Bihar Universities to Admit Only NET-Qualified Candidates for PhD Programmes

Brief By Newsbrief / 8:28 AM on 12 Jan 2026

Universities across Bihar are preparing to implement a major overhaul of their PhD admission process by restricting eligibility exclusively to candidates who have cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET). The move follows revised guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission and aims to bring the state’s doctoral admissions in line with national standards.

At present, PhD admissions in Bihar follow a dual system, allowing entry through NET qualification or university-level pre-PhD entrance examinations. Officials said that once the revised framework is fully implemented, the pre-PhD qualifying route will be discontinued, making NET the sole eligibility criterion for doctoral registration.

The reform is intended to standardise admissions, enhance academic quality, and simplify the selection process. The change will coincide with the introduction of a single common entrance examination for PhD admissions across state universities from the upcoming academic session. Education officials believe the new system will strengthen research standards and increase interest in national-level eligibility examinations.