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PhD Program

The PhD program at Plaksha puts emphasis on grand challenges including health, agriculture, water security, clean energy, etc. that cut across several disciplines, and faculty members are actively engaged in research in these disciplines.

PhD Program

Overview
Open PhD Position
PhD Student Journey
Eligibility criteria
Admissions process
Fee, and financial support
Meet PhD Scholars

Overview

Plaksha University offers a unique doctoral education program that empowers you for the future by combining domain knowledge, research skills and portable skills, leading to the highest level of academic achievement. The program generally takes around four years to complete and involves in-depth study and research in a specific field of study. The program requires a high level of dedication and commitment, as well as the ability to work independently and conduct original research.

At Plaksha, PhD programs are offered in a wide range of interdisciplinary fields, including biosystems engineering & human health, robotics & deep learning, computer science & AI/ML, environment & clean energy, humanities, language, and linguistics. In a PhD program, you are typically required to complete advanced coursework in your field of study, pass comprehensive evaluation, and conduct original research that culminates in a written dissertation. The dissertation must present original findings or insights that contribute to the body of knowledge in the field.

The PhD program is highly selective and competitive, and admissions requirements often include a degree in a related field, as well as strong academic credentials and research experience. Financial support in form of tuition fee waiver, monthly stipend and support for research internships at national/ international organizations and institutions is provided.

During the PhD program, you are also prepared for careers in academia, research, industry, or government via mentorship by top-notch global faculty.

Open PhD Position

Research Area	Projects	Supervisor
Replication stress and cancer	Study of p97 function in DNA replication stress response	Dr. Swagata Halder
Assistive technology	Optics: Journey of Light: “Experiencing Optics Through Touch and Sound” Environmental Science: "Nature's Textures - Flora and Fauna” Aerospace: "Flight Dynamics - Building Tactile Airfoils” Chemistry: "Molecular Models and Reactions Through Touch” Biomedical: "Breathing Life: Exploring Lung Capacity with Tactile Spirometry"	Dr. Rucha Joshi and Dr. Shashikant Pawar
Machine Learning, Bio-sensing, Computer Vision, Human-computer Interaction	Monitoring Emotions and Cognitive Well-being through physiological responses in the real-world through a wrist wearable. Using wearables and computer vision to monitor human safety in industrial and driving environments to mitigate untoward incidents. Tracking productivity and creativity, and mitigating mental workload while users interact with technology. Utilizing computer vision towards generating a “real-like” human avatar for the Metaverse (with the ability to try on various wardrobe choices remotely).	Dr. Siddharth
Fluid Mechanics and heat transfer, Environmental flows, Urban climate	Impact of heat and pollution on urban microclimate. Heat transfer enhancement in natural convection. Wave propagation through turbulent media.	Dr. Shashikant Pawar
Cryptography, Post-quantum security, Quantum computing and Quantum money	Designing post-quantum signature schemes, Designing quantum money schemes	Dr. Tapas Pandit
Applied Machine learning, Reinforcement learning, Optimization, and Control applied to energy arbitrage, sustainable energy systems, and managing renewable uncertainties in a smart grid.	Energy arbitrage using battery storage systems, Managing renewable uncertainties using battery storage systems,	Dr. Vivek Deulkar
Geospatial Computer Vision, Electronic devices for on-farm sensing	Geospatial Computer Vision for sensing urban infrastructure and rural agricultural activities IoT solutions for farm and urban sensing	Dr. Anupam Sobti
Technology and Sustainability, Indic Technologies, Humanities and Technology	The intersection and integration of humanities with technological studies Indic technologies Engineering education	Dr. Brainerd Prince
Robotics	Robotic assistants for infection control and management in hospital settings Design and development of a micro-manipulation robotic system for cellular level interventions for drug delivery	Dr. Sunita Chauhan

PhD Student Journey

Year 1

You will start the journey of unique doctoral education program at Plaksha by exploring research interests, gaining foundational knowledge, and developing professional skills that will prepare you for the following years. Doctoral Research Committee (DRC) will be constituted and it will guide and support you throughout your research projects, from the initial stages of developing the research proposal to final defence of the dissertation. You will also need to complete coursework equivalent to 12 credits in the first two semesters. You will in the meantime be also shape your research proposal through literature review and interaction with topic experts.

Year 2

You will typically continue research, and professional development activities from the first year, but you may also start to focus more on the specific research topic and begin to produce original research. You will make significant progress, this may involve conducting experiments, collecting data, analysing results, and writing up findings for publication. Additionally, you can also apply for research internships at National/ International institutes and organizations.

