Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) PhD Admission 2026-27 (Second Stage) has been announced for admission to Ph.D. programmes for the academic session 2026-27. Online applications are invited for the second stage of the admission process against the seats left vacant after the first stage of the admission process and the seats in the Centre for Kashmir Studies and Centre for Deendayal Upadhyaya Studies.

Admission to the Ph.D. programme will be made through a University Level Entrance Test followed by an Interview. The Entrance Test syllabus will consist of 50% Research Methodology and 50% Subject-Specific Content.

Candidates who secure 50% marks in the Entrance Test will be eligible to be called for the Interview, subject to fulfilment of the other eligibility conditions. The final selection will be based on a composite score of 100 marks, with 70% weightage for the test portion and 30% weightage for the interview.

1. Introduction
2. Admission Overview
3. Eligibility Criteria
4. Special Eligibility Requirements
5. Programme-Specific Eligibility
6. Admission Procedure
7. Entrance Test Pattern
8. Subjects and Syllabus
9. Application Fee
10. Important Dates
11. Seats and Reservation
12. How to Apply
13. Important Notes
14. Admission Helpdesk
15. Apply Online
16. Official Links

Candidates seeking admission to the Ph.D. programme must fulfil the minimum eligibility conditions specified in the admission notification.

Master's Degree Eligibility

• A 1-year/2-semester master's degree programme after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor's degree programme; or
• A 2-year/4-semester master's degree programme after a 3-year bachelor's degree programme; or
• Qualifications declared equivalent to the master's degree by the corresponding statutory regulatory body.
• At least 55% marks in aggregate or equivalent grade in the applicable grading system are required.
• Equivalent qualifications from a foreign educational institution may also be considered subject to the conditions specified in the notification.

Four-Year Bachelor's Degree Route

Candidates who have completed a 4-year/8-semester bachelor's degree programme with a minimum of 75% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale may also be eligible for admission.

Relaxation in Marks

A relaxation of 5% marks or equivalent grade may be allowed for candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other categories of candidates as per the decision of the Commission from time to time.

M.Phil. Qualification

Candidates who have completed the M.Phil. programme with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade may be eligible for admission to the Ph.D. programme.

A relaxation of 5% marks or equivalent grade may be allowed for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled/Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other applicable categories.

Eligibility for Working Candidates

An employee of any University, Institution, College, Government Department, Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), Research and Development (R&D) organisation, industry, private industry or any other organisation may apply for admission to the Ph.D. degree programme in the concerned subject, provided all prescribed eligibility conditions are fulfilled.

A No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the employer or appointing authority shall be mandatory and must be submitted at the time of payment of the Ph.D. admission fee.

Failure to submit the NOC shall render the candidate ineligible for admission to the Ph.D. degree programme.

Such candidates must also submit, before commencement of the Ph.D. coursework, a sanction order granting study leave or leave of the kind due for a minimum continuous period of six months, issued by the employer or appointing authority.

Failure to submit the required study-leave sanction order within the stipulated time shall result in cancellation of the candidate's admission to the Ph.D. degree programme.

Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Programmes

The minimum eligibility criteria for the following interdisciplinary Ph.D. programmes are given in the relevant annexure:

• Remote Sensing & GIS
• Nanoscience & Materials
• Kashmir Studies
• Deendyal Upadhyaya Studies
• Geology

Applicants must also fulfil all the other eligibility conditions prescribed in the admission notification.

1. Admission will be based on a University Level Entrance Test followed by an Interview.
2. The Entrance Test syllabus will consist of 50% Research Methodology and 50% Subject-Specific Content.
3. Students securing 50% marks in the Entrance Test will be eligible to be called for the Interview, subject to fulfilment of other eligibility conditions.
4. A relaxation of 5% marks will be allowed in the entrance examination for SC/ST/OBC (Non-creamy layer)/Differently-Abled/EWS and other applicable categories as per UGC rules.
5. The Interview/Viva-Voce will be conducted by the concerned Department/Centre.
6. The number of eligible students called for the interview will be decided based on the number of Ph.D. seats available in the concerned Department/Centre.
7. Selection will be made on the basis of a composite score of 100 marks.
8. The test portion will have 70% weightage.
9. The interview will have 30% weightage.
10. Admission will be offered strictly in order of merit, subject to availability of seats, fulfilment of eligibility conditions, reservation policy of the Government of India/UGC/University and approval of the competent authority.

The Entrance Test syllabus will be as per the syllabi of UGC-NET for the concerned subject, as indicated in the notification. Certain programmes have separate syllabi attached as annexures.

At the time of filling out the application form, candidates are required to pay the online application fee specified in the notification.

The department/centre-wise vacant seats and their category-wise distribution are provided in Annexure G of the admission notification.

The number of available seats may be increased or decreased as per the decision of the University. The number of allotted seats may also differ from the available vacant seats keeping in mind the infrastructural and other constraints of the University.

Departments and Centres

• Himachal Pradesh Kendriya Vishwavidhalya Business School (HPKVBS)
• Department of Commerce
• Department of Hindi
• Department of English
• Department of Sanskrit
• Department of Punjabi & Dogri
• Department of Journalism & Mass Communication
• Department of New Media
• Department of Education
• Department of Tourism & Travel Management
• Centre for Promotion of Ecological, Adventure, Health & Cultural Tourism
• Department of Environmental Sciences
• Centre of Remote Sensing and GIS
• Department of Geology
• Department of Plant Science
• Department of Animal Sciences
• Centre for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics
• Department of History
• Department of Political Sciences
• Department of Social Work
• Department of Sociology
• Centre for Kashmir Studies
• Centre for Deen Dayal Upadhyay Studies
• Srinivasa Ramanujan Department of Mathematics
• Department of Library and Information Science
• Department of Computer Science and Informatics
• Dept. of Visual Arts
• Department of Physics and Astronomical Science
• Department of Nano Science and Materials

Candidates can submit the online application form through the prescribed online admission portal. The application form is to be submitted online and the applicable application fee is required to be paid while filling out the application form.

1. Visit the CUHP Samarth admission portal.
2. Complete the online application form.
3. Pay the applicable application fee.
4. Submit the application within the prescribed application period.

Candidates who have already applied in response to the Ph.D. Admission Notification specified by the University need not apply afresh, subject to the conditions mentioned in the notification.

Candidates who applied for the First Stage and intend to apply for the same subject under the Second Stage are required to submit a fresh application using a different Login/User ID.

• Students must regularly visit the University website to keep themselves informed about the status of the admission process.
• For any subject-related queries, students are advised to contact the concerned Department/Centre.
• The application fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances.
• Candidates who have already applied in response to the earlier notification need not apply afresh, subject to the conditions mentioned in the notification.
• Candidates who applied for the First Stage and intend to apply for the same subject under the Second Stage must submit a fresh application using a different Login/User ID.
• Working candidates must submit the required NOC at the prescribed stage.
• Working candidates must also submit the required study-leave sanction order before commencement of the Ph.D. coursework.

The Admission Helpdesk will be available on all working days from 09:30 AM to 05:30 PM.

Candidates interested in the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) PhD Admission 2026-27 (Second Stage) should carefully check the eligibility requirements, application fee, subject-specific requirements, admission procedure and important dates before submitting the application.

Use the official links below for the admission notification, online application and university website.