New Delhi, Jun 05:The Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Prof. T.G. Sitharam, officially launched the AICTE Doctoral Fellowship (ADF) Scheme for the academic year 2024-25. During the launch, Prof Sitharam emphasized the scheme’s goal of fostering a robust research culture and advancing knowledge by creating a supportive ecosystem within AICTE approved institutions. He noted that this unique scheme will nurture a strong focus on research and innovation. The primary objective of the scheme is to fund and promote collaborative, high-quality, peer-reviewed research between technical institutions and industries, potentially leading to the creation of start-ups. This initiative aims to help scholars advance their educational qualifications while also benefiting academia. Previously, the scheme was limited to Engineering and Technology students, but it now covers all areas under the purview of AICTE. Under this scheme, 400 scholarships will be awarded per year. A new and unique feature of this scheme is that scholars can now apply directly or through their respective universities. Scholars will receive the scholarship through direct beneficiary transfer (DBT).
The scheme identifies several broad research areas within Engineering and Technology, Management, Design, Planning, Applied Arts, Crafts and Design, Applied Science, and Hotel Management and Catering Technology, though it is not limited to these fields. The scheme operates under two categories:
Category A: Candidates can register directly through the AICTE ADF portal with No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their university, in accordance with scheme guidelines.
Category B: Universities can register under the scheme and admit students into their Ph.D programs according to their procedures, provided they meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by AICTE. To ensure quality in Ph.D research, an AICTE evaluation committee will assess research proposals from candidates in both categories.
Eligibility for the scheme requires candidates to be admitted to Ph.D. programs in departments such as Engineering and Technology, Management, Design, Planning, Applied Arts, Crafts and Design, or Computer Application, all of which must be AICTE approved at the postgraduate level. For Hotel Management, candidates must have completed an undergraduate program in Hotel Management and Catering Technology approved by AICTE and hold a master’s degree in a relevant field. Additionally, candidates must have successfully completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or dual degree in the specified fields.
Postgraduate candidates in Applied Science seeking admission or already admitted to a Ph.D program in an AICTE approved institution are also eligible. The age limit for candidates is under 30 years for both categories A and B, with an age relaxation as per government norms. Junior Research Fellows (JRF) will receive rupees 37,000 per month, while Senior Research Fellows (SRF) will receive rupees 42,000 per month. JRFs may be upgraded to SRFs after completing two years from the start of their ADF. The fellowship duration is a maximum of five years and applications for the ADF can be submitted throughout the year following the completion of the admission process for the academic year.
