Jawaharlal Nehru University – JNU Delhi PhD Admission 2025-26

Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi invites application for PhD admission 2025-26.

Admission Modes

Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi offers admissions to its Ph.D. Programmes for academic session 2025- 26 through (i) National Eligibility Test (NET) of University Grants Commission/Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (UGC/CSIR) –all three categories (Category 1, 2 & 3) as per UGC Public Notice dated March 27, 2024 (ii) Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of UGC, CSIR, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM) and (iii) Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).

Candidates, for being eligible for admission to Ph.D, must possess the minimum eligibility criteria in terms of – (i) educational qualification and, (ii) relevant NET/JRF/GATE subjects, as prescribed by the respective School/Centres/Special Centres of the University duly mentioned against each of them in this e-Prospectus. Candidates having only educational qualification but not having qualified NET /JRF/GATE in the relevant subjects or vice versa, shall not be eligible for admission.

A candidate can opt for maximum of three fileds of study of his/her choice in order of preference in the online application form for admission to Ph.D. programme when notified. Option(s) once exercised shall be final and no change shall be allowed later. The preference given by the candidates at the time of submitting online application shall be final, e.g., a candidate selected for a discipline falling under higher preference will have no claim for other preferences. In other words, if a candidate gets selected in higher preference, he/she will be offered admission only against that preference.

A candidate has to apply in online mode only with his/her UGC/CSIR NET percentile / GATE score as applicable. The candidates seeking admission through JRF has to apply separately under JRF category. However, a JRF qualified candidate can also apply separately in online mode for admission under NET category. No offline application will be considered.

Candidates having GATE score are eligible for admission to Ph.D programmes of School of Engineering only.

Admission through UGC/CSIR NET Examination (All three categories)

• Applications for admission to Ph.D Programmes through NET Examination of UGC/CSIR using NET percentile are invited from eligible candidates as under:
  • Category 1: JRF qualified candidates
  • Category 2: Candidates qualified for Assistant Professorship without JRF
  • Category 3: Candidates neither qualified for JRF nor for Assistant Professorship but eligible for admission to Ph.D only.
• Admission through UGC/CSIR NET Categories will be done on the basis of NET percentile of NET Examination of UGC/CSIR in place of the entrance examiniation as per UGC Public Notice dated March 27, 2024. The weightage for NET percentile and for viva-voce will be 70% and 30% respectively for preparing the merit list for admission.
• It must be noted that percentile of NET Examination of June 2024 onwards of UGC/CSIR shall be taken into account for being eligible for admission to Ph.D Programmes for the academic year 2025-26. Previous NET percentiles/scores shall not be considered for admission to Ph.D.Programmes.
• Candidates desirous of admission in these programmes of the university should satisfy themselves about their eligibility criteria prescribed for admission as mentioned against Ph.D Programmes of the concerned School/Centre/Special Centres in this e-Prospectus. They must fulfill the eligibility criteria both in terms of educational qualification and relevant NET/JRF subjects failing which they shall not be considered for admission to Ph.D programme.
• Candidates not having NET percentiles in of UGC/CSIR NET Examination in the relevant/allied NET subjects as prescribed by the concerned Centres/School/Special Centres for their Ph.D programmes shall not be eligible for admission to these programmes.
• Reservation Policy of Govt. of India shall be applicable to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PWD categories.
• For admission to Ph.D Programmes for academic session 2025-26 in JNU, the candidates must apply separately in online mode with UGC/CSIR NET Percentile of June-2024 cycle onwards of NET examinations. No offline application for admission will be entertained.

