IIT Mandi PhD Admission 2027: Apply by 21 October

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has opened PhD admission for the even semester of 2026-27, that is January to July 2027. Instead of one central deadline, each school and centre runs its own call with its own application window, and eight calls are live right now.

The earliest deadline is 21 October 2026 at 5:00 PM for the School of Chemical Sciences, and the last one is 4 November 2026 at 5:00 PM for the School of Computing and Electrical Engineering. All applications go through the IIT Mandi Samarth admission portal.

IIT Mandi PhD admission for the January-July 2027 semester with deadlines from 21 October to 4 November 2026

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IIT Mandi PhD admission January 2027: quick facts

Quick facts2026-27

Scholarship from	Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh – research scholars with MoE Assistantship and the HTRA fellowship (subject to availability of funds and recommendation by the selection committee), plus support from agencies such as CSIR, UGC, DAE, DST, DBT, NBHM, JEST and ICCR
Last date to apply	21 October 2026, 5:00 PM (School of Chemical Sciences) to 9 November 2026, 5:00 PM (Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management) – each school has its own date
Official website	IIT Mandi PhD admissions page (official website)

Go to official website

School-wise deadlines at IIT Mandi for January 2027

School of Chemical Sciences (SCS): 28 September 2026 to 21 October 2026, 5:00 PM.
School of Physical Sciences (SPS): 7 October 2026 to 30 October 2026, 5:00 PM; interviews tentatively between 27 November and 4 December 2026.
Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR): 5 October 2026 to 30 October 2026, 5:00 PM.
School of Humanities & Social Sciences (SHSS): special recruitment drive for SC/ST/EWS/OBC(NCL)/PwD candidates, 24 September 2026 to 30 October 2026, 5:00 PM.
Dual Doctoral Degree Programme with Missouri S&T, USA: 22 September 2026 to 30 October 2026, 5:00 PM.
Centre for Human-Computer Interaction (CHCi): 13 October 2026 to 2 November 2026, 5:00 PM.
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCENE): 13 October 2026 to 3 November 2026, 5:00 PM.
School of Computing and Electrical Engineering (SCEE): 8 October 2026 to 4 November 2026, 5:00 PM.
Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management (C3DAR): 14 October 2026 to 9 November 2026, 5:00 PM – M.Tech (Research), M.Tech (R) + Ph.D. (Dual Degree) and Ph.D. programmes in Climate Change and Disaster Management; shortlist 16 November 2026 and interviews 21-24 November 2026, both tentative. Application fee Rs 200 (General/EWS/OBC/OBC-NCL/transgender/foreign nationals) and Rs 100 (women/SC/ST/PwD).

Eligibility for IIT Mandi PhD admission

The general route – Category A, the regular full-time research scholar – needs a relevant master’s degree and a national-level test score. For the School of Physical Sciences the published requirement is an M.Sc in Physical Sciences with at least 60% marks for General and General-EWS candidates and 55% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL candidates, along with at least one of a valid GATE or JEST score card, a CSIR/UGC-JRF or NET certificate with validity, a DST-INSPIRE fellowship, or a minimum of two years of research experience completed before the semester begins.

Candidates with a BS-MS or M.Sc from an IIT, IISER, IISc, IIM or NIT, or from an institute in the top 100 of the NIRF overall ranking, are exempt from the mandatory GATE requirement if they have a CGPA/CPI of at least 7.5 on a 10-point scale (7.25 for OBC-NCL and 7.0 for SC/ST/PwD).
Category B (project to PhD): project staff who have worked on an institute research project for six months or more can be considered with strong support from the principal investigator, and the GATE/NET requirement is waived.
The same qualifications apply to self-sponsored candidates, and candidates who are graduating in 2026 may apply provided they hold the original degree certificate or at least a provisional marksheet at the time of admission.
Employed candidates must submit a No Objection Certificate from their current employer at the time of the interview.

