The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on November 20 extended the application registration date for the PhD programme. Candidates can now register for the programme till November 25 – ignouadm.samarth.edu.in.

Candidates who possess a valid UGC NET score with JRF or a valid UGC NET score for the year 2024 are eligible to apply for PhD admission, as outlined in the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Regulations on Minimum Standards and Procedures for the Award of PhD Degrees, 2022. The application fee for submitting an online application is Rs 1,000.

Five percent of the total seats will be reserved by IGNOU for Persons with Disabilities, who have a disability of not less than 40 percent. However, these candidates will not be counted within the appropriate category (General/SC/ST/OBC/EWS) to which they belong.

“The JRF-qualified students are admitted into the PhD programme based on an interview as per the University Grants Commission. The Candidates with valid UGC NET with JRF will be called for interview and the interview shall carry 100 per cent weightage,” read the official website.

For such candidates, the interview will have three components comprising research methodology (40 per cent), subject domain (40 per cent), and communication skills (20 per cent).

A combined merit list of JRF candidates and candidates with valid UGC NET scores under categories 2 and 3 will be prepared which will be the final merit list for PhD admission. The final merit list will be discipline-wise based on the merit and reservation policy of the Government of India, read the website.