Ph.D. Admission Procedure (2025-26)

The Department of Plant Molecular Biology, UDSC invites applications for the Full-Time PhD  programme each academic year. The programme has a limited number of seats available in the major research areas of plant molecular biology:

• Understanding molecular basis of plant reproduction and its genetic manipulation to develop alternative sources of human nutrition
• Calcium-mediated signaling, functional genomics of stress signaling, and stress adaptation in plants
• To understand the complicated regulatory networks composed of various genomic elements (proteins, regulatory RNAs, cis-acting elements, etc.) that interact with each other in response to various developmental and environmental cues
• Understanding the molecular basis of stress responses and senescence to develop crops with climate change-resilience and higher productivity
• Exploring the naturally evolved allelic variations for the development of climate-resilient and pathogen-resistant/tolerant high-yielding crop varieties
• Understand the role of epigenetics and COP9 Signalosome in plant reproduction and adaptation during abiotic stress

Important Dates:

Selection Procedure Academic Session 2025-26:

The admissions to the Ph.D. program for Academic Session 2025-26 will be done in two Phases based on the following:

2. Seat distribution:

• 60% of the total available seats will be sanctioned for Phase I.
• 40% of the total available seats will be sanctioned for Phase II and if seats remain vacant in Phase I, these will also be filled in Phase II.

1. For the purpose of drawing the Merit List, 70% weightage must be given to the scores obtained in the Nationalized Test, and 30% weightage must be given to the Interviews.
2. The above will be applicable for all candidates, i.e. candidates from Block A (Category-I) and Block B (Category-2) and (Category-3).
3. In each Phase, seats will first be filled by candidates of Block A. If seats remain vacant, candidates from Block B may be considered as per merit.