Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology envisions basic and applied research for meeting the national R&D requirements of Science and Technology in general and the Indian Space Programme in particular. The institute provides a vibrant research atmosphere and offers doctoral and post doctoral programmes.

Applications are invited from highly motivated applicants for admission to the Ph.D. Programme starting in January 2021, in the departments given below:-

(i) Aerospace Engineering

(ii) Avionics

(iii) Chemistry

(iv) Earth and Space sciences

(v) Humanities

(vi) Physics

Fellowship

• All scholars selected to the programme specializations listed in Table 1 shall receive a fellowship of Rs.31000/- per month. (Research Scholars selected with UGC/CSIR/NET-JRF/NBHM and State Government Science and Technology Scheme etc., shall draw fellowship from the concerned organizations). For all research scholars with external fellowship, the concerned rules and regulations apply.
• The fellowship will be enhanced to Rs.35,000/- per month based on a performance review after two years of Research.
• The scholars will be required to assist the Departments in tutorials, practical training in labs or similar academic activities normally limited to 6 hours per week.
• The scholars will have to pay applicable fees as well as charges for the services provided by the Institute like boarding/lodging/medical facilities etc., as per IIST rules.
• For those who receive fellowship from agencies such as DST, CSIR, NBHM, UGC and candidates who have been provided research fellowship by State Government Science and Technology Scheme through competitive written test etc., the Institute will not bear the fellowship of the student if the same is stopped due to any reasons by the concerned agency.
• The Institute is completely residential and will provide accommodation to all the regular Ph.D students. However, in the event of shortage of rooms in the hostels, preference will be given for room allotment to candidates whose fellowships are borne by the Institute.

Selection Procedure

• Applications will be received through on-line only.
• Candidates having fellowship from funding agencies such as DST, CSIR, NBHM, UGC, State Government Science and Technology Scheme etc, applying to research areas in Table 2 may also apply for other research areas in Table 1, if eligible.
• Candidates are advised to visit the individual department profile for more details on the respective areas of research.
• Candidates with valid fellowship from Government funding agencies shall upload a scanned copy of the fellowship award letter.
• A short-list of applicants for Online screening test or interview will be displayed in IIST website by 06.01.2021.
• Online screening test  will be held on 10.01.2021

Selection Criteria based on Online screening test & Interview:

(i) The students who have participated in the Online screening test will be shortlisted if they secure a minimum of 30 % in each of Section A (Section A comprises questions based on GATE Aptitude and Mathematics) and Section B (the research area) and a combined mark of 50 % and above for Section A and Section B together.
(ii) There will be a relaxation of 5 % for SC/ST/PD and OBC / EWS students, i.e., SC/ST/PD and OBC / EWS students require a combined mark of 45 % and above for Section A and Section B together, while the minimum is 30% in each of the Section A and B respectively.
(iii) There will be a 70 % weightage for the PhD Online screening test and 30 % weightage for the interview.
(iv) A student securing less than 10 marks out of 30 marks in the interview will not be selected irrespective of category and irrespective of the performance in the Online screening test.
(v)  The combined mark for the PhD Online screening test and interview for a UR student should be 60 % and above to be selected 
(vi) For the SC/ST/PD and OBC / EWS students, the combined mark for the PhD Online screening test and interview should be 55 % and above.
Candidates screened in through the online screening test will be called for an interview through Video Conference mode

• Provisionally selected candidates list, after the interview, will be displayed in the IIST website; the date will be announced later.
• Admissions are governed by Ph.D Rules and Regulations of IIST. (https://www.iist.ac.in/academics/rules-regulations).
• The date of the Online screening test will not be changed under any circumstances. The date of interview span over a period of several days. In case the date and time of the interview clashes with the applicant’s End semester examination in his/her qualifying examination, the Institute will consider shifting the date and time of interview within the overall window available.
• During interview, candidates will be tested in their main research area and not restricted to the syllabus of the Online screening test.

   How to Apply

• Applications shall be submitted online at the IIST website: http://admission.iist.ac.in. Applications received online only will be considered.
• The applicants will not be allowed to make any changes in their registration profile once submitted. Hence utmost care should be taken by the applicants while filling their profile
• Application fee  for General/EWS/OBC candidates who are male is  Rs. 700/-  per  Department (for  SC/ST/PD and Women applicants - Rs.350/- per Department).  If the applicant is eligible and wishes to apply for more than one Research Area in the same Department, he/she need not pay any additional application fee.  The application fee is non-refundable. Applicants, who wish to apply to multiple departments, will have to pay the appropriate application fee (sum of the application fee for each department).
• The application fee shall be paid through online after the course registration only.
• Applicants who are employed in Government/Semi Government/PSUs/ Autonomous Bodies need to produce a “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” from the current employer at the time of Interview.
• SC/ST/OBC / EWS/Persons with Disabilities (PD) applicants shall upload the relevant certificate in the website before the prescribed date.

