UGC NET Museology and Conservation Syllabus 2026
Part I : Teaching/ research aptitude
Unit-I Teaching Aptitude
1. Teaching: Concept, Objectives, Levels of teaching (Memory, Understanding and Reflective), Characteristics and basic requirements.
2. Learner’s characteristics: Characteristics of adolescent and adult learners (Academic, Social, Emotional and Cognitive), Individual differences.
3. Factors affecting teaching related to: Teacher, Learner, Support material, Instructional facilities, Learning environment and Institution.
4. Methods of teaching in Institutions of higher learning: Teacher centred vs. Learner centred methods; Off-line vs. On-line methods (Swayam, Swayamprabha, MOOCs etc.).
5. Teaching Support System: Traditional, Modern and ICT based.
6. Evaluation Systems: Elements and Types of evaluation, Evaluation in Choice Based Credit System in Higher education, Computer based testing, Innovations in evaluation systems.
Unit-II Research Aptitude
1. Research: Meaning, Types, and Characteristics, Positivism and Postpositivistic approach to research.
2. Methods of Research: Experimental, Descriptive, Historical, Qualitative and Quantitative methods.
3. Steps of Research.
4. Thesis and Article writing: Format and styles of referencing.
5. Application of ICT in research.
6. Research ethics.
Unit-III Comprehension
A passage of text be given. Questions be asked from the passage to be answered.
Unit-IV Communication
1. Communication: Meaning, types and characteristics of communication.
2. Effective communication: Verbal and Non-verbal, Inter-Cultural and group communications, Classroom communication.
3. Barriers to effective communication.
4. Mass-Media and Society.
Unit-V Mathematical Reasoning and Aptitude
1. Types of reasoning.
2. Number series, Letter series, Codes and Relationships.
3. Mathematical Aptitude (Fraction, Time & Distance, Ratio, Proportion and Percentage, Profit and Loss, Interest and Discounting, Averages etc.).
Unit-VI Logical Reasoning
1. Understanding the structure of arguments: argument forms, structure of categorical propositions, Mood and Figure, Formal and Informal fallacies, Uses of language, Connotations and denotations of terms, Classical square of opposition.
2. Evaluating and distinguishing deductive and inductive reasoning.
3. Analogies.
4. Venn diagram: Simple and multiple use for establishing validity of arguments.
5. Indian Logic: Means of knowledge.
6. Pramanas: Pratyaksha (Perception), Anumana (Inference), Upamana (Comparison), Shabda (Verbal testimony), Arthapatti (Implication) and Anupalabddhi (Non-apprehension).
7. Structure and kinds of Anumana (inference), Vyapti (invariable relation), Hetvabhasas (fallacies of inference).
Unit-VII Data Interpretation
1. Sources, acquisition and classification of Data.
2. Quantitative and Qualitative Data.
3. Graphical representation (Bar-chart, Histograms, Pie-chart, Table-chart and Line-chart) and mapping of Data.
4. Data Interpretation.
5. Data and Governance.
Unit-VIII Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
1. ICT: General abbreviations and terminology.
2. Basics of Internet, Intranet, E-mail, Audio and Video-conferencing.
3. Digital initiatives in higher education.
4. ICT and Governance.
Unit-IX People, Development and Environment
1. Development and environment: Millennium development and Sustainable development goals.
2. Human and environment interaction: Anthropogenic activities and their impacts on environment.
3. Environmental issues: Local, Regional and Global; Air pollution, Water pollution, Soil pollution, Noise pollution, Waste (solid, liquid, biomedical, hazardous, electronic), Climate change and its Socio-Economic and Political dimensions.
4. Impacts of pollutants on human health.
5. Natural and energy resources: Solar, Wind, Soil, Hydro, Geothermal, Biomass, Nuclear and Forests.
6. Natural hazards and disasters: Mitigation strategies.
7. Environmental Protection Act (1986), National Action Plan on Climate Change, International agreements/efforts -Montreal Protocol, Rio Summit, Convention on Biodiversity, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, International Solar Alliance.
Unit-X Higher Education System
1. Institutions of higher learning and education in ancient India.
2. Evolution of higher learning and research in Post Independence India.
3. Oriental, Conventional and Non-conventional learning programmes in India.
4. Professional, Technical and Skill Based education.
5. Value education and environmental education.
6. Policies, Governance, and Administration.
Part II : Domain knowledge (Museology and Conservation)
Unit I: Introduction to Museum and Museology
1. Definitions and concepts of museum, Eco museum, community museum, virtual museum, neighborhood museum, etc.
2. Definitions and concept of museology, new museology, meta museology, museography, etc.
3. Early collections, ancient and medieval prototypes of museums. History, growth and development of museums in Indian and global context.
4. Classification and types of museums.
5. Functions and role of museums.
6. Role of national and international professional organizations – Museums
7. Association (U.K.), Museums Association of India, UNESCO, ICOM, ICCROM, Commonwealth Association of Museums, American Alliance of Museums, IASC, IIC, IUCN, UNESCO-ICOM Museum Information Center, etc.
8. ICOM code of ethics
Unit II: Collection Management
1. Purposes of collecting. Scope of collections – tangible and intangible.
2. Ethics of collecting. Collection management policy including acquisitions, disposal, loaning, insurance, etc.
3. Methods of collecting tangible and intangible heritage.
4. Methods of authenticating museum objects.
5. Collection holding areas for tangible and intangible collections – accessibility, retrieval, storage systems and preventive conservation measures.
