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Selection Process & Eligibility

Application Eligibility & Expression of Interest

To be eligible to apply, Candidates must have secured atleast 55% marks in their LL.M. A relaxation of 5% would be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PWD on production of a valid category certificate.

As part of the admission process, each applicant is required an expression of interest, including their educational qualifications, an updated CV and their preferred area of research. They would be then invited to complete the application form, and submit a research proposal and a statement of purpose, before appearing for the online entrance examination.

An application fee of ₹1,000 is payable at the time of application, to be paid to the, Dhirubhai Ambani University – School of Law.

Online Entrance Examination

Candidates shortlisted on the basis of their Expression of Interest and Application will have to appear for an Online Entrance Exam, organized by the School of Law.

Ph.D. Entrance Test Pattern

  • The entrance test will be MCQ based only
  • The paper will consist of 50 MCQ’s, with each question carrying one mark
  • 25 MCQ’s will be from the subject of Research Methodology (Common to all Candidates)
  • The remaining 25 MCQ’s will be from the Candidates chosen area of research as indicated by the Candidate in their application form.
  • There will be a negative marking of 0.25 for every wrong answer
  • The Candidates who have qualified UGC NET are exempt from appearing in the entrance examination.

The shortlisted candidates will have to secure at least 55% marks in the online entrance exam to be considered eligible for a place in the PhD program. A relaxation of 5% would be given to SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PWD candidates subject to the production of a valid category certificate.

The candidates who have qualified UGC NET, NET – JRF and GSET are exempt from appearing in the Online Entrance Examination.

The Candidates would be shortlisted on the basis of their performance in the online entrance test, research proposal and Statement of Purpose.

Personal Interview and Breakdown of Selection Criteria

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a personal interview, in front of a panel if interviews headed by the Main Guide Faculty, and the final selection will be based on the cumulative performance in the following components:

  • Research Proposal and SoP – 20 Marks
  • Online Entrance Test – 50 Marks
  • Personal Interview -30 Marks

The candidates who have qualified UGC NET, NET – JRF and GSET are exempt from appearing in the Online Entrance Examination.

Upon selection, part time candidates are required to submit a fee of ₹1,00,000 to confirm and secure their admission to the Ph.D. program. Likewise, the regular/full time candidates must deposit their registration fees of Rs 2500 for the first semester to confirm and secure their admission to the Ph.D. program.

Foreign candidates will have to complete all three components of the selection criteria (i.e. submission of application and Expression of Interest, appear for online entrance exam, and clear personal interview stage), and must possess LL.M. that is recognised as equivalent by the UGC.

The refund policy for withdrawing candidates would be as per UGC rules.

All applicants will be provided with the syllabus and suggested readings to prepare for the online entrance examination after the application form is received.

PhD Programme Specializations & Faculty Experts

Each applicant must choose one of the following three areas of law while applying:

  • Construction Law, Contracts & Arbitration
  • ESG, Carbon Markets & Sustainability
  • AI, Data Protection and Technology Law

The School of Law presently has the following experts in these areas of law

  • Dr. Avinash Dadhich and Dr. Vini Singh in AI, Data Protection and Technology Law
  • Dr. Manuj Bhardwaj in ESG, Carbon Markets and Sustainability
  • Dr. Niteesh Kumar Upadhyay in Construction Law, Contracts and Arbitration

Timelines:

S. No. Process Important DatesDay
1Application Begins19 July 2025Saturday
2Last Date to Apply19 August 2025Tuesday
3Online Entrance Test24 August 2025Sunday
4Personal Interview31 August 2025Sunday
5List of Selected Candidates6 September 2025Saturday
6Last Day to Submit Fees12 September 2025Friday
7Course Commencement15 September 2025Monday

Applicants are required to submit their expression of interest by August 5, 2025 and a complete application form, along with a research proposal and a Statement of Purpose (SOP) by August 19, 2025. Those candidates who are applying for a part – time Ph.D. must submit a No Objection Certificate from their Employer Organisation.