Year 3

At the beginning of Year 3, you will be required to present your research in a pre-synopsis seminar, submit a report and pass a comprehensive exam. This exam typically tests your knowledge of the core concepts and theories in their field. You’re also expected to showcase your original research through publications in academic journals and participation at research conferences.

Year 4

You will be finishing your research experiments and focus on writing the dissertation. Once the dissertation is written, you must defend your work before a committee of faculty members. This typically involves a presentation of the research and a question-and-answer session. Upon successful defence of the thesis, you will be eligible towards your PhD degree.

Eligibility criteria

The candidates with either of the following academics qualifications are eligible to seek admission to the PhD program:

Candidates with a 1-year/2-semester or 2-year/4-semester master’s degree program after 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree, or
Candidates with a 2-year/4-semester master’s degree after a 3-year bachelor’s degree programme, or
Candidates with a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Law, Architecture, Social Science, Humanities, and others with Research, or
Candidates who have completed the M.Phill program
Candidates should have secured at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed in their last academic qualification.

Standardized Test Scores

In addition to the above academic qualification, candidates who have qualified for scholarship/fellowship in GATE/ UGC-NET/ UGC-CSIR NET/ CEED/ JAM/ GRE and similar National level tests are eligible for admission into the PhD program.
Candidates who do not have a National Level Test qualification will be required to give an entrance test conducted by the University. Information about this test will be provided post completion of application and initial screening of mandatory documents.

Candidates who have earned a degree from a foreign educational institution.

Candidates with an equivalent degree from a foreign educational institution accredited by an Assessment and Accreditation Agency which is approved, recognized, or authorized by an authority, established, or incorporated under a law in its home country or any other statutory authority in that country to assess, accredit or assure quality and standards of educational institutions are also eligible to seek admission to the PhD program.

Admission to International Students - International students are also eligible to apply for the PhD program.

Admissions process

Fill out an application form
Appear for one-on-one virtual interaction with prospective supervisors. Tell us about yourself, your interests, and your experiences. We will ask you a few questions to understand your critical and lateral thinking and assess your research interests.
Showcase-day – You’re invited to the campus to learn about the facilities, and student life and visit labs. We will give you a short assignment to assess your research methodology skills and subject knowledge followed by a face-to-face interview.
Receive final admission decision Candidates who pass the admission process but do not have any National Level Test score will be given a conditional offer of admission and may be admitted to the Plaksha Research Fellow (PRF) program.

Application form requirements

Academic Records – Undergraduate and post-graduate (in case of final year, submit provisional certificates)
Standardized Test Scores (where available)
Statement of Purpose – Applicants should write a statement of purpose that describes their research interests and motivation for pursuing a PhD.
Letter of Recommendation – Applicants must provide at least two strong letters of recommendation from their academic supervisors, mentors, or professionals who can attest to their research abilities.
Research experience – prior publications or presentations at academic conferences (optional, we encourage applicants to share these details)
Artefacts of Extracurricular activities, achievements

Fee, and financial support

The fees for the PhD program are due at the beginning of the academic year. Tuition fee waiver and financial support in form of a monthly stipend are provided. The details are as below:

Fee

Admission Fee (one time) ₹ 25,000
Annual Registration Fee (non-refundable) ₹ 5,000

Tuition fee waiver

Candidates admitted under Plaksha Doctoral Fellowship/ Government Fellowship will receive a full tuition fee waiver.

Financial support

In form of monthly stipend of ₹ 60,000 in first & second year & ₹ 70,000 after completion of the second year for subsequent years
Conference/workshop-related allowance (domestic and international) of up to ₹ 2,00,000 during the entire duration of the PhD program
For Research Internship at National/ International institutions or organizations

You may contact us at phd.academics@plaksha.edu.in

Courses and
Curriculum

Domain Specific Courses
Research Skills Courses
PhD Student Journey

Domain Specific Courses

Domain-specific courses for PhD students are an important part of the program because they provide students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and expertise in a particular area of study. These courses are typically more specialized and advanced than undergraduate or even graduate-level courses, and they are often taught by leading experts in the field. They may also include opportunities for independent research or projects that allow students to apply their knowledge in a practical setting.

Some examples of domain-specific courses for PhD students might include:

Advanced statistical analysis in psychology
Quantum field theory in physics
Computational methods in biology
Advanced topics in algorithm design in computer science
Advanced techniques in data mining and machine learning in computer science

Programs

PhD Program