Students who have completed or expect to complete their M.Sc./ Integrated M.Sc. in Physics/ Astronomy/ Applied Mathematics or B.E./ B.Tech./ M.E./ M.Tech. in any branch by July 2023 with a minimum of 55% marks are eligible to apply for INAT-2023.
In addition, talented final-year B.Sc., 1st year M.Sc., 3rd/ 4th year Integrated M.Sc. and 2nd/ 3rd year B.E./ B.Tech. students may also apply to be pre-selected for the Ph.D. programme at IUCAA.
Selection Procedure:
IUCAA is looking for highly motivated students with a consistently good academic record. While students from engineering backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply for INAT - 2023, we emphasize that we are looking for students who are interested in carrying out doctoral research in Physics, or Astronomy and Astrophysics. Prospective candidates are hence expected to have a good understanding of basic Physics.
Based on the applications and referee assessments, a subset of the candidates will be short-listed and invited to take the written test, to be held in Pune on Wednesday, February 08, 2023. All candidates should report at the Chandrasekhar Auditorium, IUCAA, with the necessary documents for verification (the ones mentioned above, the Admit letter, for all invited candidates). Registration for the test will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 9:45 a.m. A seat in the test is not guaranteed unless registration is completed by the candidate during this period. The final selection to the research scholarship will be based on the results of the written test (on Wednesday, February 08, 2023) and two interviews (on February 08 - 09, 2023), all to be held at IUCAA, Pune. Note that the selection through INAT is in addition to the selection through the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST).
Nature of the Written Test:
The test will be of TWO hours duration. The question paper will be in English. The questions will be from basic Physics, Mathematics, Electronics/ Engineering to advanced areas of the same subjects and consists of three parts:
Part - A: Basic Physics, Mathematics, and Engineering
Part - B: Advanced Physics, Mathematics and Engineering
Part - C: Both basic and advanced areas of Physics, Mathematics and Engineering
| Question paper | Type | # of questions | marks for each question | Negative marking | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part-A | Objective | 17 | 3 | Yes (-1) | Total of two hours |
| Part-B | Objective | 17 | 3 | Yes (-1) | |
| Part-C | Integer type (all answers are in integers of 3 digits) | 6 | 3 | No |
- Only one out of four choices is correct in Part-A and Part-B - Candidates must answer Part-C questions by filling in the appropriate squares in the Answer Sheet.Based on their performance in the written test, a limited number of candidates will be invited for two interviews, which will be conducted on February 08 - 09, 2023. The final selection will be based on the scores in the written test and interviews. Selected candidates are expected to join in August 2023 (except for pre-selected candidates), after satisfactory completion of their qualifying examination. Pre-selected candidates will need to complete their qualifying degree (M. Sc./ B.E./ B. Tech.) from any institute and join the Ph.D. programme only after that.
Travel and Stay:
Outstation candidates will be paid one and one-third times the train/bus fare by second-class sleeper (NOT air-conditioned) from their place of residence (as given in the INAT-2023 Application Form) to Pune and back by the shortest route, as well as a halting allowance (as per the prevailing rules) for each day of stay for the interviews.
A list of lodges and hotels located close to IUCAA is given here. Candidates (and accompanying persons) may have meals on payment in the IUCAA canteen on the days of the written test and interviews.
The best mode of transport between IUCAA and the Pune railway station or bus stand is autorickshaw. The fare is as per the tariff card with the driver. During the day, the autorickshaw fare from Pune railway station to IUCAA will be about Rs. 100/-. Entrance to the INAT venue and IUCAA campus is from the Aundh-Khadki gate of the Pune University campus.
What to bring (and what NOT to bring) :
All the candidates who are invited to take the IUCAA National Admission Test should bring the Admit Letter with them. For the written test, the candidates should bring a pen, a pencil (HB), an eraser, and a simple mathematical calculator. At the time of interviews, the candidates are requested to bring all original mark sheets (starting from Class X) and any other relevant certificates. Mobile phones, digital diaries, laptops, etc. are NOT allowed in the test and interview halls.