New Delhi: In a special measure for the first batch of students completing four-year undergraduate programmes (FYUP), the University of Delhi will allow those securing a minimum of 7.5 CGPA (7 CGPA for SC/ST) to directly enrol in PhD programmes.
The decision comes as the first batch of students admitted under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP), introduced in 2022-23 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, completes the four-year course this academic session.
"In the interest of the first batch of students who have completed the FYUP in 2026, the University will admit students who have 7.5 CGPA (7 CGPA for SC/ST) and above in the FYUP directly to the Ph.D programme only for the academic session 2026-27 as a special measure as per rules of the University," DU said in a press release on Friday.
The move follows a recommendation in an Academic Council agenda to create supernumerary seats for FYUP graduates seeking direct admission to PhD programmes. The proposal had suggested eligibility for undergraduate students completing four-year programmes with at least 6 CGPA for UR/OBC/EWS candidates and 5.5 CGPA for SC/ST/PwBD candidates, along with at least one research publication in a Scopus-indexed journal as the first, second or corresponding author.
The proposal also stated that a faculty member who supervised a student's undergraduate research could continue as the student's PhD guide, if the student wished to continue under them and the faculty member had a PhD degree and a research laboratory, wherever applicable.
DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university was considering relaxing the rules for the first batch of students.
"This is for the first batch of FYUP students. We are considering relaxing the rules, so they will not require the publication of a research article. Consequently, the students who have completed the fourth year in their UG can opt for a one-year or two-year PG programme or even take the PhD route, subject to the eligibility," Gupta said.
The university said it had already amended its ordinances, with the approval of the Academic Council and Executive Council, to enable fourth-year students to apply directly for PhD programmes after completing their FYUP.
For the 2026-27 admissions, the university has, however, set a higher CGPA threshold of 7.5, or 7 for SC/ST students.
DU said it had rolled out the FYUP in 2022-23 under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework 2022, based on NEP 2020, with the optional fourth year intended to bring research and entrepreneurship into undergraduate education.
Of the 75,948 students admitted to the FYUP in 2022-23, around 35,943 continued into the fourth year, while 40,005 exited at the end of the third year, according to the university.
The university also said it had introduced one-year postgraduate programmes in 46 disciplines for 2026-27, with 5,857 seats, and that 12,111 fourth-year students had applied for these programmes.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