Admission through JRF Category

• Only those candidates are eligible for admission to Ph.D programmes through JRF who fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria as prescribed by the respective School/Centre/Special Centre mentioned in the e-Prospectus against each of them and who have qualified for
  • (i) Junior Research Fellowship of UGC/CSIR in the relevant NET Subjects mentioned in the e-Prospectus OR
  • (ii) Junior Research Fellowship of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) examinations in the relevant subjects.
• Such eligible candidates have to apply separately in online mode in the prescribed form for JRF category according to JRF intake. No offline application for admission will be entertained.
• Candidates shall have to appear for viva voce with 100% weightage and their selection shall be purely on the basis of their performance in the viva voce.
• Please note that candidates who have been awarded “Lectureship/Assistant Professorship” (without JRF) in the CSIR/UGC examination and any other fellowship such as National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste (NFSC), National Fellowship for Schedule Tribe (NFST), National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC), National Fellowship for PWD (NFPWD) on the basis of Lectureship/Assistant Professorship (without JRF) are not eligible. DST INSPIRE Fellows are also not eligible under JRF Category.
• Candidates shall make sure that their JRF certificate must be valid at the time of physical verification of documents. Candidature will be rejected outrightly in case their JRF certificate not found valid at the time of physical verification of the documents.

Admission to Ph.D. programmes in the School of Engineering through GATE Score

• Only those candidates, who fulfil the minimum eligibility requirements, as prescribed for admission to the Ph.D. programmes (Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Mechanical Engineering) in School of Engineering with a valid GATE score on the last date of submission of online application for Ph.D Programmes, are eligible.
• The weightage of GATE score and that of viva-voce will be 70% and 30% respectively for preparing the merit list.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria required to qualify for admission to JNU’s PhD programme is mentioned below:

• Candidates who have a 1-year/2-semester master’s degree programme after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programme or a 2-year/4-semester master’s degree programme after a 3-year bachelor’s degree programme or qualifications declared equivalent to the master’s degree by the corresponding statutory regulatory body, with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed or equivalent qualification from a foreign educational institution accredited by an assessment and accreditation agency which is approved, recognized or authorized by an authority, established or incorporated under a law in its home country or any other statutory authority in that country to assess, accredit or assure quality and standards of the educational institution.
• A relaxation of 5% marks or its equivalent grade may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the Commission from time to time.
• Provided that a candidate seeking admission after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree programme should have a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed. A relaxation of 5% marks or its equivalent grade may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the Commission from time to time.
• Candidates who have completed the M.Phil. programme with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed or equivalent qualification from a foreign educational institution accredited by an assessment and accreditation agency which is approved, recognized or authorized by an authority, established or incorporated under a law in its home country or any other statutory authority in that country to assess, accredit or assure quality and standards of educational institutions, shall be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. programme. A relaxation of 5% marks or its equivalent grade may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the Commission from time to time.

For subject wise eligibility criteria refer to prospectus.

Application Process

Candidates have to apply online.

Read prospectus carefully before applying.

Steps for Application –

• Step 1 -Fill the online application with personal details.
• Step 2 -Fill the online application with Qualification Details.
• Step 3 -Fill the online application with Professional Details.
• Step 4 -Upload scanned images of photograph and signature. The image should be in jpg/jpeg format only. Size of photo image must be between 10 kb to 200 kb. Size of signature image must be between 4 kb to 30 kb.
• Step 5 -Pay fee through online payment mode

• Online Submission of Application Form for admission: 26 June, 2025 to 7 July, 2025
• Correction of particulars of online Application Form on website only: 8 July, 2025 to 9 July, 2025
• Invitation for viva voce to the candidate: 18 July, 2025
• Holding of viva-voce examination: 25 July, 2025 to 31 July, 2025
• Publication of First Merit Lists for Admissions to Ph.D. programmes: 11 August, 2025
• Pre-enrolment registration and payment of fee with blocking of seats of First list: 11 August, 2025 to 13 August, 2025
• Physical Verification of Admission/ Registration for First List of selected candidates: 18 August, 2025 to 21 August, 2025
• Publication of Second Merit Lists for Admissions to Ph.D. programmes: 29 August, 2025
• Pre-enrolment registration and payment of fee with blocking of seats of Second list: 29 August, 2025 to 31 August, 2025
• Physical Verification of Admission/ Registration for second list of selected candidates: 4 September, 2025 to 5 September, 2025
• Release of Third/Final List after registration wherever considered necessary: 15 September, 2025
• Pre-enrolment registration and payment of fee with blocking of seats of third/final list: 15 September, 2025 to 17 September, 2025
• Physical Verification of Admission/Registration for third/Final list of selected candidates: 22 September, 2025 to 23 September, 2025
• Deadline for Admission/Registration: 30 September, 2025

• Prospectus
• Application
• JNU Website