NEW DELHI: The University of Delhi on Friday formally notified a provision allowing students completing its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) to apply directly for PhD programmes from the 2026-27 academic session, without obtaining a master’s degree.
The decision, approved by the Executive Council (EC) at its July 30 meeting, has been incorporated through an amendment to Ordinance VI. Students completing the fourth year with a minimum CGPA of 7.5 will be eligible to apply, with the cut-off relaxed to 7.0 for SC/ST candidates.
The university said the provision is a special measure for the first batch of FYUP students graduating in 2026 and will apply only for the 2026-27 academic session, in accordance with university rules.
The move is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and is aimed at providing an early route into research for students who have already undergone research-intensive coursework in their fourth year.
The FYUP was introduced under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, with research, skill development and interdisciplinary learning built into undergraduate education. The optional fourth year includes academic projects in which students identify real-time problems and propose solutions, giving them research exposure before graduation.
According to the university, more than 75,000 students were admitted to undergraduate programmes in 2022-23, of whom over 35,000 continued into the fourth year. The new provision is intended to create a direct pathway for these students into doctoral research.
The university has said that FYUP graduates will not need to pursue a master’s degree as a prerequisite for PhD admission.
Direct PhD entry aligns with global trend: DU
University officials said the reform would bring Indian higher education closer to global practice, where direct entry into PhD programmes after a four-year undergraduate degree is common. They also expect it to increase research output and give students greater academic flexibility.
The decision, however, had faced opposition within the Executive Council even before it was formally notified.
On the day of the July 30 EC meeting, one professor circulated a dissent note opposing the proposed provision for supernumerary PhD seats for four-year undergraduate students meeting the eligibility criteria. The note said: “The university should wait for the UGC regulations on the matter.
Students should not feel misguided by the university later.’ EC member Mithuraaj Dhusiya raised concerns over allowing students to enter doctoral research immediately after graduation. “The PhD is always done on a topic and not on a subject. The topic is narrow and specialised which can be identified only after doing advanced studies in a subject,” Dhusiya said.
He said teachers had raised concerns about “the unrealistic nature of expected outcomes for research in the fourth year of under graduation” and gaps in the core areas of a subject that could remain after completion of the fourth year. “It will create a misleading illusion of academic competence while diluting the value of the PG programmes,” Dhusiya said.
A note of dissent
On the day of the July 30 EC meet, one professor circulated a dissent note opposing the proposed provision for supernumerary PhD seats for four-year undergraduate students.