Program Overview | Program Structure | Intake | Eligibility and Selection Criteria | Fees Structure | Stipend/Fellowship | How to apply | Admission Offer | For Inquiries

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Important Dates

Submission of online Application Form commences on	12 March 2021
Submission of online Application Form closes on	31 May 2021
Entrance Examination for Candidates not called for direct interview (tentative)	19 June 2021
Announcement of list of candidates called for interview (tentative)	TBD
Date of Interview (tentative)	TBD
Announcement of Result (tentative)	TBD
Commencement of classes	TBD

Program Overview

DA-IICT invites applications from bright scholars interested in pursuing research in ICT and other allied domains. The doctoral program at DA-IICT is an intense program geared towards preparing students for careers both in academia and industry. Research at DA-IICT is conducted in ICT & allied disciplines, Mathematical & Computational Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences. Candidates interested in any of these disciplines, or in interdisciplinary areas, are encouraged to apply.

The details of the faculty members with their research interests can be found here. Candidates are advised to interact and discuss their prospective research supervision with faculty members over email and/or in person. Admission to the PhD program is conducted twice in an academic year, once prior to the Autumn semester (July) and the other prior to the Winter semester (December).

Program Structure

The PhD program comprises of both course and research work.  The amount of coursework one has to undergo depends on the candidates’ past background and the research one is engaged in.  The research work to be undertaken for PhD must include original contribution to the knowledge reserve culminating in a thesis to be submitted for the doctoral degree. The detailed Program structure, academic requirement, and comprehensive examination information can be found here.

Intake

Number of Seats: Typical intake is about 10-15 in each academic year. However, the number of candidates to be admitted in Ph.D. Program may vary, as it depends on candidate’s profile and willingness to take up a long-term challenging goal.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

DA-IICT admits doctoral students under five categories:

Category	Educational Qualification/Eligibility Criteria	Selection Criteria
A. ICT and Allied Domains	M.Tech./M.E./M.C.A./M.Sc./M.Phil./B.Tech/B.E. or equivalent degree in ICT / CS / EC / IT / EE / IN / Mathematics / Statistics / Physics / Bioinformatics / Electronics or other appropriate disciplines with 60% marks or its equivalent in the qualifying degree as per the norms set by degree awarding Institute/University.	1. Direct Interview for candidates with valid JRF/DST Inspire/PM scholarship/Visvesvaraya PhD scheme at the time of application. 2. Shortlisting will be based on a computer based entrance test and the selection will be on the basis of a personal interview. Entrance test to be conducted at selected centers all over the country. The tentative list of centers is: DAIICT Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Benguluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh/Mohali, Guwahati, Jammu, Karnal, Kochi, Lucknow, Pant Nagar, Ranchi, Shimla and Vijayawada. The interview will happen via a video conferencing mode either through Skype or Google Hangout/Meet.
B. Mathematics and Natural Sciences (Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Computational Science)	M.Sc./M.Tech./M.Phil./B.Tech./B.E. or equivalent degree in Engineering Physics / Computational Science / Computer Science / Scientific Computing / Physics / Mathematics / Electronics / Bioinformatics or other appropriate disciplines with 60% marks or its equivalent as per the norms set by the degree awarding Institute/University.
C. Sponsored candidates	Educational qualifications as mentioned in the category (A and B) above with three years of relevant experience. The candidates should be sponsored by an R&D organization with which DA-IICT has established over five years of cooperative research programme or has signed an MOU. The candidate who intends to apply in this category should forward his/her application through proper channel, that is, a forwarding certificate/letter by the head of the department/institute. Sponsorship certificate template link (PDF) DA-IICT reserves right to relax eligibility criteria for the sponsored category for deserving candidates based on candidate’s research profile and experience.	The interview will happen via a video conferencing mode either through Skype or Google Hangout/Meet.
D. Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (English, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Philosophy and Design)	M.A./M.Com./M.B.A./M.Phil. or an equivalent degree in the desired discipline with at least 55% marks or equivalent as per the norms set by the degree awarding Institute/University. M. Phil. degree holders will be preferred. The candidate must furnish a clear academic statement of purpose (SOP) conveying his/her intellectual background, research interests, achievements, and competences.	1. Candidates with a valid JRF and/or M Phil degree will be shortlisted for the interview solely on the basis of their statement of purpose (SOP) and other relevant academic credentials. 2. Shortlisting will be based on a computer based entrance test and the selection will be on the basis of a personal interview. Entrance test to be conducted at selected centers all over the country. The tentative list of centers is: DAIICT Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Benguluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh/Mohali, Guwahati, Jammu, Karnal, Kochi, Lucknow, Pant Nagar, Ranchi, Shimla and Vijayawada. The interview will happen via a video conferencing mode either through Skype or Google Hangout/Meet.
E. External (part-time)	Educational qualifications as mentioned in the category (A, B and D) above with three years of relevant experience. The candidates should be working in an R&D organization or university/institution. The candidate who intends to apply in this category should forward his/her application through proper channel, that is, forwarding certificate/letter by the head of the department/institute. Find here Sponsorship certificate template link (PDF). The candidate who intends to apply in this category should forward a No Objection certificate. Find here No Objection certificate template link (PDF). DA-IICT reserves right to relax eligibility criteria for the external category for deserving candidates based on candidate’s research profile and experience.	1. Direct Interview for candidates with valid NET-JRF/DST Inspire/PM scholarship/Visvesvaraya PhD schemeat the time of application. 2. Shortlisting will be based on a computer based entrance test and the selection will be on the basis of a personal interview. Entrance test to be conducted at selected centers all over the country. The tentative list of centers is: DAIICT Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Benguluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, Rajkot, Surat, Udaipur, Bhilai, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh/Mohali, Guwahati, Jammu, Karnal, Kochi, Lucknow, Pant Nagar, Ranchi, Shimla and Vijayawada. The interview will happen via a video conferencing mode either through Skype or Google Hangout/Meet.

