DU to provide PhD admissions via CUET from upcoming academic year

New Delhi: The Delhi University will provide admission into PhD programmes through the Common University Entrance Test (PhD) conducted by the National Testing Agency from the upcoming academic year, officials announced on Friday. 

This will be the first time the university will admit students into the PhD programmes through a common test instead of conducting written tests and interviews. 

The decision was taken during the Executive Council meeting, where a battery of resolutions was approved, including the five-year LLB programme. 

"PhD admission will be done on the basis of CUET (PhD)-2023 based on the recommendation of the Standing Committee of the Academic Council, after deliberations on various matters related to admission and attendance of Undergraduate, Postgraduate and PhD programmes for the academic session 2023-24, the same were also accepted by the Executive Council (EC)," the university said in a statement.

The Delhi University (DU) started taking admission into undergraduate programmes through CUET-UG last year and will be admitting students into postgraduate programmes through CUET PG. 

The entrance test will be through the national-based CUET (PhD)-2023 conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). However, teaching and non-teaching category serving in the university can directly appear for interviews, the officials confirmed. 

"Teaching and non-teaching staff may be permitted to attend classes and take examinations without affecting the duties assigned during office hours. These rules for PhD will be applicable from the academic session 2023-2024," it added. 

Apart from these, the eligibility condition and seat matrix recommendations of the Medical Science Courses Admission Committee (MCAC) for admission to undergraduate (MBBS/BDS) courses for the academic session 2023-2024 were also approved in the EC. MSc admission to the Respiratory Therapy programme will also be under CUET (PG)-2023. 

Meanwhile, the resolution to set up the Centre for Independence and Partition Studies, passed in the 1014th Academic Council meeting of the university, was also approved on Friday.

Through research, this centre will also work on such unsung heroes and events of the freedom movement, which have not yet found a place in history.  Along with this, the incidents during the tragedy of partition of India will also be deeply studied and researched.

An approval has also been given for the formation of Tribal Studies Centre. It will be a multi-disciplinary centre with studies on various tribes of India. In addition to the above, establishment of Hindu Studies Centre was also passed in the EC meeting.

A Master of Arts programme in Hindu studies will be started under the Centre for Hindu Studies.  I

t has also been approved to run the Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) course from the academic session 2023-24, the statement said.

This will be a four year course as a pilot project, the university said.

Du's Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Mahila College, Mata Sundari Mahila Mahavidyalaya and Jesus and Mary College have been granted approval for ITEP by NCTE from the session 2023-2024.

The education department of DU and eight colleges running B El Ed course will apply for ITEP course for the academic year 2024-2025.