New Delhi, 12 March 2026: In India, IITs, NITs, IIITs and other autonomous research institutes are known an Institutes of National Importance. These premier research and education institutes admit PhD scholars in two sessions. Now Admission for July of 2026 session has commenced.
As on 12 March 2026, there are three Institutes of National Importance (INIs) have announced PhD Admission for Semester I 2026-27. These institutes offer attractive fellowships, popularly known as Institute Fellowships.
List of Top Universities/ Institutes where PhD Admission Open:
IIT IIT Guwahati – PhD admission – Total 612 seats – 25 March 2026
IIT Hyderabad – Special PhD (High CGPA) Admissions- 26 March 2026
IIT Madras- 310 Seats for PhD & 131 Seats for MS Seats- 30 March 2026
IISc Bangalore- UG, PG, PhD Programmes for AY 2026-27- 23 March 2026
IIT Ropar- Last Date of Receipt of Online Applications: 25 March 2026
IIT Gandhinagar Announces Start Early PhD Admission Phase II 2026-27 – 01 April 2026
IIT Guwahati Opens PhD Admission for July 2026 with 612 Seats
Guwahati, 11 March 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, an Institute of National Importance, has announced Admission to PhD Programmes for July 2026 Session.
Total Number of PhD Seats: The total number of PhD Seats available are 552 for July 2026 session. Special Seats for PhD Programme under CSIR/UGC JRF Scheme are 60.
Key Dates:
Opening of Application Portal for Submission of Applications – 11 March 2026
Closing of Application Portal 05:00 PM – 01 April 2026
IIT Hyderabad Opens Special PhD (High CGPA) Admissions July 2026 ! Monthly Fellowships @ INR 80K
Hyderabad, 08 March 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad, an Institution of National Importance, has released Special PhD (High CGPA) Admissions July 2026.
IIT Hyderabad Direct PhD (High CGPA) Admissions 2026 are now open #PhD Applications are invited from meritorious students who have a CGPA of 9.0 and above in their BTech/BE/BS/BDes/MSc from IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs & CFTIs for admission to the Direct PhD (High CGPA).
Eligibility: Open to students from IITs, IISc, and IISERs with a BTech/BE/BS/BDes degree and a CGPA of 9.0 or above (7th-semester students with a 9.0+ CGPA may also apply).
Fellowship & GATE: Successful candidates receive a fellowship of Rs 80,000 for 4 years, and a GATE qualification is not mandatory.
Key Dates: Applications open on March 6, 2026, and close on March 26, 2026.
Departments: Programs are available across various fields, including Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Sciences, and Management.
Key Dates:
Opening of Application: 06th March 2026Education program directory
Closing of Application: 26th March 2026
IIT Ropar Opens PhD Admission January 2026 under StartUp- Driven PhD program.
Ropar, 05 March 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, an Institute of National Importance, has opened application window for PhD Admissions January 2026 session Under Product/ StartUp- Driven Ph.D. program.
Programme Description:
Under the Product/ Startup-Driven Ph.D. Pathway, candidates will undertake doctoral work that merges:
Academic research and scholarly contributions, and
Practical innovation through product development, technology translation, or startup initiatives.
The programme aims to create an ecosystem where Ph.D. scholars contribute to both scientific knowledge and societal/industrial impact.
Key Dates: Last Date of Receipt of Online Applications: 25 March 2026Educational news updates
IIT Gandhinagar Opens PhD Admission for Semester I 2026-27 with Fellowships
Gandhinagar, 15 February 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, a National Institute of Importance, has announced PhD programme for the academic year 2026-27 (Semester I). Institute Fellowships are available. Regular (RR) Fulltime PhD Admission is available.
Key Dates:
The online application window has opened from 11 February 2026
The online application window will close on 25 March 2026 (5:00 PM)
Eligibility Criteria
Minimum of 55% marks (50% marks for SC/ST/PwD) or 5.5 CPI (5.0 CPI for SC/ST/PwD) in postgraduate degree programme or in 4-years bachelor degree programme in appropriate branches.
Above mentioned eligibility criteria is minimum at Institute level. The department-wise eligibility criteria can be found here. The departments may also use higher cut-off levels for shortlisting besides giving due consideration to the way questions are answered in the application form.HR management software
Candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories would be eligible for relaxations, as per norms, in the selection criteria.
Gandhinagar, 24 February 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar invites applications from eligible BTech students for Start Early PhD Fellowship for Phase II of 2026-27.
The Start Early Ph.D. Fellowship of IITGN is conceived to meet this need. This full-time residential fellowship is designed to enable budding scientists and engineers to gain early entry into the Ph.D. programmes at IIT Gandhinagar.
Key Dates:
Application Open – 11 February 2026
Application Deadline – 25 March 2026 by 5:00 PM (IST)Education program directory
IISc Bangalore Announces Admission for UG, PG, PhD Programmes for AY 2026-27
Bangalore, 15 February 2026: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, India’s top ranked Research University, has announced Admission for UG / PG/ PhD Programmes for the Academic Year 2026-27. The session will start from August 2026.Career counseling services.
Key Dates:
Website opens for on-line submission of applications from 11 February 2026
Last date for online submission of applications (website closes at 23:59): 23 March 2026
IIT Madras Opens PhD Admission July 2026: 310 Seats for PhD & 131 Seats for MS Seats
Chennai, 18 February 2026: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, an Institute of National Importance, has opened application window for PhD/Direct PhD/MS (by Research) Admission for July 2026 Semester. Scholars admitted to PhD and MS programmes under Regular scheme are eligible for the following Half-Time Research Assistantship (HTRA).Government job
Total Vacant Seats: The total number of vacant PhD seats with HTRA are 316 while MSC (by Research) seats are 131 for Jan-May 2026 session.
Key Dates: The last date of Receipt of Online Application is 30 March 2026.
Note: Candidates should refer the exact notification before applying any seats of any universities or institutes. On the basis of information available in the public domain, SkillOutlook has published this story.
