The Jawaharlal Nehru University has released an official notification stating that the admission process for PhD programs under the 2024-25 academic year has commenced. Candidates can apply for PhD programs online at jnu.ac.in. December 2, 2024, is the last date for submission of applications.

Admission Process and Eligibility

The JNU will accept PhD students through scores in the National Eligibility Test, jointly held by UGC and CSIR, the Junior Research Fellowship, or Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering, respectively, specifically for entry to the School of Engineering. The candidate needs to apply for each of the pathways.

The applicants are advised to check the e-prospectus on the university website before applying. The prospectus indicates the eligibility criteria, available seats, and other necessary details. The applicants are advised to meet all requirements before submitting their applications.

This year, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020-inspired major change in JNU’s PhD admission process took place. The university gave up on its traditional in-house entrance exams and will continue relying on scores from NET, JRF, and GATE.

This move brings an end to the decades-old practice at JNU to hold entrance tests, which had gained an image of high specialized scrutiny and strict academic discipline that only the university offered. It is intended to rationalize the process of admissions so that the students selected have greater representation of national character.

Possible Reversal of Policy

Although this shift has been made, the move to discontinue in-house entrance exams at JNU has faced criticism and challenges. Since the sudden cancellation of the June 2024 NET exam, the university has opened discussions on possibly reviving the traditional entrance exam system at JNU.

On July 3, the JNU Vice Chancellor Santishree D Pandit met to discuss the possibilities of restoring the in-campus exams. However, the proposed plan is stuck in traffic as responses from the respective deans of schools that are there in the university remain pending. This has cast a bit of doubt into the minds of some students regarding the current admission process about its stability and clarity.

For now, aspirants who want to apply for JNU’s PhD programmes will have to bank on the NET, JRF, or GATE scores. The reliance on external exams goes with the vision of JNU to adapt to NEP 2020 but also highlights the problems of handling admissions without a university-specific entrance test.

How to Apply

To pursue admissions to JNU PhD courses, interested candidates can: Step 1: Students will visit the authentic JNU website available on http://jnu.ac.in. Step 2: Check out the e-prospectus for specific guidelines about eligibility criteria and vacancies as well as online registration processes. Step 3: Submit the application procedure by December 2, 2024.

As JNU grapples with the dual challenges of adapting to NEP 2020 and addressing feedback from the academic community, the future of its PhD admission process remains uncertain. Candidates are advised to stay updated through the university’s official notifications to ensure they are aware of any further changes.

This debate continues to illustrate the challenges of reconciling national policy mandates with institutional traditions, a challenge that JNU continues to face as it shapes the future of its academic landscape.