The Higher Education Department of West Bengal has directed all state-run, state-aided, and private universities to use national-level eligibility test scores for admission to PhD programmes. The new policy removes the requirement for universities to conduct separate entrance examinations for doctoral admissions.

The decision has been introduced in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) PhD Regulations, 2022, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the UGC's communication issued on March 28, 2024. The initiative aims to establish a more transparent, uniform, and streamlined admission process across higher education institutions in the state.

Until now, many universities held their own PhD entrance examinations, requiring candidates to appear for multiple tests when applying to different institutions. Under the revised system, admissions will be based on performance in recognised national-level examinations.

Accepted National-Level Examinations

• UGC-NET
• UGC-CSIR NET
• GATE
• CEED
• Other recognised national-level eligibility examinations

Applicants who qualify through these examinations will also be required to participate in an interview, which will remain an essential part of the PhD admission process.

The department has also instructed universities and state-aided institutions not to advertise or conduct institution-specific entrance examinations such as PhD Admission Tests (PAT), Research Entrance Tests (RET), or Research Eligibility Tests for the upcoming academic session.

The revised admission framework follows the UGC's recommendation to use national eligibility test scores as the primary basis for PhD admissions beginning with the 2024–25 academic session. The objective is to simplify the admission process by enabling research aspirants to rely on a single national-level examination instead of taking multiple university-specific tests.

The directive has received approval from the competent authority and has been communicated to government universities, private universities, and state-aided institutions for implementation in future PhD admission cycles.