Central University of South Bihar (CUSB) has invited online applications for admission to its Ph.D. programmes for the academic year 2026-27. According to the university notification dated 16 October 2026, applications are accepted through the SAMARTH admission portal from 17 October to 30 October 2026.

The notification lists 295 Ph.D. seats across programmes in Life Science, Environmental Science, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Pharmacy, Law, History, Sociology, Economics, Commerce, Psychology, Geography, Education, Journalism and Mass Communication, English, Indian Languages and agriculture-related subjects. The advertised number of vacancies may change according to administrative requirements and seat availability.

Applicants should check the programme-specific eligibility criteria, qualifying national-level test requirements, application fee and interview document checklist before submitting the form.

Apply online through the official CUSB SAMARTH portal.

1. Admission Overview
2. Important Dates
3. Programme-Wise Seats
4. Eligibility Criteria
5. Application Fee
6. Selection Process
7. Documents Required
8. How to Apply
9. Important Links
10. Contact Details

Note: The university states that the advertised seat count may increase or decrease depending on administrative requirements and the availability of seats in the respective departments.

Interview dates and the result schedule will be notified later. Candidates should regularly check the official CUSB website for announcements.

The admission notification lists the following programme-wise intake. UR, OBC, SC, ST and EWS figures are reproduced from the university's notification; PwD reservation is horizontal.

Important: The notification gives 295 as the overall total and 22 as the horizontal PwD reservation figure. Some individual rows, including Indian Languages and the agriculture-related programmes, are formatted differently in the notice; refer to the official notification for the authoritative seat and category details.

Applicants must satisfy both the relevant national-level test requirement and the minimum academic qualification for their chosen Ph.D. programme. The detailed programme-wise academic qualifications are provided in the university's official eligibility annexure.

National-Level Test / Fellowship Requirements

• Category 1: UGC-NET qualification for award of JRF and appointment as Assistant Professor is eligible for JRF, Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission, subject to the applicable rules.
• Category 2: UGC-NET qualification for Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission is eligible for Assistant Professor and Ph.D. admission.
• Category 3: UGC-NET qualification for Ph.D. admission only is eligible for Ph.D. admission.
• For Categories 2 and 3, the notification specifies qualifying tests from the December 2025/June 2026 cycle, including applicable UGC-NET, UGC-CSIR/CSIR-NET, ICAR-NET, ICAR-SRF/Non-SRF, DST-INSPIRE Fellowship and similar national-level tests, GATE or GPAT, subject to validity and programme rules.
• Candidates who cleared only NET before December 2025 are stated to be ineligible to apply.
• Applicants to Ph.D. Pharmacy must have a valid GPAT scorecard.
• For Ph.D. Agronomy, Horticulture (Vegetable Sciences) and Genetics & Plant Breeding, the notification also lists eligible ICAR/CSIR national tests, fellowships and equivalent examinations, subject to university rules.

Minimum Academic Qualification

The minimum qualification and eligible master's disciplines vary by programme. Examples from the official annexure include:

• Bioinformatics: A master's degree in an eligible discipline such as chemical, physical, biological or computer science, IT, agricultural, pharmaceutical, veterinary or medical science, with at least 55% for unreserved candidates and 50% for specified reserved/differently-abled categories.
• Biotechnology and Life Science: A relevant master's degree in biotechnology, pharmaceutical/medical/agricultural science, chemistry, physics or an eligible life-science discipline; the annexure generally specifies 55% and 50% thresholds for the categories stated.
• Environmental Science: A master's degree in specified science or engineering disciplines, including relevant environmental, chemical, earth, atmospheric, ocean, planetary, life, mathematical and physical sciences, agriculture, forestry or engineering fields.
• Law: An LL.M. with the minimum marks stated in the annexure.
• Computer Science: A master's degree in Computer Science/MCA/equivalent with the prescribed minimum marks.
• Other programmes: Subject-specific master's qualifications apply in areas such as Mathematics, Statistics, Commerce, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geology, Pharmacy, Physical Education, Geography, Education, Journalism and Mass Communication, English, Hindi and agriculture-related disciplines.

