the outcome of a future attempt. Consistent preparation, self-analysis and adapting one's strategy can help aspirants move forward in their UGC NET journey.