911 Students Took GU PhD Entrance Exam

Ahmedabad:

 Gujarat University witnessed relatively low attendance in its PhD entrance examination held on Saturday, despite offering a large number of doctoral seats. Of the 1,019 candidates who registered for the examination, only 911 appeared, as per university data.

The university is now in the process of preparing the results, following which the PhD admission procedure will move forward. In addition to the entrance test candidates, as many as 399 NET and SLET-qualified applicants will be granted direct admission, as per UGC norms, without appearing for the exam.

The entrance examination was conducted for nearly 940 PhD seats across more than 80 academic disciplines at the K.S. School campus of Gujarat University. The test was evaluated out of 100 marks and aimed at assessing candidates’ subject knowledge and research aptitude.

However, with a significant number of candidates securing direct admission and comparatively fewer students appearing for the entrance test, the total pool of applicants remains lower than the number of available PhD seats. This situation raises the possibility of unfilled doctoral positions in several departments.

Academics note that the gap between available seats and applicants may reflect broader trends such as declining interest in full-time doctoral programmes, preference for direct NET-based admissions, or concerns related to funding, research infrastructure, and career prospects. University officials are expected to review the admission outcomes and may consider additional rounds or policy adjustments to ensure optimal utilisation of PhD seats.