6. Collection security. Guidelines for handling, packing and transporting collections.
Unit III: Documentation and Research of Tangible and Intangible Collections
1. Purposes of documenting museum collections
2. Ethics of documentation.
3. Documentation policy and procedures.
4. Types of documents – entry, accession, classified, and movement registers; index and catalogue cards. Digital documentation.
5. Numbering the objects – numbering systems, procedure of applying numbers on objects. Barcoding.
6. Documentation standards – format of various types of documents. Use of standard terminology. Concept of Object ID.
7. Objectives and scope of collection research. Models of collection research.
Unit IV: Museum Exhibitions
1. Museum exhibition as a communication system. Models of communication in the context of exhibitions.
2. Exhibition policy.
3. Ethics of exhibitions.
4. Types of exhibitions on the basis of duration, location, arrangement of objects/ specimen and purpose.
5. Components of exhibitions – objects/ specimen, communication media, text, exhibition furniture and accessories. Spatial and other relationships between exhibit components.
6. Exhibition text – Types of labels, assessing reading and comprehensibility of text, typography, designing and preparation of labels.
7. Exhibition lighting – Basic considerations while using light, types of light sources, different types of lamps, recent trends: fiber optics, track lighting, computer controlled lighting.
8. Planning and designing exhibitions – stages of planning; exhibition brief; using principles of design, ergonomics, colour, texture and light in exhibitions.
9. Orientation. Circulation of visitors. Signage. Use of multi-media.
10. Designing exhibition furniture, dioramas, and historical settings.
11. Evaluation – front-end analysis, formative and summative evaluation.
Unit V: Museum Education, Interpretation and Publications
1. Role and potential of museums in informal, non-formal and formal education/ learning.
2. Museums and life long learning. Barriers to learning in museums. Education versus interpretation.
3. Ethics of museum education.
4. Museum education policy. Theories of learning. Characteristics of learning in museums.
5. Various learning activities such as guides tours, lectures, talks, storytelling, workbooks, workshops, demonstrations, drama, role play, live interpretation, digital methods, etc. for different target groups.
6. Making learning opportunities accessible to persons with disabilities.
7. Museum extension services – travelling and mobile exhibitions, school loan kits, community programmes, excursions, field trips, heritage walks, etc. Extension through digital media.
8. Museum publication – purpose and types.
9. Feedback – purposes and methods.
Unit VI: Conservation of Collections - Part I
1. Definitions of conservation – preventive, remedial and restoration. Terminology used in conservation.
2. Nature and properties of material of collections – organic, inorganic and composite. Susceptibility of materials to different agents of decay.
3. Ethics of conservation.
4. Conservation policy. Conservation audit.
5. Causes and types of deterioration – environmental: effects of light, humidity, temperature and pollution; biological: fungi, insects, rodents and birds; human – carelessness, mishandling and wrong treatment; disasters: fire, flood, earthquake, arson, etc.
6. Preventive conservation: significance and effectiveness, and implementation in storage, exhibitions and transit through – Environmental control – monitoring of light and UV radiations, R.H., Temperature and pollutants and application of control measures. Tools and equipment used in monitoring and control.
7. Integrated Pest Management – identification, control and termination of pests. Various fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides used in IPM. Good practices of Housekeeping and Rules of handling museum objects. Tools, materials and equipment used in housekeeping and handling.
Unit VII: Conservation of Collections - Part II
Methodology of remedial conservation – techniques of examination, diagnosis of type and extent of decay, documentation and testing of probable treatments, treatment of objects using suitable materials and method. Recommendations for preventive care.
Materials, equipment, tools and techniques used in remedial conservation of following materials –
i. Paper and archival materials
ii. Paintings on different substrate such as wall, canvas, paper, wood, textiles, palmleaf etc.
iii. Textiles and costumes
iv. wood, skin material, bone, horn and ivory
v. metallic objects made of iron, copper, bronze and silver
vi. stone objects
vii. ceramic and glass
viii. Biological specimens
Health and safety issues.
Unit VIII: Museum Management
1. Concept of Management : Foundations and evolution. Essential components of management : decision making and leadership.
2. Functions of management:
3. Planning: Types of plans – Vision and mission statements, objectives, policies, Procedures, rules, strategies, action plans, and contingency plans. Planning process, MBO, Strategic planning, Use of Critical Path method and Simple Bar method in planning.
4. Organization Design – staff structures, job descriptions, authority and responsibilities.
5. Staffing – Framing recruitment rules, methods of recruitment, training and development of human resource. Performance appraisal.
6. Controlling -- process and methods of control.
7. Financing -- sources of fund generation, Budget and budgeting
8. Project Management.
9. Prevention of harassment in work place.
10. Museum security – Risk assessment and management. Manual, physical and electronic security. Security procedures. Fire safety.
11. Disaster management – preparation, prevention, response and recovery.
Unit IX: Museum Marketing and Public Relations
1. Meaning and purpose of marketing and its role in museums. Marketing terminology.
2. Concept and types of products. Product Life cycle and marketing strategies at different stages. Museum as a multiproduct organization and a service.
3. Segmentation and target marketing – significance, bases and approaches.
4. Marketing Mix – Product, Price, Promotion and Place: significance, tools and strategies.
5. Marketing Research – purpose, types and methods.
6. Marketing versus Public Relations. Definitions and significance of Public Relations. Foundational Principles of Public relations.
7. Tools, tactics and strategies of Public Relations. Media relations. Public relations campaigns.
Unit X: Legislation and Conventions Related to Museums and Heritage
1. The Indian Treasure Trove Act, 1878
2. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958
3. The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972
4. The Wild Life Protection Act, 1972
5. Persons with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995
6. Right to information Act, 2005
7. UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972
8. Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), 1973
9. The Venice Charter, 1964
10. The UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003