GTU invites post-doctoral fellows on ₹65,000 a month under AICTE’s scheme — register by 12 October
Gujarat Technological University is inviting PhD holders in engineering, technology and management to apply for full-time post-doctoral fellowships under AICTE’s scheme. The fellowship pays ₹65,000 a month plus ₹50,000 a year for research costs, for up to two years.
Gujarat Technological University (GTU), Ahmedabad, posted a call on 1 October 2026 for full-time post-doctoral fellows under the AICTE Post-Doctoral Fellowship (APDF) scheme. The thrust areas are engineering and technology and management. Registration is through the online form linked from the circular, and the last date is 12 October 2026.
What the fellowship pays
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fellowship | ₹65,000 a month |
| Contingency grant for research expenses | ₹50,000 a year |
| Tenure | One year, extendable by one more year if AICTE finds progress satisfactory |
The fellowship carries no dearness allowance. Fellows can be given hostel accommodation; where that is not possible, house rent allowance is paid at central-government rates for the city, calculated on the fellowship amount. Payment goes by direct benefit transfer against monthly attendance marked by the institution.
Who can apply
GTU's call links AICTE's scheme guidelines (the 2024-25 edition). Under them:
- You must have been awarded a PhD in a relevant discipline; a provisional certificate can be accepted if the degree has not yet been conferred.
- General-category candidates need at least 55% at the PG or UG level; there is a 5-point relaxation for SC, ST, OBC, women and persons with disabilities.
- You must be under 35 on the last date of application. SC, ST, women and candidates with disabilities get five years' relaxation, OBC candidates three; the maximum relaxation is five years even if you fall in more than one category.
- The fellowship can be taken only once in a career.
- You need a supervisor at the host institution who is an approved PhD guide and a regular faculty member or professor of practice, and a no-objection certificate signed by the supervisor, the head of department and the registrar or director.
Limits worth knowing
- AICTE funds 200 fellowships a year nationally.
- An institution can host at most five fellows, and a supervisor at most two.
- The fellowship can be terminated if you take up a job during the tenure, draw another fellowship, or if progress is unsatisfactory. AICTE monitors progress half-yearly at the institute and annually itself.
- GTU says selection and joining are subject to AICTE's approval. AICTE's own committee evaluates each research proposal, looking at the candidate's PhD record, the supervisor's standing and the host institution.
The GTU poster labels the call "2025-26", but it was posted on 1 October 2026 and gives 12 October 2026 as the last date of registration. If you are a recent PhD in engineering or management and want to stay in research rather than move straight to a teaching post, write your proposal to fit one of the two thrust areas and line up your supervisor's consent before you register.
CareerBox News Desk — reporting on Gujarat Technological University’s call for full-time post-doctoral fellows under the AICTE Post-Doctoral Fellowship scheme, posted on 1 October 2026, and the AICTE scheme guidelines it links. Official portal: gtu.ac.in. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.