PhD in social sciences in Delhi

Where in Delhi can you do a PhD in economics, sociology or politics?

Cite this data: PhD Desk, “PhD in social sciences in Delhi”, last reviewed 1 November 2026, https://phddesk.in/guides/phd-in-social-sciences-in-delhi

Please see the “degree from” column well, because many scholars miss it. A scholar at ISID gets the degree from JNU, and the JNU PhD ordinance applies to him or her. The Institute of Economic Growth on North Campus does not admit PhD scholars at all. We explain that further down. So doing your work at some Delhi research institute and getting registered at that same place are two separate things.

How do JNU’s social-science centres choose their PhD scholars?

All JNU centres use the same national scores for admission, as given in the 2026–27 e-prospectus. Still, each centre gives its own intake and says what it wants from you. On the NET route the prospectus shows the following seats.

• Centre for Political Studies: 20 seats. Once you qualify NET, you submit the proposal before the viva. The topic must come under any one of four areas. These are political philosophy, Indian government and policy, comparative politics and international relations, and methods.
• Centre for the Study of Regional Development: economics has 15 seats and geography has 8.
• Centre for Economic Studies and Planning: 12 seats. As per the centre, a PhD here normally runs six years (12 semesters), and the first year has core courses. The centre also mentions that it takes only “a very limited number” of scholars.
• Centre for the Study of Social Systems (sociology): 11 seats.
• Centre for Historical Studies: ancient and modern history get 3 seats each, medieval gets 6. Only one period can be chosen. Carry a synopsis of 1,000 words, six copies. In the viva they ask about your proposal, your sources and what you studied in M.A.
• Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health: on the NET route, social sciences in health has 2 seats and public health has none. For clinical and laboratory routes, see our health sciences in Delhi page.

JRF holders have a separate application. For them seats are less and selection is done on viva only.

The School of International Studies is a large school by itself. In its part of the prospectus, it counts 725 PhD scholars in all its centres as of January 2026. For 2026–27 on the NET route, West Asian studies had 11 seats and comparative politics and political theory had 8. Chinese studies and Latin American studies had 7 each. The Centre for International Politics showed no seats. If your interest is international relations or some particular region, go through these tables well before you pick the centre.

What do the Delhi School of Economics and other DU departments expect?

The Delhi School of Economics started in 1949 on North Campus. Now it covers three DU departments, Economics, Sociology and Geography. Admission is through the normal two-phase DU process, and for that a NET score is a must. The phases are explained on our Delhi admission page. Each department then puts its own rules in the 2025–26 Bulletin of Information, and the rules are not the same.

• Sociology was open to students of any discipline if they had NET or JRF in sociology with 50%. The interview carried 30 marks. In it they check how well you know sociology, whether the proposal is doable, how ready you are and whether you fit with the faculty.
• Geography divided the 30 interview marks into 10 for the proposal, 10 for subject questions and 10 for the presentation.
• Economics listed all areas of economics. Mathematics, statistics and business economics were the allied subjects.
• Social Work (the Delhi School of Social Work) asked for an MSW or M.A. in social work, and NET or JRF in social work only.
• Political Science had the highest number of Phase I seats among these departments. Unreserved seats alone were 22. Some rough guidelines for writing the proposal are given on department website.
• History allowed M.A. holders of other disciplines with 55%, but with some conditions. Interviews were done in two rounds.

In all these departments, you had to give a research proposal when you got registered. After joining, your thesis has to follow DU rules. You can read those in our Delhi University thesis format guide.

Can you do a PhD at an ICSSR institute in Delhi?

Yes, but at one institute only. The Institute for Studies in Industrial Development is sponsored by ICSSR and is in the Vasant Kunj Institutional Area. Its PhD in economics and public policy started in 2024–25. The main points from its 2026–27 prospectus are given below.

