CSIR NET photo & signature size
Prepare both files to the CSIR NET specification — correct pixel size, inside the KB range, ready to upload.
The specification
| Photograph | Signature | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 275 × 354 px (3.5 × 4.5 cm) | 315 × 157 px |
| File size | 10–200 KB | 4–30 KB |
| Format | JPG / JPEG | JPG / JPEG |
| Background | Plain white | Plain white paper |
| Ink | — | Black, handwritten |
CSIR NET runs on the same NTA platform as UGC NET and uses matching upload rules, so one prepared pair of files covers both.
Specific to CSIR NET. If you have already applied for UGC NET this cycle, reuse those exact files.
Always check your own notification. National Testing Agency revises these between cycles and the figures published on third-party sites go stale. The tool above accepts whatever the current rule is — and if your notification differs, the exact KB tool and resizer will hit any target you type in.
Before you upload
Prepare the photograph against a plain white wall in even daylight, taken by someone else from about 1.5 metres — not a selfie. Sign on blank unlined paper with a medium ballpoint and photograph the sheet straight down. Transfer the original file rather than sending it through WhatsApp, which re-compresses it.
The six mistakes that actually cause rejections, and how to fix each one, are covered in why exam photo uploads get rejected.
Questions
What is the CSIR NET photo size?
The commonly published requirement is 275 × 354 pixels in JPG format, between 10 KB and 200 KB, on a plain white background. Confirm against the notification you are applying under, as portals adjust this between cycles.
What is the CSIR NET signature size?
315 × 157 pixels in JPG format, between 4 KB and 30 KB. Sign in black ink on plain unlined white paper.
Anything specific to CSIR NET I should watch for?
If you have already applied for UGC NET this cycle, reuse those exact files.
My photo is rejected even though the size looks right.
The three usual causes are a background that is not plain, a face that fills too little of the frame, and a file just outside the permitted range. Some portals also enforce a minimum size, so a file that is too small is rejected as well as one that is too large.
Can I use a phone photo?
Yes, if the background is plain and the lighting is even. Have someone else take it from about 1.5 metres — a selfie at arm's length distorts facial proportions and some portals detect it.
Does the signature have to be in black ink?
Most Indian portals require black ink on white paper, and several reject blue. Never use a typed or digitally drawn signature — that is grounds for rejection on its own.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is prepared inside your browser and never transmitted. That matters for documents attached to an identity.