A PhD admission at an IIT for the January session works on a different calendar from the better-known July one. The adverts go up in September and October, the deadlines fall in October and November, and the tests and interviews run through November and December. If you missed the July round, this is the intake that lets you start research in a few months. You do not have to wait a year.
This guide explains how the January round works, who can apply, what it pays and where people get caught out. Every figure here comes from an official advertisement or institute page, and the sources are listed at the end.
At a glance
| What it is called | Spring Semester, Semester II, Even Semester or 2nd Semester, depending on the IIT. IIT Mandi calls its January intake the ODD semester. |
| When adverts appear | Early September to early October |
| When applications close | Mid October to early November |
| Tests and interviews | November and December |
| Classes start | First or second week of January |
| Monthly fellowship | Rs 37,000 on a Teaching Assistantship, rising to Rs 42,000 after two years. Rs 42,000 on a Research Assistantship, rising to Rs 47,000. Figures from the IIT Bombay brochure for 2026-27. |
| Application fee | Rs 150 to Rs 1,000, set by each IIT |
| The thing people get wrong | Departments inside one IIT can close on different days, and a national test accepted by one department may be refused by another. |
Why the January round exists
Every IIT runs two PhD intakes a year. One starts in July, the other in January. The July round is larger and better known. The January round is smaller, and that cuts both ways: fewer seats, and fewer applicants for them.
A few IITs have stopped using fixed windows altogether. IIT Kharagpur now runs a rolling PhD admission, open all year, with each academic unit processing applications at least once a quarter. For that one the useful date is the quarter boundary, and there is no deadline to miss.
What the round is called at each IIT
The naming is a genuine source of confusion, and searching for the wrong phrase makes you think an IIT is not admitting when it is.
- Spring Semester at IIT Bombay and IIT Roorkee
- Semester II or 2nd Semester at IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Delhi
- ODD semester at IIT Mandi, which is the January one there
- Jan – May 2027 at IIT Madras, written as part of the academic year 2026-27
When you search, try the institute name with “PhD admission” and the year “2027”, then look for whichever word that IIT uses.
Who can apply
The qualifying degrees are broadly the same across the IITs. IIT Bombay’s 2026-27 brochure lists them clearly, and most others follow a similar list:
- A master’s in engineering or technology (MTech, ME)
- An MBA with a BTech or BE
- A four-year bachelor’s in engineering, technology or medicine
- A four-year BS
- A master’s in science (MSc)
- A master’s in arts or commerce (MA, MCom) for humanities, social sciences and management departments
Marks matter. The usual bar is 60%, a first class, or a CPI of 6.0 on 10 for General, EWS and OBC-NC candidates, and 55% or the matching CPI for SC, ST and PwD candidates. IIT Gandhinagar sets its institute-level minimum lower, at 55% or 5.5 CPI, with 50% or 5.0 CPI for SC, ST and PwD, and then lets departments raise it.
That last point is general. An institute-level minimum is a floor. Departments routinely shortlist well above it.
The national test, and when you do not need it
If you hold a bachelor’s degree, an MSc, an MA or an MCom, you usually need a qualifying national test as well. The list differs by institute and by department:
- GATE is the common route for engineering
- CSIR-UGC NET and UGC NET, including lectureship in some places
- JEST, accepted at IIT Bombay only for Physics and Biosciences
- CEED for design
- DST-INSPIRE, sometimes on provisional selection
- Another national examination run by an agency of the Ministry of Education
Two exemptions are worth knowing because they let strong candidates skip the test entirely.
An MTech or ME holder is often exempt. IIT Bombay’s list applies the test requirement to bachelor’s, MSc, MA and MCom holders.
A high CGPA from a well-ranked institute can replace the test. IIT Mandi’s School of Chemical Sciences advertisement sets this out in detail. A BTech, BE or BS from a Centrally Funded Technical Institute, from any institute in the NIRF top 100 overall at the time of application, or from a Himachal Pradesh government institution, needs a CGPA of at least 7.5 on 10 for General and EWS, 7.25 for OBC-NCL and 7.0 for SC, ST and PwD. A BS-MS or MSc from an IIT, IISER, IISc or IIM, or from an NIRF top-100 institute, carries the same bars.
Two years of professional experience after the qualifying degree is also accepted in place of the test at some institutes, and self-sponsored candidates are often outside the requirement altogether.
Which category to apply under
The category decides your money, your residency and your paperwork. Most IITs offer some version of these:
- Regular, full-time with institute assistantship. The standard route. You get a monthly fellowship and you give teaching or research support in return.
- Institute fellowship holders. Candidates arriving with CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF, DBT, ICMR or INSPIRE support draw that fellowship.
- Sponsored. Your employer sends you and pays you. You need a release letter.
- Part-time or external. For people working nearby who can attend coursework. Residency rules are lighter and the conditions are stricter.
- Self-sponsored. You fund yourself. At several IITs this route drops the national-test requirement.
What it pays
The two assistantship routes are the ones most people take, and the gap between them is real money.
- Teaching Assistantship (TA): Rs 37,000 a month for the first two years, then Rs 42,000, for up to five years or until you submit your thesis. TA holders at IIT Bombay give 8 hours a week of teaching support.
- Research Assistantship (RA): Rs 42,000 a month for the first two years, then Rs 47,000. RA seats sit on specific funded projects and each department lists them separately.