Research Plan for January 2021 PhD Admission

Table 1: IIST Fellowship

Table 2: External Fellowship

Nationality

Applicant should be an Indian citizen

Age Limit

Applicant should be below 35 years as on 29.12.2020.  Age relaxation is applicable as per Government Rules.

There is no provision for PhD admission in IIST under Self Financing Category

Minimum Qualifications

• Applicants with Master’s Degree in Engineering/Technology as their highest qualifying degree
  

  Applicants with Master’s Degree in Engineering/Technology must have secured 65% marks or 7.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 or equivalent in the Qualifying Master’s degree (60% marks or 6.50 CGPA on a scale of 10 for OBC / EWS, 55% marks or 6.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 for SC/ST/PD). They must have pursued their Master’s degree on the basis of qualified GATE score.  However there is no GATE cut off score for applicants with M.Tech./M.E as the highest qualifying degree, who are applying for Ph.D. in Engineering Discipline. Applicants with Master of Science in Engineering or equivalent from leading foreign Universities with minimum CGPA 8/10 or 3.6 /4 or equivalent can be considered without GATE score.

  Selection Procedure:For candidates with M.E/M.Tech.as their highest qualifying degree, selection to the PhD programme will be based on online screening test followed by an interview. Interview will be conducted through Video Conference mode. However, candidates with a valid CSIR / NET-JRF or Lectureship post their ME/M.Tech, will be directly called for the interview through Video Conference mode.

• Applicants with Master’s Degree in Science as their highest qualifying degree

  Applicants must have Master’s Degree in the relevant area with a minimum of 65% marks or 7.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 or equivalent in the Qualifying Master’s degree (60% marks or 6.50 CGPA on a scale of 10 for OBC / EWS, 55% marks or 6.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 for SC/ST/PD). They must have cleared a National level eligibility test, such as a valid UGC-CSIR-NET-JRF / Lectureship / fellowship or NBHM / JEST / GATE and State Government Science and Technology Scheme, in the relevant disciplines.
  
  Selection Procedure:For candidates applying with their Master’s degree in Sciences as their qualifying degree and having a valid score card/certificate in any of the National level eligibility tests listed above, selection to the programme will be based on an interview through Video Conference mode.

  Applicants applying with their JEST score should have secured a rank within the first 300.

  Candidates applying with a valid GATE score in a Science discipline, having a minimum score of 500 for General Category (450 for OBC / EWS and 350 for SC/ST/PD categories), are exempted from the Ph.D. online screening test conducted by IIST. Applicants having GATE score in Science disciplines less than indicated cut-off above will not be considered for Ph.D. Admission.

• Applicants with Master’s Degree in Humanities/Management/Social Sciences as their highest qualifying degree

  Applicants must have Master’s Degree in the relevant area of Humanities/Management / Social Sciences with a minimum of 65% marks or 7.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 or equivalent in the Qualifying Master’s degree (60% marks or 6.50 CGPA on a scale of 10 for OBC / EWS, 55% marks or 6.00 CGPA on a scale of 10 for SC/ST/PD). They must have cleared a national level eligibility test, such as a valid UGC-NET-JRF fellowship/State Government Science and Technology Scheme or similar fellowship schemes of Central/State Governments.

  Selection Procedure: For candidates applying with their Master’s degree in Humanities/Management/Social Sciences as their qualifying degree and having a valid score card/certificate in any of the National level eligibility tests listed above, selection to the programme will be based on an interview to be conducted through Video Conference mode.

Candidates who have been provided research fellowships by State Government Science and Technology Scheme/DST-INSPIRE etc, are eligible to apply If they have already cleared a National level eligibility test, such as a valid UGC-CSIR-NET Lectureship or JEST/GATE. A valid GATE score of minimum 500 for General Category (450 for OBC / EWS and 350 for SC/ST/PD categories) in a Science discipline or JEST rank within the first 300 is required.

Applicants who are employed in Government/Semi Government/PSUs/Autonomous Bodies should produce a “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” from the current employer at the time of Interview.

• Notification (English version)
• Notification (Hindi version)

Online Submission of Application

Opening Date for Oline Application : December 09 ,2020 - 1500 hrs

Closing Date for Online Application (for IIST Funded) : December 29 ,2020 - 2359 hrs

Closing Date for Online Application (for Externally Funded) : January 6, 2021 – 2359 hrs

• Fees Structure