The annexure generally specifies 55% marks for unreserved candidates and 50% for certain reserved/differently-abled categories, but requirements and accepted disciplines differ by programme. Do not rely on this summary alone: check the exact row for your intended programme in the official annexure.

Applicants must fulfil the eligibility criteria on the date of application. The notification states that candidates whose qualifying examination results are awaited are not eligible to apply.

The application fee must be paid online through the SAMARTH portal while completing the form. The notification states that the fee is non-refundable.

Selection depends on the candidate's qualifying test category and the rules applicable to the programme:

• Eligible fellowship/JRF and other specified fellowship/test candidates: The notification states that admission is based on interview only, with the interview carrying 100% weightage, as applicable under the stated rules.
• UGC-NET Categories 2 and 3: The notification specifies 70% weightage for test scores and 30% for the interview. Admission is based on combined merit in NET marks and interview marks.
• Only eligible candidates who submit the online application and are shortlisted will be called for interview.
• Interviews will be held in the respective CUSB departments. Department-wise schedules and procedures will be notified later.
• The list of provisionally selected candidates will be published on the university website.

Shortlisted candidates should prepare the research write-up and supporting documents listed in Annexure II and follow any additional instructions issued by the university.

According to the university's official Annexure-II, shortlisted candidates should prepare the following documents for the interview:

• Five copies of a research write-up of approximately 1,000 words, including the introduction, objective, research methodology and relevance of the chosen topic/area.
• A presentation on the submitted research topic may be required at the interview.
• A copy of the completed application form.
• Original certificates and one set of duly attested photocopies of marksheets and degrees for Class 10, Class 12, graduation, post-graduation or equivalent qualifications, including proof of date of birth/age.
• Original marksheets, certificates, UGC-NET certificate (where applicable) and other testimonials.
• Self-attested Aadhaar card copy and bank account details, including a photocopy of the first page of the passbook.
• Character certificate from the head of the institution last attended.
• Four sets of recent passport-size photographs.
• Prescribed category certificate for candidates claiming reservation, as applicable.
• SC/ST: Certificate in the prescribed Government of India/State Government format issued by the competent authority.
• OBC (Non-Creamy Layer): Latest OBC certificate in the prescribed format and income certificate, as stated in the annexure.
• EWS: Income and asset certificate in the prescribed format from an authorised issuing authority.
• PwD/Divyang: Medical certificate from the competent medical authority stating the nature and extent/percentage of disability.
• Employed candidates: Leave sanction/relieving order from the employer at admission/registration, as required by the notification. Government/PSU employees should also follow the notification's instruction about forwarding the application through the proper channel or submitting an NOC.

Foreign-university qualifications are subject to equivalence with the qualifications prescribed by the university. Candidates should review the complete Annexure-II for all conditions. The university states that candidates who do not attend the interview will not be considered for admission and that TA/DA is not admissible for attending the interview.

1. Open the official CUSB SAMARTH application portal.
2. Register or sign in and select the relevant Ph.D. programme.
3. Enter personal, academic and qualifying-test details carefully.
4. Upload a recent passport-size photograph, scanned signature and the required supporting documents.
5. Pay the application fee online: ₹800 for General/EWS or ₹500 for OBC/SC/ST/PwD, as specified in the notification.
6. Review the form and submit it before 30 October 2026.
7. Save and print the submitted application form. The university requires candidates to produce it with supporting documents at the interview.
8. Regularly check the university website for shortlisting, interview dates, results and admission instructions.

Application deadline: 30 October 2026. Applicants should not wait until the final day to complete the form and payment.

Helpline numbers: 9472979367, 0631-2229512, 0631-2229514, 0631-2229518

Email: admission@cub.ac.in; pstocoe@cusb.ac.in

For the latest updates, contact the university or visit the official CUSB website.

This post summarises the Central University of South Bihar's Ph.D. admission notification for the 2026-27 academic year. Eligibility, seats, dates and admission procedures are subject to the official notification and any subsequent university updates. Candidates should read the official PDFs before applying.