Financial support for IIT Mandi PhD scholars

IIT Mandi’s PhD ordinances list the categories of admission, and the first is a research scholar with MoE Assistantship. Scholars may also be supported by Government or semi-Government agencies such as QIP, CSIR, UGC, DAE, DST, DBT, NBHM, JEST and ICCR. Students joining the regular PhD programme may be considered for the HTRA Fellowship, subject to the availability of funds, if the selection committee recommends it.

For a scholar who upgrades from an MTech (Research) to the PhD programme, the ordinances state that the PhD fellowship starts from the date of upgradation and is paid for five years – two years as JRF and three years as SRF. The monthly amount is not published in the admission advertisements or in the ordinances, so it is not quoted here; confirm the current rate with the school office when you are shortlisted.

Application fee for IIT Mandi PhD admission

General, EWS, OBC, OBC-NCL, transgender and foreign national candidates	Rs 200
Women, SC, ST and PwD candidates	Rs 100

The fee is paid online on the IIT Mandi Samarth portal, and the generated transaction number has to be submitted on the admission application portal. One application fee is valid for a single application and the fee is non-refundable.

How to apply for IIT Mandi PhD admission

Open the IIT Mandi Samarth admission portal and register as a new applicant.
Choose the school or centre you are applying to and fill in your academic and test-score details – you may select more than one research area where the advertisement allows it.
Pay the application fee online (Rs 200, or Rs 100 for women, SC, ST and PwD candidates) and note the transaction number.
Submit the application before that school’s deadline – the earliest is 21 October 2026, 5:00 PM and the latest is 4 November 2026, 5:00 PM.
Watch your email and the IIT Mandi website for the shortlist; interviews are held in hybrid mode, and for the School of Physical Sciences they are tentatively between 27 November and 4 December 2026.
Carry your original documents, and a No Objection Certificate from your employer if you are employed, to the interview.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date to apply for IIT Mandi PhD admission for January 2027?

Each school and centre sets its own deadline. The earliest is 21 October 2026 at 5:00 PM for the School of Chemical Sciences and the last is 4 November 2026 at 5:00 PM for the School of Computing and Electrical Engineering. The School of Physical Sciences, CAIR, SHSS and the Dual Doctoral Degree Programme with Missouri S&T close on 30 October 2026.

What is the application fee for IIT Mandi PhD admission?

The fee is Rs 200 for General, EWS, OBC, OBC-NCL, transgender and foreign national candidates, and Rs 100 for women, SC, ST and PwD candidates. It is paid online on the Samarth portal, is valid for a single application and is non-refundable.

Does IIT Mandi pay a stipend to PhD scholars?

The PhD ordinances list research scholars with MoE Assistantship as a category of admission, and students joining the regular PhD programme may be considered for the HTRA Fellowship subject to the availability of funds and a recommendation by the selection committee. Scholars can also be supported by agencies such as CSIR, UGC, DAE, DST, DBT, NBHM, JEST and ICCR.

What is the eligibility for IIT Mandi PhD admission?

For the School of Physical Sciences you need an M.Sc in Physical Sciences with at least 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL) plus a valid GATE or JEST score, a CSIR/UGC-JRF or NET certificate with validity, a DST-INSPIRE fellowship, or two years of research experience. A BS-MS or M.Sc from an IIT, IISER, IISc, IIM, NIT or a top-100 NIRF institute with a CGPA of at least 7.5 is exempt from the GATE requirement.

Can I apply for more than one school at IIT Mandi?

Yes. The admissions table lists separate calls for each school and centre, and each call has its own application and deadline. One application fee is valid for a single application, so applying to two schools means two applications and two fees.

When are the IIT Mandi PhD interviews held?

Interviews are conducted in hybrid – online or offline – mode, and shortlisted candidates are informed by email and through a notification on the IIT Mandi website. For the School of Physical Sciences the tentative interview window is 27 November to 4 December 2026.

IIT Mandi PhD Admission January 2027: Apply by 21 October