The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have the rare standing of being reckoned as quality institutions in the pursuit of higher education and research at the international level. The relatively old institutions — IITs Madras, Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Guwahati, Roorkee, and Varanasi — have fine infrastructure in terms of equipment and faculty. The recently started IITs in Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Patna, Ropar (Punjab), Rajasthan, Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), and Indore (Madhya Pradesh) are at various stages of development.
One of the objectives of our IITs is to reach global standards in research, particularly in engineering and technology. Studies are made in IITs in certain areas of basic sciences and humanities as well.
According to one estimate, our IITs would increase their capacities so as to produce nearly 10,000 Ph.D.s a year, by 2020. Certainly, it opens up vast opportunities for aspirants.
Research parksA commendable initiative is the establishment of research parks on the lines of business incubators/innovation labs in some of the centres of educational excellence such as MIT, Harvard, and Stanford. Companies with a research focus can set up their units in the park and leverage the expertise of the institute. These technology parks add value to industry and business enterprises. Also, they promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The collaborative environment involving industry and academia naturally enriches research experience. Some of the IITs have already established such parks with substantial infrastructure
Ph.D. AdmissionThe usual conditions for eligibility for Ph.D. admission are as follows:
1) Master’s degree in engineering/technology or equivalent with at least 60 per cent marks (55 per cent for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students)
2) Master’s degree in science or bachelor’s degree in engineering/technology or equivalent with at least 60 per cent marks (55 per cent for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students)
For admission to humanities & social sciences and Industrial Design, the minimum requirement is 55 per cent marks or equivalent (50 per cent for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes students)
Candidates meeting this requirement should also fulfil one of the following additional requirements:
A valid GATE /CEED Score
CSIR-UGC/NBHM/DBT/DST Inspire Award or Fellowship
Minimum of two years of professional work experience, for Sponsored (SW)/Self-Financed (SF)/Institute Staff (IS) category.
There may be special conditions for special categories/programmes in certain institutions. These shall be indicated separately in further parts of this series, along with the areas of research available in each IIT.
Admission for IIT B.Tech. holdersThose with a CGPA/CPI score of 8.00 (on 0-10 scale) and above are exempted from requirement of GATE qualification. They will be admitted to Ph.D. programmes under TA/RA positions through written test/interview.
Assistantshipsa)Those with M.Tech. or equivalent: Rs.18,000 for the first two years and Rs.20,000 a month for the remaining period. Maximum four years or till thesis submission, whichever is earlier.
b)Those with B.Tech. or equivalent, or M.Sc./MA./M.Com. or equivalent and valid GATE score or qualified through a National Level Test UGC/CSIR/NBHM/DBT JRF or having DST Inspire fellowship: Rs.16,000 for the first two years and Rs.18,000 a month for the remaining period. Maximum 5 years or till thesis submission, whichever is earlier.
c) MS in Engineering/Management: Rs.8,000 per month for first three years.
