🔥 Meet AIR 38 CSIR NET Life Science Topper 2026🏆 | Yashika Solanki’s Success Story 🎯| Bansal Biology

Summary

Yashika Solanki, a recent M.Sc. Zoology graduate from Delhi University who lives in the Palwal/Delhi NCR region, earned 148 marks and AIR 38 (JRF) in the CSIR-NET Life Sciences exam while completing her master’s degree.

It was her second fully prepared attempt. She did not qualify in her June 2025 attempt, which she says was affected by insufficient practice and revision. A later exam also coincided with practical work and final exams, interrupting her preparation.

Preparation Approach and Key Lessons

Cover a broad range of the syllabus

Yashika studied around 11–12 units and covered nearly all of them, leaving out Applied Biology/classification. Although she came from a Zoology background and had not studied Plant Physiology since school, she worked through its important topics.

She recommends not neglecting Plant Physiology: in her experience, its questions were accessible and helped raise her score. She found Human Physiology more difficult by comparison.

Use and update notes

Yashika relied on notes from her earlier preparation and added new material to them. She made fresh notes for Plant Physiology, which she was studying for the first time. She considers note-making important, but says she did not use standard textbooks specifically for this exam preparation; she mainly used online lectures.

Prioritize practice and revision

Yashika believes that insufficient practice and revision contributed to her earlier unsuccessful attempt. For her successful attempt, the final 45 days were especially important.

Her preparation included:

• Working through topic-wise previous-year questions (PYQs).
• Attempting full papers from 2025 back to 2020.
• Reserving weekends for PYQs and mock tests.
• Alternating between taking a mock one day and analyzing it the next.

She advises students to take full mocks regularly during the final month and simulate exam conditions.

Fit study around college responsibilities

During college hours, Yashika used free periods or the library for PYQs and revision rather than starting unfamiliar topics. After returning home, she took a one-to-two-hour break, then studied new or weaker material, including Plant Physiology.

When she could not manage other study, she used mornings to watch PYQ videos. She also made time for college assignments and practical work.

In the final preparation period, she adjusted her sleep and wake times to better match the exam schedule. She studied unfamiliar or weak topics first, then reviewed stronger topics.

Attempt accessible questions first

Yashika’s exam strategy was to look for straightforward questions rather than rush toward questions that seemed more advanced or familiar. She attempted Section C first, then Section B, then Section A, revisiting sections several times and changing answers when appropriate.

She found Section C easier than expected and Section B comparatively difficult. An initial misreading of the section display briefly confused her, but she corrected it.

Stay consistent

Yashika’s main advice is to practice questions and revise repeatedly. She says practice helps with question selection and time management, while revision helps concepts come to mind more quickly under exam pressure.

Plans After Qualifying

After qualifying, Yashika said she planned to pursue a Ph.D. and had applied to several project positions. She mentioned NII, IGIB, and IGC as institutes she hoped to apply to when their forms became available.

Speakers and Resources

• Yashika Solanki — interviewee and CSIR-NET Life Sciences AIR 38 JRF.
• The Bansal Biology host/teacher — interviewer; her name is not stated in the subtitles.
• Resources mentioned by Yashika: her own notes, online lectures (including Bansal Biology and other YouTube lectures), PYQ videos, topic-wise PYQs, full past papers, and mock tests. She said she did not rely on standard books specifically during this preparation.