AICTE Doctoral Fellowship (ADF) Scheme 2025‑26

The AICTE Doctoral Fellowship (ADF) is a central scheme run by the All India Council for Technical Education, a statutory body of the Government of India. It pays full-time PhD scholars a monthly fellowship, a yearly contingency grant and house rent allowance under set rules. Scholars enrolled in AICTE-approved institutes in the listed disciplines can apply.

The latest official notification found covers the 2025-26 session. The official sources checked do not show a 2026-27 notification, so the dates on this page are for 2025-26 and have passed. Check the portal before you plan around them.

What you get

Your first two years are paid as a Junior Research Fellow (JRF). If the review shows improvement, the next two years are paid as a Senior Research Fellow (SRF). The rates below come from AICTE’s 2024-25 revised guidelines. The parts of the 2025-26 notice that were readable do not repeat them, so confirm them in the next notice.

The total fellowship across JRF and SRF is five years, and the guidelines provide no further extension. Dearness allowance is not payable. Leave is up to 30 days in a year, in addition to public holidays, and maternity and paternity leave follows Government of India norms.

Who can apply

• The fields covered are engineering and technology, management, design, planning, applied science, applied arts and crafts, hotel management and catering technology, and computer applications.
• You need a UG or PG degree, or a five-year integrated or dual degree leading to a PG degree, in one of these fields, as your admitting university prescribes. PG candidates in applied science who are admitted to a PhD at an AICTE-approved institution are also eligible.
• For hotel management, you must have completed an AICTE-approved UG programme in hotel management and catering technology, plus a master’s degree in a relevant or allied area.
• Exams: For engineering and technology the qualifying exam is GATE or SRF, while hotel management has no national exam at PG level. Check the full notification for other disciplines.
• The age limit is below 30 years. Relaxation of 5 years applies for SC, ST, women and persons with disabilities, and 3 years for OBC. If you fall in more than one category, the maximum relaxation is 5 years.
• The eligibility points I could read do not set a minimum percentage, and they do not state a nationality or domicile rule.

Who cannot apply or keep the fellowship:

• Anyone who has already availed the AICTE Doctoral Fellowship or NET JRF in any institution.
• If you join any employment during the tenure, you must inform AICTE, and the fellowship ends from the date you join. You must devote full time to research and cannot take any part-time or full-time job.
• You cannot transfer the fellowship from the institution where you were admitted.

How to apply

In Category A, you register directly on the AICTE ADF portal with a no objection certificate (NOC) from your university. In Category B, the university registers under the scheme and admits you under its own procedure, using AICTE’s minimum criteria. The steps for most students are:

1. Get admitted to a PhD at an AICTE-approved institute or university.
2. Ask your institute for your Unique ID. The institute creates the student ID on the AICTE ADF portal. The system generates a Unique ID, which the institute gives to each ADF student.
3. Log in at fellowship.aicte.gov.in/login with that ID and fill in the online application form through the student ID given by the institute.
4. Upload scanned copies of your original documents in JPG, JPEG or PDF format only.
5. Your institute verifies your data and approves your candidature on the portal.

Documents you need

• Scanned copy of your qualifying exam scorecard (a scanned copy of the qualified examination score card).
• Your research proposal (Proposal of Research).
• A scan of your Aadhaar card in JPG or JPEG format (Scanned copy of original Aadhar Card should be uploaded in jpg/jpeg format.).
• A bank account. Only an active Aadhaar-linked savings account is accepted, because the fellowship is paid through ABPS under PFMS. No-frill, Jan Dhan, transaction-limited and joint accounts are not permitted. The account must not be closed or moved during the course.
• Category certificate for SC, ST, EWS or OBC-NCL, if applicable. The latest EWS and OBC-NCL certificate must not be older than one year.
• An undertaking that you have not availed ADF or NET-JRF before (An undertaking must be provided).
• University NOC, if you apply under Category A.

The notice names these items. Check the portal for the complete list before you upload.

How students are selected

An AICTE evaluation committee assesses the research. Your institute or university also checks your data before the fellowship is paid. The scheme text I read does not describe a marks-based merit list.

Renewal

• A JRF may be upgraded to SRF after two years from the start of the fellowship.
• A three-member committee assesses the upgrade: the head of the department, your supervisor, and one external member not below the rank of Professor.
• You submit your application to the Head of the Institution, with documents, within one month of completing two years.
• The fellowship has periodic reviews for continuation and upgradation. The progress report must be uploaded within one month of renewal or extension.

Important dates

Latest cycle (2025-26):

• Students admitted in July: applications from 5 January to 20 April, with evaluation from 1 May to 30 May, selected candidates announced on 15 June, and the fellowship starting on 1 July from the date of joining. The notice asks students to upload by 10 April 2026, and institutes to verify by 20 April 2026. The timetable lists 20 April as the last date, so aim for 10 April.
• Students admitted in January: applications from 1 June to 20 October, evaluation from 1 November to 30 November, announcement on 15 December, and a start date of 1 January from the date of joining.

Both 2025-26 windows have closed. The official text I read does not give 2026-27 dates. One college page lists 2026-27 admissions but repeats the April 2026 date, so do not rely on it for dates (Eligible researchers can submit their applications online by 10th April 2026.).