PhD admission notifications tracker

Which PhD admission calls are open now?

The table puts the calls you can still act on first. Calls closing within seven days come at the top, then open calls, then upcoming ones. Next come universities whose call isn’t out yet, and last, the calls that have closed. Each row has the official notification, the admissions page where updates appear, and our guide to that university where we have one.

• Closing within 7 days Last date is today or in the next seven days.
• Open Applications are being taken now.
• Upcoming The notice is out, but the form opens later.
• Not announced yet No dates on the official site when we checked.
• Closed The last date has passed. We keep recent calls so you can see when the next one may come.

On a phone, each call shows as a card. You can filter by state or status, or show only the calls open today. The filters need JavaScript, but the full list is always on the page. Did you spot a call we’ve missed, or a date that has changed? Tell us through our contact page, and we’ll check it on the official site before we add it.

How do you read a PhD admission notification?

A PhD notification is short, but every line matters. Read it once for the dates, and again for the conditions. Most notices have the same parts, even when the layout differs.

• Reference number and date. A real notice carries the university’s reference number, a date and the name of the officer who issued it. You’ll need the date when a corrigendum changes it later.
• Programmes and seats. Some calls cover every department. Others cover one department, like the University of Mumbai’s Physics call. Check that your subject is listed before you do anything else.
• Eligibility. Look for the minimum mark in your master’s degree, the relaxation for reserved categories, and which tests exempt you from the entrance test.
• Dates. Look for the opening date, the last date, any late-fee date and the date for sending a hard copy. Some universities, like Madras and Annamalai, want a printed form as well as the online one.
• Test and interview. Many notices say only “will be notified”. That means you must keep checking the admissions page after you apply.
• Fee and documents. Note the fee for your category and the certificates you must upload. Category and EWS certificates often have to be recent.

Then look for anything issued after the notice. An extension, a corrigendum or a revised schedule is posted on the same admissions page. In 2026, Osmania University extended its Category-II last date by press note. Anna University postponed its written test from May to August. Both changes were on the official pages, not in the first notice.

What should you check before you apply?

Most rejected forms fail on something simple. Check these before you pay the fee.

• Your subject and the university’s subject. Your master’s degree must match the subject you apply in, or be on the list of allied subjects. If you aren’t sure, ask the department in writing.
• A supervisor with a vacancy. Many universities admit you only against a named guide’s vacant seat. Some publish vacancy lists with the notice. Read the list before you choose a department.
• Your scores and their validity. A NET, SET or GATE result counts only if it is in the right subject and still valid for that university’s call. The notice says which years it accepts.
• Your documents. Scan your mark sheets, degree certificate, category certificate and score cards before the form opens. Windows can be short. Some calls in the table were open for less than two weeks.
• The hard copy. If the notice asks for a printed form, check the address and the last date for it. That date can differ from the online one.
• Your research proposal. Many interviews start with it. Our research proposal guide shows how to write one that fits on a few pages.

Keep a copy of every form, receipt and email. If the portal shows an error on the last day, a screenshot with the time on it helps when you write to the university.

How do NET and JRF holders get in?

There are two broad routes into a PhD in India. One is a national test such as UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, GATE or CEED. The other is the university’s own entrance test. Under the UGC PhD Regulations 2022, that entrance test is half research methodology and half the subject. You need 50% to be called for interview, with a 5% relaxation for reserved categories. The final merit list then gives 70% weight to the test and 30% to the interview.

In 2024, UGC said NET scores could also be used for PhD admission alone. So NET results now come in three groups: JRF, Assistant Professor eligibility, and PhD admission only. Some calls, like JNU’s and the University of Hyderabad’s NET call, hold no test of their own. They shortlist on NET (or JRF) and then interview. Others, like JNTUH and Bharathidasan, run their own test but exempt NET, SET or GATE holders. JRF holders are often treated apart. Osmania University runs a separate Category-I call just for them.

So read the notice for three things. Which tests does it accept? Which years of results? And which subject must the score be in? Our PhD admission in India guide explains the national rules. Our fellowships guide covers what a JRF pays.

What are the rules for a part-time PhD?

A part-time PhD is allowed under the UGC Regulations 2022, as long as every other rule is met. The main extra document is a no-objection certificate from your employer. It must say three things. You may study part-time. Your duties leave you time for research. And you will be released for coursework if needed.

Part-time scholars do the same coursework and meet the same minimum and maximum duration as full-time scholars. A PhD by distance or online mode isn’t allowed. If an advert offers one, walk away.

Each university adds its own conditions. Some take part-time scholars only from certain employers, or cap the number of part-time seats. The notices in the table say whether a call is for full-time, part-time or both, where they state it. Our part-time PhD guide sets out the rules in full.

How do you spot a fake notification or an agent?

Every admission season brings fake notices and paid “admission consultants”. Some forward a real notice with a new payment link. Others promise a seat, a guide or an exemption for a fee. None of that is how PhD admission works.

• Check the address. Open the university’s website yourself, by typing its address, and find the notice there. A notice that exists only as a WhatsApp image or on an unknown site isn’t one you should act on.
• Pay only on the official portal. The notice names the portal and the fee. Don’t pay into a personal account or to a person’s UPI ID.
• Nobody can sell a seat. Admission follows the test, the interview and the merit list. Anyone who promises a seat or a “direct admission” without these is lying.
• Distance and “fast-track” PhDs. The UGC rules bar PhDs by distance or online mode. They also set a minimum of three years, coursework included. An offer to finish sooner is a warning sign.
• Ask the university. If you are unsure, email or call the admissions office using the contact on its own website.

The same caution applies after you join. Journals that promise quick publication for a fee are another trap. Our guide to spotting a predatory journal shows the signs.

How do we keep this tracker up to date?

We check every row once a week. For each call, we open the official admissions page and the notification. We update the dates, add extensions and corrigenda, and change the “checked” date on the row. A row we couldn’t open keeps its old date, so you can see it may be stale.

We add a new call only after we have read it on the university’s own site. Aggregator sites can help us find a notice, but we never copy a date from them. Once the next cycle’s call replaces a closed one, we take the old row out.

This tracker covers the universities our guides already cover, plus the national tests and a few institutes that many scholars ask about. It isn’t a list of every PhD call in India. If your university isn’t here, its admissions page is the place to watch.