PhD: Full Form, Entrance Exam, Admission 2025, Fees, Scholarships and Eligibility

Ankita Rakshit

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) program is offered in more than 3000 colleges in India. It is the highest academic for candidates pursuing their education in the field of research and development. The time span of PhD program can range from anywhere between 5-6 years. The PhD program is offered in various modes such as Government/ Semi Govt Fellowship recipient students, Institute Reasearch Scholars with Teaching Assistance, Self-Financed candidates (Indian/ Foreign Candidates), Sponsored, Study Leave Candidates, ICCR Awardees, Part Time researchers.

PHD admissions in India are based on the scores of national entrance tests like UGC NET, GATE, JEST, CSIR NET. Candidates having a valid score in the mentioned exams are eligible for scholarships while pursuing the PhD program. The monthly scholarships under various exams vary from 5 thousand ? 67 thousand rupees.

Aspiring NET candidates must register themselves for the exam by December this year. However, the final selection of students is based on written test and interview. Private universities may encourage direct admission on the basis of your academic qualifications, university entrance tests and interview.

PhD application requires a research proposal for admission to IITs or NITs. You must clearly describe your intent to research the topic within 1500-3000 words count. After PhD admission, you can get stipend from government at around INR 37,000 per month as a Junior Research Fellow. Further, you can get Teaching Assistantships of around INR 31,000-37,000 per month for the first two years and INR 35,000-42,000 monthly for remaining years.

Why PhD?

PhD program is an advanced and highest academic degree that is offered in both full-time and part-time mode. Students willing to conduct deep research in a specific field aspire to earn a PhD degree. Here, given below the primary reasons to apply for PhD program:

  • Education Ministry offers valuable stipend amounting to INR 37,000 per month for Junior Research Fellow and INR 42,000 per month for Senior Research Fellow.
  • You can get opportunities to develop your career as Lecturer, Researcher, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor.
  • As an Associate Professor, you can expect to earn around INR 3 LPA-24.5 LPA.
  • You can apply for fellowships that offer stipend amounting to INR 37,000-70,000 per month for pursuing the program.

Top Specializations for PhD in India

PhD full form is Doctor of Philosophy that covers various specialization topics like Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics, Business Management etc. The table below states the lists of popular PhD specialization courses:

List of Popular PhD Specializations
PhD in HumanitiesPhD in Chemistry
PhD in EconomicsPhD in Bioinformatics
PhD in PsychologyPhD in Commerce 
PhD in MathematicsPhD Biotechnology
PhD in Civil EngineeringPhD in Engineering
PhD in Computer Science EngineeringPhD in Aeronautical and Automobile Engineering
PhD in AnthropologyPhD in Hospital Administration
PhD in EconomicsPhD in Political Science
PhD in Clinical PsychologyPhD in Physics
PhD in Artificial IntelligencePhD in Food Technology
PhD in Mechanical EngineeringPhD in Chemical Engineering
PhD Business AdministrationPhD in Accounting and Financial Management
PhD in Logistics and Supply Chain ManagementPhD in Management
PhD in LawPhD in Legal Studies
PhD in EducationPhD in Teaching

Top PhD Colleges in India

More than 1000 colleges in India offered PhD courses that includes both private and public or government colleges. Government colleges like IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Roorkee, Hyderabad University etc. offer PhD at an affordable cost ranging from INR 13,050- 1.02 lakhs p.a. For studying at private colleges, you may be charged around INR 23,833- INR 1.20 lakhs yearly. The table below states the fees and entrance exam for top colleges offering PhD program:

