AICTE PDF 2024-25: Register by November 15

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) announced today, October 18, 2026, an extension of the registration deadline for its Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) 2024-25. The new deadline for applications is November 15, 2026, with revisions also made to eligibility criteria, assistance, grants, and selection norms for the PDF scheme, impacting PhD holders aspiring for research careers in AICTE-approved institutions.

These changes are part of AICTE’s broader objective to foster a reliable research ecosystem, aiming to seed, grow, and support research for transforming the quality and quantity of research within AICTE-approved institutions and affiliated universities. The council seeks to nurture a strong culture of research and knowledge creation, funding and promoting collaborative, peer-reviewed research, and catalyzing quality academic research.

Revised AICTE Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) Norms

The AICTE Post-Doctoral Fellowship 2024-25 now supports 200 full-time Indian research scholars annually, promoting advanced research in AICTE-approved institutions for PhD holders. Fellows will receive a monthly fellowship of Rs 80,000, besides applicable House Rent Allowance (HRA). A research grant of Rs 2,00,000 per annum is also provided, along with overheads of Rs 50,000 per annum. This research grant is designated for minor equipment, consumables, contingency expenses, and domestic travel, but does not cover financial support for research personnel.

A key revision in eligibility states that only candidates with physics, chemistry, and maths backgrounds who have been awarded a PhD degree from a recognized university in relevant disciplines are eligible. General category candidates must have a minimum of 60% or an equivalent CGPA at either the postgraduate or undergraduate level. A relaxation of 5% of marks is applicable for reserved categories, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), women, and Persons with Disabilities (PWD). Candidates are also required to possess quality publications in SCI/SCI-E/SCOPUS indexed journals and/or granted patents. During the fellowship tenure, candidates are not permitted to receive any other fellowship from government or non-governmental sources.

AICTE Doctoral Fellowship (ADF) Updates

The AICTE Doctoral Fellowship (ADF) scheme, which transformed from the AICTE National Doctoral Fellowship (NDF) scheme from the academic year 2020-21, is applicable for candidates admitted from the academic year 2024-25. Existing scholars under the NDF scheme will continue to receive their fellowship until the completion of their current program. The total period of fellowship for ADF, encompassing both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF), is five years.

For ADF scholars, the fellowship amount is Rs 37,000 per month for JRF and Rs 42,000 per month for SRF. Additionally, ADF students are eligible for a Contingency Grant limited to Rs 15,000 per year. Candidates applying for the ADF scheme should be below 30 years of age at the time of registration or application submission. An age relaxation of 5 years is applicable for SC/ST/Women/Physically challenged categories, and 3 years for the OBC category.

Introduction of AICTE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellowship Programme (AIEDFP) 2026

In a related development, the AICTE also launched the AICTE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellowship Programme (AIEDFP) 2026 on September 3, 2026. This programme was introduced by AICTE Chairman Prof. Yogesh Singh and Member Secretary Prof. Shyama Rath. The AIEDFP offers a monthly stipend of Rs 60,000 for the first three years, increasing to Rs 70,000 per month for years four and five, along with applicable HRA. Furthermore, scholars under this programme are eligible for an Innovation Grant of up to Rs 10 lakh per scholar.

The AIEDFP has a total budget of Rs 245 crore allocated over five years, aiming to fund 150 PhD fellowships. This initiative is aligned with India’s broader push under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) vision, specifically designed to bridge the gap between university laboratories and the marketplace by focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, and societal impact. Candidates can monitor aicte-india.org for detailed eligibility notifications and application window dates for AIEDFP.

Further reading

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Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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