Note:

• The guidelines and syllabus for PhD entrance test can be found here.
• For sample questions in engineering disciplines click here.
• Candidates with M.Sc./M.C.A., unless they have a subsequent M. Phil. degree will be considered equivalent to candidate with a B.Tech./B.E. degree and are required to fulfil (additional) course and research requirements.
• Allotment of centres will depend on the availability and the number of candidates opting for that center.
• DA-IICT reserves right to relax eligibility criteria for the sponsored category for deserving candidates based on candidate’s research profile and experience.
• The decision of the Competent Authorities of DA-IICT regarding eligibility of any candidate shall be final.

NOTE: In view of the emerging pandemic situation of the COVID-19, if conditions are not favorable an online proctored test will be administered in place of the computer based test. The candidates will be informed well in advance.

In online proctored mode, the candidate will be remotely administered the test at any location of his/her choice. While proctoring online, the candidates will be monitored by a software assisted mechanism.  This is a browser based test through a URL facilitated by a strict authentication process. The candidates will be assigned a fixed time slot on the day of the test. The entire test will be constantly monitored for any suspicious activity using advanced video and audio analytics.  While the candidate takes the test, a qualified proctor monitors the candidates, the audio-video, and screen and shares feeds in real time throughout the duration of the test. System requirements for online proctored test would be a working computer system (Desktop or Laptop) with webcam and mic. A stable internet connection with minimum upload speed of => 512 kbps and updated web browsers chrome or firefox.

Fees Structure*

Tuition Fee	Rs. 20,000 per Semester
Registration Fee	Rs. 2,500 per Semester
Caution Deposit	Rs. 20,000 (Refundable at the end of the Program)
Hostel Rent	Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 22,000 per semester depending upon the hostel block in which the room is allotted
Food	On actuals. There are multiple food options available in the campus (The expense will be approximately Rs. 5,500 per month)

At the time of admission an amount of Rs.40,000/- (Rs.20,000/- towards tuition fee for the first Semester and Rs.20, 000/- towards caution deposit) is to be paid by way of bank draft drawn in favour of ‘DA-IICT,’ payable at Ahmedabad. The registration fee is payable at the time of registration and hostel rent on allotment of the hostel room.

