Cotton University PhD admission 2026-27: Visvesvaraya scheme shortlist released

In short

Cotton University announced the shortlisted candidates for the PhD Personal Interview (PI) / viva under the Visvesvaraya PhD scheme (Phase-II) on October 29, 2026.
The scheme, sponsored by MeitY, Government of India, offers admission to a Full Time PhD program for the Autumn Semester 2026.
Selected candidates will receive a monthly fellowship ranging from Rs. 46,250 to Rs. 52,500, along with other grants and support.
The Computer Science and Information Technology department has one unreserved seat available, focusing on Cybersecurity, Network Security, and Artificial Intelligence.
The date for the personal interview will be announced on the Cotton University website.

Cotton University released the list of shortlisted candidates for the Personal Interview (PI) / viva for PhD admission under the Visvesvaraya PhD scheme (Phase-II) on October 29, 2026. This announcement pertains to admission to the Full Time PhD program for the Autumn Semester 2026, for the Academic Year 2026-27.

Official notification screenshot — Screenshot of the official page at cottonuniversity.ac.in

The Visvesvaraya PhD scheme (Phase-II) is sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, and focuses on the fields of Electronics and IT. The selection process for these admissions is based on overall academic performance and the personal interview.

Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme Fellowship and Grants

The Visvesvaraya PhD scheme offers substantial financial support for selected candidates. This includes a monthly fellowship, reimbursement of rent, and a research contingency grant. Support is also provided for international conferences and visits to laboratories abroad from the third year of the PhD program.

The fellowship structure provides Rs. 46,250 per month for the to start and second years, increasing to Rs. 52,500 per month for the third, fourth, and fifth years. This support is available until PhD completion or for a maximum of five years, whichever is earlier. In addition, a Research Contingency Grant Support of Rs. 1,20,000 per year is provided to full-time PhD candidates.

Component	Amount	Duration/Conditions
Fellowship (1st and 2nd year)	Rs. 46,250/- per month
Fellowship (3rd, 4th and 5th years)	Rs. 52,500 per month	Support till PhD completion or 5 years whichever is earlier
Reimbursement of Rent (RoR)	16% of fellowship	For class Y cities/towns
Research contingency Grant Support	Rs. 1,20,000/- Per Year	For support duration of Ph.D. candidate
Support for attending international conferences	Available	From 3rd year of the Ph.D
Visit to Labs abroad (monthly fellowship)	Rs. 1,50,000	One-time support from 3rd year, for 6 months
Visit to Labs abroad (Travel/Visa expenses)	Up to Rs. 1,50,000

Departmental Seats and Research Areas

For the Academic Year 2026-27, the Computer Science and Information Technology department at Cotton University has one unreserved (UR) seat available under this scheme. The specified areas of research for this department include Cybersecurity, Network Security, and Artificial Intelligence.

Applicants were required to submit various documents, including proof of age, mark sheets from 10th and 12th examinations, undergraduate and postgraduate degree transcripts and certificates, and proof of qualifying GATE/NET if applicable. The application fee for the program was INR 1,200.00.

Department	Eligibility Criteria	Seat	Area of research
Computer Science and Information Technology	Essential: Desirable:	01 (UR)	Cybersecurity, Network Security and Artificial Intelligence

Application Timeline and Next Steps

The notification for PhD Admission under the Visvesvaraya PhD scheme (Phase-II) was initially posted on October 12, 2026. The last date for final submission of applications was within 14 days from the date of advertisement. The announcement of shortlisted candidates was tentatively scheduled for the last week of October 2026, with the actual release on October 29, 2026.

Candidates who have been shortlisted are advised to monitor the Cotton University website, cottonuniversity.ac.in, for updates regarding the personal interview. The specific date for the personal interview will be notified through the website.