• The programme is recognised by JNU, and JNU also recognises ISID faculty as supervisors. The JNU PhD ordinance applies.
• Admission was for up to 15 candidates. For JRF holders, the interview alone decides. Others with NET get ranked by NET score (70%) and interview (30%). NET results of June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026 were accepted.
• There are two semesters of coursework with 17 credits. The admission becomes confirmed only after the research advisory committee of the institute approves your proposal, and this must happen within one year of the end of coursework.
• Scholars who have no other fellowship get an ISID fellowship of ₹10,000 per month, for maximum three years. If you come from outside Delhi, it is ₹15,000.
• Part-time seats cannot exceed 12.5% of the intake. These seats are for people who work in government or UGC-recognised institutions in the Delhi–NCR region.

For 2026–27, the last date got extended to 10 September 2026.

The Institute of Economic Growth is different. It is in the University Enclave on North Campus. On its fellowship page there is nothing about a PhD admission of its own. Instead it gives four ICSSR institutional doctoral fellowships every year, in economics and sociology, to scholars who are already registered for PhD in some university. In the 2024–25 call, the topic had to be approved before applying. Means the fellowship money comes through IEG while your PhD registration is with some other university only. ICSSR national doctoral fellowships also work the same way. Our PhD fellowships guide has more on them.

What do Jamia, Ambedkar University and IIT Delhi offer social scientists?

If you don’t have NET, Jamia Millia Islamia is the main option in Delhi, as it still holds its own entrance. (The GGSIPU entrance test also includes economics and history, but for 2026–27 there was no sociology intake.) Jamia put out its 2026–27 interview notices in late July. Economics, sociology, political science, social work, history and geography were covered. Some research centres were covered too, like the Dr. K.R. Narayanan Centre for Dalit and Minorities Studies and the Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women’s Studies. The Nelson Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution and the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research were also in the list. Economics by itself called over 30 candidates for interview on 3 August 2026.

Ambedkar University Delhi gave social-science seats in a few schools as per its 2026 bulletin. History had 13 seats. Global studies, urban studies, and public policy and governance had 10 each. Economics had 7, development studies 6, women and gender studies 4, and sociology only 2. For selection they consider your NET or JRF score along with an interview. The interview is on the proposal which you attach with the form.

IIT Delhi’s Humanities and Social Sciences department takes PhD scholars once a year. Applications start in March, and selection happens in May (17 and 18 May in 2026). This much is clearly written in the department’s admission FAQ, for full-time PhD you need UGC-NET, JRF or GATE in any discipline, because a self-financed full-time PhD is not available. M.A. with 60% is also required. If you clear the written test, the interview is on the next day. In 2026, history was not accepting applications. For part-time, you need two years of work experience and an NOC from your employer.

IIIT-Delhi too runs a PhD in social sciences and humanities. In its recent interview lists, the areas were urban sociology, development economics, applied econometrics and philosophy of technology.

Which Delhi route suits which social-science scholar?

With a JRF in economics, you can apply in the same year to CESP and CSRD at JNU, the Delhi School of Economics and ISID. Since all of them use the same national score, one good NET result works for you at many places.

Without NET, the choices inside the city are Jamia and GGSIPU, and IIT Delhi also if you have GATE. Even then, sit for the next NET. JNU, DU, Ambedkar University and ISID will not consider you till you have it.

If you work in Delhi, look at the ISID part-time quota. It is for people working with government or UGC-recognised employers in the NCR. The IIT Delhi part-time route is another option, but the classes there can fall in office time.

In every place, the proposal decides much of your selection. The length they ask for is not the same everywhere.

• ISID: up to 1,200 words only, and it goes along with the application. If you don’t send it, they will not look at your form at all.
• IIT Delhi HSS: the proposal is 800 words. In that you write your objectives and the existing research, then what is new in your work and the method. You can add references over and above the 800.
• JNU Centre for Historical Studies: a synopsis of 1,000 words. Make six copies and carry them to the viva.
• DU Anthropology: around 2,000 words. It should state the research questions, hypothesis, universe of study, method and framework.
• DU African Studies: you give six copies of the proposal on the interview day itself.

To write a proposal within these limits, take help of our research proposal guide.