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UGC NET LAW (058) · UNIT 09 · MODULE 1: START HERE, CONCEPTS, THEORIES AND CONVENTIONS · TOPIC 0

Exam Pattern, Trends and Study Method

How the questions are asked, the recent trends, a three-layer study method and a table that ranks the topics by priority.

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What this topic covers

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  1. §OverviewExam format (UGC NET Law, Subject Code 58).
  2. 0.1How questions are askedCovers Direct fact, Multi-statement (I, II, III, IV), Match the following, Assertion–Reason, Chronological order and more.
    • Direct fact
    • Match the following
    • Assertion–Reason
    • Chronological order
    • "Which is NOT" / odd one out
  3. 0.2Recent trendsCovers Landmark case–principle matching, Recent legislative churn is a favourite, Cross-over topics, Trap words.
    • Cross-over topics
    • Trap words
  4. 0.3Study method: the three layersMemory layer: numbers, years, sections, places. Learn them from the tables and "Quick facts" boxes. Concept layer: why the rule exists (the theory behind it), and the…
  5. 0.4Relative priority of the topicsTopic Priority What is usually tested Topic 4: Copyright Very high Sections 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 31–31D, 51, 52, 57, 63; cases; 2012 amendment Topic 5: Patents Very high…

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§Overview#

Exam format (UGC NET Law, Subject Code 58). Paper 2 has 100 MCQs of 2 marks each (200 marks). Paper 1 (General) and Paper 2 are taken in one continuous 3-hour sitting, and there is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank. The syllabus has 10 units, and Unit IX is one of the most fact-dense and statute-driven units. Marks here come from precision: section numbers, years, durations, penalties, institution names and case holdings. Typically this unit contributes somewhere around 8–12 questions (my estimate from past-paper patterns, not an official figure), spread across IPR (about 60–65%) and IT law/cyber law (about 35–40%).

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0.1How questions are asked#

In brief

Covers Direct fact, Multi-statement (I, II, III, IV), Match the following, Assertion–Reason, Chronological order and more.

  • Direct fact
  • Match the following
  • Assertion–Reason
  • Chronological order
  • "Which is NOT" / odd one out

  • Direct fact: "The term of a patent in India is…", "The Biological Diversity Act was enacted in…"

  • Multi-statement (I, II, III, IV): "Which of the statements is/are correct?" This is the commonest style. Examiners plant one subtle error, such as 60 instead of 50 years, or Section 43 instead of Section 66.

  • Match the following: Cases ↔ principles; Conventions ↔ subjects; Sections ↔ offences; Institutions ↔ locations.

  • Assertion–Reason: usually on theories (Locke/Hegel/utilitarian), on why Section 3(d) exists, or on the Shreya Singhal reasoning.

  • Chronological order: Paris → Berne → UCC → Rome → TRIPS → WCT; or the IT Act 2000 → 2008 amendment → Shreya Singhal → DPDP Act.

  • "Which is NOT" / odd one out: items not patentable under Section 3, offences not in the IT Act, bodies not part of the three-tier biodiversity structure.

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0.2Recent trends#

In brief

Covers Landmark case–principle matching, Recent legislative churn is a favourite, Cross-over topics, Trap words.

  • Cross-over topics
  • Trap words

  1. Heavy weight on statutory provisions of the Copyright Act 1957, Patents Act 1970, Trade Marks Act 1999, GI Act 1999, IT Act 2000 and their time periods.

  2. Landmark case–principle matching: Novartis (Section 3(d)), Bayer v. Natco (compulsory licence), Shreya Singhal (Section 66A), Puttaswamy (privacy), Amar Nath Sehgal (moral rights), Eastern Book Company (originality), Toyota v. Prius (territoriality), Cadila (deceptive similarity).

  3. Recent legislative churn is a favourite: Tribunals Reforms Act 2021 (IPAB abolished); Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act 2023; Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and DPDP Rules 2025 (verify commencement status); Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 (in force 1 July 2024), which change the IPC/CrPC/Evidence Act references in cyber law; Patents (Amendment) Rules 2024; the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025; WIPO Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (May 2024); WIPO Riyadh Design Law Treaty (November 2024).

  4. Cross-over topics: GI vs trademark; TK vs patents; intermediary liability under Section 79 IT Act vs copyright infringement; Section 81 IT Act (proviso protecting copyright/patent rights).

  5. Trap words: "only", "always", "all", "must", "exclusively". IPR rules usually have exceptions, so extreme words often signal a wrong option.

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0.3Study method: the three layers#

In brief

Memory layer: numbers, years, sections, places. Learn them from the tables and "Quick facts" boxes. Concept layer: why the rule exists (the theory behind it), and the…

  • Memory layer: numbers, years, sections, places. Learn them from the tables and "Quick facts" boxes.

  • Concept layer: why the rule exists (the theory behind it), and the difference between look-alike concepts (assignment vs licence; infringement vs passing off; digital vs electronic signature).

  • Analysis layer: apply the rule to a fact pattern, or identify which case supports which principle.

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0.4Relative priority of the topics#

In brief

Topic Priority What is usually tested Topic 4: Copyright Very high Sections 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 31–31D, 51, 52, 57, 63; cases; 2012 amendment Topic 5: Patents Very high…

Topic Priority What is usually tested
Topic 4: Copyright Very high Sections 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 22, 31–31D, 51, 52, 57, 63; cases; 2012 amendment
Topic 5: Patents Very high Sections 2(1)(j), 3, 25, 48, 53, 84, 92, 107A; Novartis; procedure
Topic 6: Trademarks Very high Sections 2(1)(zb), 9, 11, 29, 30, 47, 134; well-known marks; passing off
Topics 9–10: IT/Cyber law Very high Sections 3, 3A, 43, 43A, 46, 65–67C, 69, 69A, 70, 79; Shreya Singhal
Topic 3: Conventions High Year, subject, India's status, principles
Topic 7: GI Medium–High Definition, duration, registry, Section 24, first GI
Topic 8: Biodiversity & TK Medium–High NBA/SBB/BMC, benefit sharing, 2023 amendment, TKDL, biopiracy cases
Topics 1–2: Concept and theories Medium Theorists ↔ theories; features of IP

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Test yourself on Exam Pattern, Trends and Study Method

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↑ Module 1: Start Here, Concepts, Theories and Conventions · All 12 topics in Intellectual Property Rights and IT Law · Unit overview and sample MCQs

Last updated: . Notes are a revision aid; check official UGC sources for any rule or scheme that changes over time. Spotted a mistake? Write to netlawverse@gmail.com.