St John's Medical College Bangalore Ph.D Paediatrics: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Ans. Yes, the Department of Paediatrics at SJMC has recognised PhD guides under RGUHS. The most prominent research area is Paediatric Nephrology, led by Dr. Anil Vasudevan, who is a recognised PhD guide. Before applying, it is strongly recommended to contact the department directly (via bm.infodesk@stjohns.in or +91-080-22065000) to confirm the availability of a guide in your specific area of interest, as RGUHS provisional registration is only granted when a recognised guide is available. Without a confirmed guide, your application may not proceed even if you clear the entrance exam.

Ans. Yes, RGUHS allows part-time PhD enrolment for teaching faculty working in RGUHS-affiliated colleges. For candidates with an MD/MS, the minimum duration for part-time PhD is 3 years (maximum 5 years). However, if the candidate, guide, and research department are all in the same institution, the minimum part-time duration may be reduced to 4 years. You will need to submit an NOC from your institution's head and attend the college for a minimum of 45 days every 6 months as a contact period. Candidates from outside RGUHS-affiliated institutions cannot pursue part-time PhD at SJMC.

Ans. The Department of Paediatrics at SJMC, particularly through the Paediatric Nephrology division, focuses on bench-to-bedside research in kidney diseases in children. Research areas include chronic kidney disease in children, dialysis, nutrition and quality of life in paediatric patients, cell biology, genetics, and developmental aspects of kidney diseases. The department has a dedicated basic science laboratory and collaborates with the Division of Molecular Medicine at St John's Research Institute (SJRI). Scholars can expect to work on projects funded by international agencies such as the Canadian Institute of Health and Research, ISN, MRC (UK), DBT, and ICMR.

Ans. This is a common concern. RGUHS clearly states that provisional registration is subject to the availability of a recognised PhD guide and a recognised institution. If no guide is available at SJMC at the time of your application, your registration will not be processed even if you have cleared the entrance exam. However, your entrance exam marks remain valid for two consecutive terms (the current and the next academic year), giving you a second opportunity to apply in the next cycle if a guide becomes available. It is advisable to reach out to the department proactively before the exam to assess guide availability.

Ans. The RGUHS PhD Entrance Test is conducted in offline (pen-and-paper) mode at BMCRI, Bangalore. The exam consists of two papers: Paper I covers Principles of Basic Research Methodology (50 marks, 8 questions of 10 marks each, answer any 5) and Paper II is a subject-specific paper at PG standard (50 marks, same pattern). Both papers are conducted in separate sessions of 3 hours each. A combined score of 50% or above (i.e., 50 out of 100) is required to qualify. The exam fee is Rs. 3,000 (non-refundable), and applications must be submitted online through rguhs.ac.in.

Ans. PhD scholars who do not hold a JRF (UGC-CSIR-NET JRF, ICMR-JRF, or DBT-JRF) do not automatically receive a stipend from SJMC or RGUHS. However, scholars may apply for project-based funding if their guide has active research grants from agencies like ICMR, DBT, or DST, which sometimes include provisions for research assistant stipends. SJMC also offers a limited number of internal scholarships based on financial need, awarded through an interview process. Scholars are encouraged to apply for competitive fellowships such as the ICMR JRF or DBT JRF before or during their PhD to secure financial support.