*Subject to revision.

Refund Policy

The refund policy for the withdrawing candidates will be in accordance to the UGC/AICTE rules.

Stipend/Fellowship

Financial assistance: The following is a summary of financial assistance provided by the institute to the non-sponsored category students.

DA-IICT fellowship: With effect from July 2020, all those admitted as full-time PhD students will be eligible for financial support (stipend) in the form of Teaching Assistantship (TA)/Research Assistantships (RAs). The fellowship is for a maximum duration of four years after passing the comprehensive examination or clearing of Synopsis, whichever is earlier. The responsibilities associated with the teaching / research assistantship includes conducting laboratory courses and tutorials for undergraduate students, assisting in teaching, research projects, and academic administration.

• The stipend is Rs. 21,000/- per month till the end of the semester in which the candidate clears the comprehensive examination.
• After passing the comprehensive examination, for the first two years the stipend would be Rs. 25000 per month. For the next two years the stipend will be raised by Rs. 3000 per month.
• Candidates with either M. Phil, valid NET-JRF, GATE score of 500 or above or top rank in  University/Institute in their qualifying degree would be eligible for DAIICT fellowship of Rs. 30000 per month after passing the comprehensive examination.

TCS Research Fellowship: The Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has recognized DA-IICT as one of the Institutions to administer the TCS Research Scholar Program. This prestigious program provides attractive doctoral fellowships to full-time students pursuing PhD programs in selected areas. The eligibility and other details are as follows:

The scheme is open for Ph D students in their first year of the program. Students who are within 28 years of age, having a first class throughout their education, and wish to pursue research in broad areas of Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology and Software Engineering.

Period: For a maximum of four years or submission of thesis, whichever is earlier.
Fellowship: Rs. 41,000/- per month for the first two years and Rs. 45,000/- per month for the next two years. Other Incentives are:

• A contingency of Rs.1,00,000/- is available in first year for use during the tenure of studies.
• A student enrolled as TCS Research Scholar is eligible to receive support for paper presentation in one International refereed conference, held outside India, and two National/International refereed conferences, held in India, during her/his tenure.

Selection: Institute will invite applications from students who are offered PhD admission, and recommend suitable candidates to TCS. TCS reserves the right of final selection for the award of the fellowship.

Other Fellowships: Candidates who have been selected for DST Inspire / PM Scholarship / Visweshvaraya PhD scheme and other appropriate fellowships and admitted to the program can avail their fellowship.

Application Procedure

• Submit online application form by clicking on the link given below. Application fee (non-refundable) is Rs. 1200/- (Rupees One thousand two hundred only) plus GST@ 18%. Click here to apply online
• The Candidate has to satisfy the eligibility criteria in order for her/his application to be considered for admission into the PhD. program.
• Applicants who have not been invited directly for the interview are required to appear for DAIICT’s PhD Entrance Examination.
• The candidates shortlisted based on either their performance in the DA-IICT PhD entrance test OR invited directly for interview, have to appear for personal interview. In the interview, the candidates will be evaluated by a panel of expert faculty on foundational as well as specialized topics of their background and research interests.  For this purpose, the candidates have to submit a one page statement of purpose as a part of their application.  Final merit list for admission into the program will be prepared based on the written examination (wherever applicable) and/or the interview.
• The candidates who have accepted admission offers will be notified to appear for registration, followed by document verification, payment of fees and on confirmation of admission, the orientation program.

Admission Offer

List of candidates selected for admission to the Ph.D. Program will be posted on the website of DA-IICT, and the candidates will be intimated accordingly through post and/or email.

For Inquiries

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