NIRF Ranking 2024Top CollegesEntrance Exam AcceptedAnnual Tuition Fee
1IIT BangaloreGATEINR 1.54 lakhs 
3IIT DelhiGATE/CSIR/
UGC NET/ICAR/ICMR
INR 59,800 
4IIT BombayGATE/JEST, UGC NETINR 1.02 l akhs
7IIT KanpurGATEINR 84,410 
9IIT RoorkeeGATE / CEED / JEST / UGC-NET / CSIR-NETINR 13,050
13VIT VelloreVITREEINR 40,00 0 
18Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityUGC NET/CSIR-NET/ICMR/GATEINR 1 lakhs 
23Manipal Academy of Higher EducationManipal Entrance Test (MET), UGC / CSIR ? NET ? JRF / ICMR ? JRF / DBT ? JRF / JESTINR 23,833 
24SRM Institute of Science and TechnologyUGC-NET/UGC- CSIR NET/GATE/CEEDINR 60,000 
28University of HyderabadUGC NETINR 30,92 0
44Lovely Professional UniversityLPUNESTINR 1 lakhs
47Amity University, NoidaUGC NET / CSIR / ICAR (ASRB), ICAR-AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) / GPAT / ICMR / GATEINR 1 lakh s

Direct Admission PhD Colleges

You can get direct admission to private colleges without NET clearance. However, students must appear for interview or university entrance test. You can take admission to government colleges like IITs, if you have 60% marks in MTech/ME/MD/MDes or equivalent. Here, given below the list of colleges to apply directly for PhD program:

List of Colleges
Amity University, NoidaLovely Professional University
Symbiosis University, Pune Thapar University
ICFAI University, HyderabadChandigarh University
Christ University, BangaloreChitkara University

PhD Entrance Exam Registration Deadline 2025

You need to appear for national or university level entrance exams to apply for PhD course. UGC NET is the primary exam to pursue PhD programs in top colleges. The table below states the registration deadlines and cutoffs for PhD entrance exams:

Entrance ExamCutoffsRegistration Deadline
UGC NET58-190 (varies as per different subjects)10 December 2024 
CSIR NET 46-99 %21 May 2025 ( Tentative)
GATE

GEN: 25.2-37.1

OBC: 22.5-33.3

SC/ST:16.6-25.2

3 October 2025 (Tentative)
SET

GEN: 89

SC: 50

ST: 48

PwD: 45

12 April 202 5 (Tentative)
GPAT

GEN: 96 percentile

SC: 75 percentile

ST: 54 percentile

OBC: 90 percentile

May 2025 (Tentative)
JEST90 percentileApplication will open in the 1st week of January 2025
AIIMS PhD Entrance Exam-26 January 2025 
VITREE-25 November 2025 (Tentative) 

PhD Application Process

PhD admission in India takes place twice in a year in the Spring and Autumn semesters. Admission to the spring cycle begins in January and autumn session starts from July. Here, given below a step-to-step guide to apply for PhD program:

  • Identify the research institutions and universities that offer PhD programs.
  • Visit the official website to check the program requirements, faculty profiles and research projects of the institutions.
  • Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria of the program.
  • Prepare for entrance exams like UGC NET, JRF, SET or university levels tests.
  • Collect the documents like marksheets, research proposal, statement of purpose, letters of recommendations and entrance exam scores.
  • Submit your application form along with the documents and pay the application fee.
  • After getting selected, you may be asked to attend the interview.
  • Wait for the notification of admission decision.
  • After receiving the admission offer, complete the enrolment process and pay the tuition fees.

PhD Eligibility Criteria

You must have master degree in related fields with 55% marks to apply for PhD program. Students having MPhil degree with 55% marks also can apply for the program. The table below highlights the PhD eligibility criteria for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 universities:

CategoriesTier 1 UniversitiesTier 2 UniversitiesTier 3 Universities
Academic QualificationsYou must have master and 4-year bachelor degree in related fieldsHold a master degree and 4 years bachelor degree in related field from a recognized universityYou must have 2-year master degree and 3-year bachelor degree in related fields or you can have 1-year master degree and 4-year bachelor degree in related fields.
Minimum PercentageSecure 60% marks in masters and 70-75% marks in bachelorsMinimum 55% marks in masters and 75% marks in bachelor studiesSecure 55% in masters and 50% in bachelors
Entrance ExamGATE/CSIR/
UGC NET/ICAR/ICMR
Either appear for PhD entrance test (PET) or qualify UGC NET / CSIR / ICAR (ASRB), ICAR-AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) / GPAT / ICMR / GATEEither clear UGC NET or appear for PhD entrance test
Research ProposalRequiredNot mandatoryNot mandatory
InterviewAdmission is based on written test and interviewAdmission is based on written test or interviewAdmission is based on interview only. Some universities may take written tests.

