Students Union to protest PhD admissions policy at University of Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The Students Union of the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has called for a protest today at 2:30 p.m. at the Administration Building, demanding changes to the PhD admission process and the release of data on vacant reserved category seats from the 2023–24 academic year.
The protest follows the recent PhD admission notification issued by the University for the 2025–26 academic session. Out of 41 departments, only 22 have opted for a University-based entrance examination as a qualification for the interview process. The remaining 19 departments continue to rely on national-level exams such as CSIR-UGC NET or NTA-NET.
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The Students Union has raised concerns over this split approach, citing inefficiencies and exclusionary practices associated with centralized exams. According to the Union, of the 174 seats advertised in 2023–24 through NET-based admissions, 88 remain vacant. They allege that a majority of these unfilled seats are from reserved categories.
The Union also pointed to UGC guidelines that allow reopening of admissions in case of persistent vacancies and mandate flexibility in reallocating unfilled reserved seats. Despite this, the University has not made any changes to the current process, prompting criticism of its handling of admissions.
Some departments, such as the School of Physics, were specifically mentioned by the Union for allegedly flouting reservation norms in past admission cycles. The Union argues that continuing to allow such departments to independently determine their admission criteria without oversight enables discriminatory practices.
Last year’s disruption of the NET exam further highlighted the flaws of relying solely on national-level tests, the Union stated. The sudden cancellation impacted the academic calendar and created uncertainty for applicants.
The Students Union also questioned the timing and transparency of the decision-making process. The Academic Council meeting scheduled for April 11, 2025, which was expected to discuss PhD admissions, was postponed. In its absence, the administration granted departments autonomy in determining their admission methods, a move the Union calls arbitrary.
The Students Union is demanding two key actions from the University administration:
1. A revised PhD admission notification that mandates the University-based entrance examination as the sole qualifying test for interviews across all departments.
2. The release of department-wise data on vacant reserved category seats from the 2023–24 academic year, particularly in departments that used NET-based qualifications.
The University of Hyderabad, a central university established in 1974, opened its PhD application portal on April 11, 2025. Applications will be accepted until April 30, 2025. Of the total 41 PhD programmes offered, 21 will follow the University’s entrance exam, while 20 will rely on NET scores, as per UGC guidelines.
Admissions are being overseen by the Controller of Examinations, Thukaram Porika. Further information is available on the University’s official websites: https://acad.uohyd.ac.in and http://www.uohyd.ac.in.
