IIT Guwahati PhD Admission 2026: Apply by 28 October

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has invited applications for PhD admission for the December 2026 session. Applications are open across its departments, schools and centres under the Regular, CSIR/UGC Special, Joint Degree (with IIT BHU) and Project Mode schemes.

The application portal opened on 8 October 2026 and closes at 5:00 PM on 28 October 2026. Selections are held from 24 November to 5 December 2026, and the new PhD session begins with registration on 4 January 2027.

IIT Guwahati PhD admission for the December 2026 session - apply by 28 October 2026

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IIT Guwahati PhD admission 2026: quick facts

Quick facts2026-27

Scholarship from	Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati – PhD admission for the December 2026 session
Last date to apply	28 October 2026, 5:00 PM (portal opened on 8 October 2026)
Official website	IIT Guwahati admission page (official website)

Go to official website

What is the IIT Guwahati PhD December 2026 admission?

This is the December 2026 (winter) PhD admission cycle of IIT Guwahati. The institute runs two PhD admission cycles a year, and this one admits students across its engineering, science, humanities, management and interdisciplinary units. Applications must be submitted online, and shortlisted candidates go through a written test and/or interview conducted by the respective academic division.

Departments, schools and centres admitting PhD students

Departments of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Design, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Humanities and Social Sciences.
Schools of Agro and Rural Technology, Health Sciences and Technology, Business, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Energy Science and Engineering and Interdisciplinary Studies and Sustainability.
Centres for Nanotechnology, Indian Knowledge Systems and Linguistic Science and Technology, plus the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence for National Security Studies and Research (offered under the Employed Part-Time category only).

Studentship and fellowship categories

IIT Guwahati admits PhD students under a Regular category and several non-regular categories. Only the Regular category carries an institute assistantship or fellowship.

Regular category: full-time study with an Institute Assistantship for candidates with a valid GATE or CEED score, or UGC-CSIR-NET Assistant Professorship for arts-background candidates.
External fellowships accepted: NET-JRF of CSIR, UGC, DST, DBT, ICMR or ICAR; NBHM Doctoral Scholarship; DAE Graduate Fellowship Scheme (DGFS); UGC Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF).
INSPIRE Fellowship: candidates are admitted under the self-financed category and converted to the Regular category from the effective date of the fellowship.
Non-regular categories (no institute assistantship): Sponsored, Employed Part-Time, Project-Staff, External, Self-Financed and Industry-Sponsored.
IATMLA test: MTech, MDes or MS(R) applicants without GATE or CEED may sit an offline written test at IIT Guwahati for Institute Assistantship. Qualifying marks are 40% for GEN/GEN-EWS, 36% for OBC-NCL and 26% for SC/ST/PwD.

Eligibility for IIT Guwahati PhD admission

A degree (or equivalent) issued by a university or an Institute of National Importance, for a study of at least four years after Class 12, is considered.
Candidates admitted with a UG degree have the option of a Dual Master’s and PhD degree in certain divisions. They must opt for it at admission, and by the end of the first semester at the latest, and complete prescribed coursework of at least 72 credits over three semesters with a CPI of 6.5.
Shortlisting may use additional criteria based on performance in GATE, NET or CEED, grades in the qualifying degree and earlier academic records from Class 10 onwards.

Application fee

All female candidates, transgender candidates and SC/ST/PwD candidates: Rs 300.
All other candidates: Rs 600.
You register once on the portal and can apply to multiple disciplines under the same login, but the application fee must be paid separately for each application.

Important dates for the December 2026 session

Application portal opens: 8 October 2026.
Application portal closes: 5:00 PM on 28 October 2026.
Selections: 24 November to 5 December 2026.
Registration of new PhD students: 4 January 2027.
First day of instruction: 5 January 2027.
An accepted seat may be withdrawn up to 27 December 2026.

How to apply

Open the IIT Guwahati application portal and register with your details.
Complete the three steps of the application – personal and educational information, selection of the programme, and online payment of the application fee.
To apply to more than one discipline, repeat the programme-selection and payment steps for each one.
Submit before 5:00 PM on 28 October 2026. Incomplete applications are not processed.
Check the portal for shortlisting and selection results. For queries, contact [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date for IIT Guwahati PhD admission December 2026?

The application portal closes at 5:00 PM on 28 October 2026. It opened on 8 October 2026, and applications are accepted only through the official online portal.

Does IIT Guwahati PhD admission give a stipend?

Yes, for the Regular category. PhD students admitted under the Regular category receive an Institute Assistantship if they hold a valid GATE or CEED score, or UGC-CSIR-NET Assistant Professorship for arts candidates, or an eligible external fellowship such as NET-JRF, NBHM, DGFS or RGNF. Non-regular categories do not carry an assistantship.

Can I get IIT Guwahati PhD admission without GATE?

MTech, MDes or MS(R) applicants without GATE or CEED may appear for the Institute Assistantship Test for MTech Level Applicants (IATMLA), an offline written test held at the IIT Guwahati campus. B.Tech, M.Sc, MA, MCA and MBA applicants need a valid GATE score.

When are the IIT Guwahati PhD selections held?

Selections are conducted from 24 November to 5 December 2026, in online, offline or hybrid mode as decided by each department, school or centre. The mode for each discipline is announced along with the selection schedule.

What is the IIT Guwahati PhD application fee?

Female, transgender and SC/ST/PwD candidates pay Rs 300, and all other candidates pay Rs 600. A separate fee applies for each additional discipline you apply to.

When does the IIT Guwahati PhD session start?

Registration of new PhD students is on 4 January 2027, and instruction begins on 5 January 2027.

IIT Guwahati PhD Admission December 2026: Apply by 28 October