PhD Scholarships

Students can apply for research assistantships or teaching assistantships to afford the expenses of studying PhD courses. You can also get the benefit of scholarships that cover 50% of tuition fees of the program. The table below states the popular PhD scholarships offered by different universities:

Scholarship NameEligibilityAward Amount
Amity Research FellowshipsYou must have 55% marks in masters degree and 75% marks in bachelor degree. You must be 28 years of age when applying.INR 37,000/month
IIT Bombay PMRF FellowshipYou must have strong academic qualifications and show potential for researchINR 70,000 per month
IIT Bombay Teaching AssistantshipYou must have BE/BTech/BArch/MSc/MA or equivalent degree and GATE or national level test score

INR 37,000 per month for 1st two years.

INR 42000 per month for remaining years

IIT Delhi Teaching AssistantshipYou must have BE/ BTech/ MSc/ MTech or equivalent degree

INR 31,000 per month for the 1st 2 year of registration

INR 35,000 per month for next 2 year of registration

VIT Vellore- SC & ST Adi-Dravidar Tribal Welfare ScholarshipOnly SC and ST category students are eligibleINR 1.35 Crore
Manipal University- Dr. TMA Pai ScholarshipsYou must have master degree with 60% marks and bachelor degree with 75% marksVaries

PhD Stipend

The Ministry of Education offers a stipend to PhD research scholars that varies as per seniority. The monthly stipend has received a hike after 1st January 2023. Here, given below the stipend as per different designations of PhD students:

CategoriesStipend
Junior Research FellowINR 37,000 per month
Senior Research FellowINR 42,000 per month
Research Associate-IINR 58000 per month
Research Associate-IIINR 61,000 per month
Research Associate-IIIINR 67,000 per month

Students after securing PhD degree get opportunities to develop their career as lecturer, research scientist, associate professors and assistant professors. For pursuing the program, you must have a master degree or MPhil degree with 55% marks. You must be qualified UGC NET or GATE to apply to top colleges. You will get the chance to earn a government stipend of INR 37,000-67,000 as per your research level of experience.

FAQ - Ph.D

Ans: PhD full form is Doctor of Philosophy. The PhD is the most advanced and highest level of academic degree that involves in-depth research on a particular topic. The program is based on various specializations like engineering, law, economics, artificial intelligence and mathematics.

Ans: For admission to PhD, you must have a master degree in related fields with 55% marks. You need to qualify UGC NET, GATE or other university level entrance examinations to be eligible for PhD.

Ans: PhD course duration varies from 5-6 years. For admission to PhD program, you must clear entrance examinations like UGC NET, CSIR NET, GPAT, JEST or GATE.

Ans: After PhD, you can get various career opportunities like Researcher, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Lecturers etc. Associate Professors in India can earn around INR 3 LPA-24.5 LPA, that is exceptionally high.

Ans: To apply to PhD program, you must hold a master's degree in a related field. You need to secure 55% marks or equivalent to pursue the program. 

Ans: PhD program is based on various specialized courses like engineering, law, economics, artificial intelligence, mathematics, humanities, biotechnology.  Among them, the popular specializations are Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Engineering and Economics.

Ans: With a PhD degree, you can get a chance to attain high-paying professions like associate profession, assistant professor, research scientist, lecturer, etc. The average salary of an associate professor may vary from INR 3 LPA to 24.5 LPA.

Ans: UGC NET is the primary entrance exam that is accepted by most of the colleges for admission to the PhD program. However, you can get direct admission to private colleges like Amity University, LPU, Symbiosis University etc. on the basis of a university entrance test and interview.

Ans: The fees for government colleges are affordable and range from INR 13,050- 1.02 lakhs per annum. The private colleges cost around INR 23,833- INR 1.20 lakhs yearly for pursuing PhD courses.

Ans: PhD program is a difficult and a long process. You need to do intensive research on a particular topic over 3-5 years to create and publish a paper on it.

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