IIT Gandhinagar’s institute fellowship pays Rs 37,000 a month, rising to Rs 42,000 after two successful years in the programme, and it sets out exactly which qualifications earn it, including a BTech from a CFTI with a CPI of at least 8.0.
One fellowship stands far above the rest. IIT Kharagpur’s Director’s Platinum Jubilee Excellence PhD Fellowship pays Rs 80,000 a month for two years and then Rs 90,000 for three, for candidates who place in the top 50 of GATE 2026 and choose IIT Kharagpur, subject to its admission criteria.
What the application costs
Fees are small and vary by institute. From the current advertisements:
- IIT Mandi: Rs 200 for GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, transgender and foreign nationals; Rs 100 for women and SC, ST and PD candidates
- IIT Bombay: Rs 300 for most candidates, Rs 150 for women and SC, ST and PwD candidates, with Rs 500 added in the late-fee window
- IIT Gandhinagar: Rs 300, or Rs 150 for SC, ST and PD candidates
- IIT Kharagpur: Rs 1,000 for Unreserved, OBC, EWS and transgender candidates; Rs 500 for SC, ST, PwD and women
Five traps in the January round
Departments close on different days. This is the most common mistake. Check the date for your department, and never assume the institute has one closing date.
A late-fee window is not an extension. IIT Bombay accepts applications after 17 October 2026 until 21 October with an extra Rs 500. The shortlisting timetable does not move.
One application only, at some IITs. IIT Kharagpur rejects duplicates and does not refund the fee. Settle on your department and category before you pay.
Employed candidates need a No Objection Certificate. IIT Mandi asks for it at the interview, so get it signed early.
Finishing your degree in 2026 is usually fine. IIT Mandi encourages candidates graduating in 2026 to apply, provided they hold the original degree certificate or at least a provisional marksheet at the time of admission. Read your institute’s wording before you rule yourself out.
What to do this week
- Pick three departments across two or three IITs. Read their faculty pages and shortlist supervisors whose work you can discuss.
- Check which national test each department accepts, and whether an exemption applies to you.
- Download the brochure for each department and note its own closing date.
- Write one page about the research you want to do, then cut it to half a page. Most forms ask for something like this.
- Get your documents scanned: degree certificates, mark sheets, category certificate, test scorecard, and a No Objection Certificate if you are employed.
You can see which calls are open today on our list of PhD positions and admissions, and look up faculty by field and institute on Find a supervisor.
Frequently asked questions
When do IIT PhD admissions open for the January session?
Adverts appear from early September to early October. Closing dates fall between mid October and early November. For the January 2027 round, IIT Bombay closed on 17 October 2026 with a late-fee window to 21 October, IIT Roorkee closes on 20 October 2026, IIT Mandi’s School of Chemical Sciences on 21 October 2026, and IIT Madras on 30 October 2026.
Can I do a PhD at an IIT without GATE?
Often yes. An MTech or ME holder is usually outside the national-test requirement. A high CGPA from a CFTI, an NIRF top-100 institute, an IIT, IISC, IISER or IIM can also replace it, with CGPA bars set by the institute. Self-sponsored candidates are frequently exempt. UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, JEST, CEED and DST-INSPIRE are accepted in place of GATE, depending on the department.
What is the PhD stipend at an IIT?
A Teaching Assistantship pays Rs 37,000 a month for two years and then Rs 42,000. A Research Assistantship pays Rs 42,000 and then Rs 47,000. These are the figures in IIT Bombay’s 2026-27 brochure. IIT Kharagpur’s DPEF fellowship pays Rs 80,000 a month for two years and then Rs 90,000 for GATE 2026 top-50 rankers.
Is the January PhD intake smaller than the July one?
Usually yes. Fewer seats are advertised and some departments sit out a round. IIT Bombay’s January 2027 call covers every academic unit except two. The smaller field also means fewer people competing for the seats that are open.
Do I need to contact a supervisor before applying?
No IIT requires it, and it helps anyway. Departments shortlist on academic record and on how you answer the form, and a specific research interest reads better than a general one. Naming a group whose work you have read is the cheapest way to improve an application.
What is the difference between a TA and an RA?
A Teaching Assistantship is funded by the institute and comes with teaching duties, 8 hours a week at IIT Bombay. A Research Assistantship is funded from a specific project, pays about Rs 5,000 a month more, and ties you to that project’s work. Departments list RA seats separately from TA seats.
Can I apply while my final-year results are pending?
At most IITs yes. You normally need the original degree certificate, or at least a provisional marksheet, by the time of admission. IIT Mandi states this directly and encourages 2026 graduates to apply.
Sources
- IIT Bombay, PhD Spring Semester Advertisement 2026-27 (PDF) and the PhD Brochure 2026-27 (PDF)
- IIT Roorkee, Admission to Doctoral Programmes
- IIT Mandi, School of Chemical Sciences PhD advertisement for January 2027 (PDF)
- IIT Kharagpur, Rolling PhD Admission
- IIT Gandhinagar, PhD Programmes
- IIT Madras, Research Admissions
- IIT Delhi, PG Admissions
Checked on 4 October 2026. Deadlines move and institutes publish extensions, so open the official page before you apply. If you spot something out of date here, please tell us.
