GU Faces 362 PhD Vacancies Despite Increased Pass Rate

Gujarat University is likely to have 362 PhD seats left vacant, despite a higher pass percentage in its recent entrance examination.

A review of the PhD entrance test revealed that even if every qualifying candidate is granted admission, 362 out of the 936 available seats will still remain unoccupied.

This year, 175 of the 911 candidates who appeared for the exam cleared it, giving the university a 19.20% pass rate—a significant improvement from the previous year’s 10%.

However, even after including all candidates eligible through NET, SLET, and the entrance exam, the university still does not have enough students to fill all seats. GU plans to finish the admission process, including personal interviews and the Research Degree Committee evaluation, by December 21.

The entrance exam offered 936 seats in 84 subjects and drew 1,019 registrations statewide. Out of the 911 candidates who took the test, 126 from the general category qualified with a 50% cutoff, while 49 candidates from reserved categories—including SC, ST, and differently abled applicants—qualified with a 45% cutoff.

In total, 574 students are eligible for admission, a number that includes 399 NET/SLET-qualified students who were exempted from the entrance test. Although students registered for 77 subjects, the exam was ultimately conducted across 67 subjects out of the available 84.

Despite the increased pass rate and a sizeable pool of eligible applicants, the university estimates that 362 PhD seats will still remain vacant, according to university sources.