Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 30, 2026

The Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) in Quality, Reliability and Operations Research (QROR) at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) is a fully funded doctoral research fellowship that leads to a Ph.D. degree in QROR. The program is offered under the SQC & OR Division of ISI, which has been a pioneer in promoting Statistical Quality Control, Reliability Engineering, and Operations Research in India for over five decades. The JRF (QROR) is a research-intensive program covering statistical quality control, reliability theory, design of experiments, acceptance sampling, linear programming, queuing theory, and related areas. The duration is up to 6 years as JRF plus 1 year as SRF. There is no tuition fee; students receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 37,000 (JRF) and Rs. 42,000 (SRF), along with HRA and a contingency grant. As per the ISI 2026-27 prospectus, the JRF (QROR) seats are located at ISI Bengaluru Centre, where coursework is completed. The SQC & OR Unit at ISI Delhi is closely associated with QROR research and training. Admission is through the ISI Admission Test held annually in May, followed by an interview.

Admissions for the 2026-27 session are currently open. The online application portal opened on February 12, 2026, and the last date to apply is March 26, 2026. The ISI Admission Test is scheduled for May 10, 2026. Admit cards will be available from April 17, 2026. Candidates who qualify the written test will be called for an interview, after which final selections will be made.

Key Points

The JRF (QROR) leads to a Ph.D. degree awarded by ISI, one of the few institutions in India empowered by an Act of Parliament to award doctoral degrees in QROR
Fully funded: no tuition fee, monthly stipend of Rs. 37,000 (JRF) and Rs. 42,000 (SRF), plus HRA and Rs. 20,000 contingency grant per year
Research areas include Statistical Quality Control (SQC), Reliability Engineering, Design of Experiments, Acceptance Sampling, Operations Research, and Life Testing
As per the 2026-27 prospectus, JRF (QROR) seats are at ISI Bengaluru; coursework is completed at ISI Bengaluru Centre
Only 3 seats are available through the ISI Test Channel, making this one of the most competitive JRF programs at ISI
The ISI SQC & OR Division has units across 10 locations in India and is a national leader in quality, reliability, and OR research

Official Link:

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
FAQs

ISI JRF (QROR) Fees

The JRF (QROR) program at ISI is fully funded for all selected candidates. There is no tuition fee charged to non-sponsored students. Instead, students receive a generous monthly stipend throughout the duration of the fellowship. Hostel accommodation is available at ISI Bengaluru at nominal rent, with students paying food charges separately.

Fee Components

Fee Component	Amount (Rs.)
Tuition Fee	Nil (No tuition fee for non-sponsored students)
Other Academic Fees	Nominal (as applicable)
Hostel Rent	Nominal (students pay food charges separately)
Application Fee (General Male)	1,500 (one-time, at application stage)
Total Fees (Tuition)	Nil

Full tuition waiver is available for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.
Income-based fee remission: 100% for family income below Rs. 1 lakh/year; 66.67% for income between Rs. 1-5 lakh/year.
JRF Stipend: Rs. 37,000 per month + HRA + Rs. 20,000 contingency per year.
SRF Stipend (after 2 years of satisfactory progress): Rs. 42,000 per month + HRA + Rs. 20,000 contingency per year.
Application fee: Rs. 1,500 (General male), Rs. 1,000 (General female), Rs. 750 (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/GEN-EWS/PwBD).

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ISI JRF (QROR) Admission 2026

Admissions to the JRF (QROR) program are conducted annually through the ISI Admission Test. The selection process involves a written test (Paper I: MCQ - MMA; Paper II: Descriptive - QRB) followed by an interview. The 2026-27 application window is currently open, with the admission test scheduled for May 10, 2026. Only 3 seats are available through the ISI Test Channel, making this highly competitive.

ISI Admission Key Dates

Event	Date
Online Application Opens	February 12, 2026
Online Application Closes	March 26, 2026
Admit Card Release	April 17, 2026
ISI Admission Test	May 10, 2026 (Sunday)
Interview (Tentative)	June 2026 (to be announced)
Result / Selection (Tentative)	June-July 2026
Programme Commencement (Tentative)	July-August 2026

Entrance Exam Dates

Exam	Date	Remarks
ISI Admission Test 2026	May 10, 2026	Mandatory for JRF (QROR) admission; conducted by ISI

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria:

One of the following: (a) Master's degree in Statistics with Physics and Chemistry at 10+2 level; (b) Master's degree in OR/Mathematics and Computing with adequate Statistics and Probability, plus Physics and Chemistry at 10+2 level; (c) BE/BTech degree
Two streams are available: Statistics Stream and Engineering Stream
No minimum percentage cut-off for appearing in the examination; however, a strong academic record is expected

Admission Process:

Apply online at https://admission.isical.ac.in/ before March 26, 2026
Pay the application fee online (Rs. 1,500 for General male; Rs. 750 for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwBD)
Download admit card from April 17, 2026 onwards
Appear for the ISI Admission Test on May 10, 2026 (Paper I: MCQ - MMA; Paper II: Descriptive - QRB)
Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview
Final selection is based on written test performance, interview, and academic record
Selected candidates will be assigned to ISI Bengaluru Centre for coursework

ISI JRF (QROR) Scholarships 2026

All selected JRF (QROR) candidates receive a fully funded fellowship from ISI. There is no separate scholarship application required; the fellowship is automatically awarded to all admitted students. Additional fee waivers are available based on category and family income.

Fellowship Details

Fellowship / Scholarship	Amount	Eligibility
JRF Stipend	Rs. 37,000/month + HRA + Rs. 20,000 contingency/year	All admitted JRF students
SRF Stipend	Rs. 42,000/month + HRA + Rs. 20,000 contingency/year	After 2 years of satisfactory JRF progress
Tuition Fee Waiver	Full waiver	SC/ST/PwBD students
Income-based Fee Remission	100% (income < Rs. 1 lakh/year); 66.67% (Rs. 1-5 lakh/year)	Based on family income

The fellowship is subject to satisfactory academic progress and conduct as assessed periodically.
HRA is provided as per ISI rules applicable at the respective centre.
Contingency grant of Rs. 20,000 per year is provided for books, travel, and research expenses.
No separate scholarship application is needed; all admitted students automatically receive the fellowship.

ISI JRF (QROR) FAQs

Ques. Is the JRF (QROR) at ISI Delhi or ISI Bengaluru?

Ans. As per the ISI 2026-27 prospectus, the JRF (QROR) seats are located at ISI Bengaluru Centre, where coursework is completed. The SQC & OR Unit at ISI Delhi is closely associated with QROR research and training (and offers M.Tech QROR, MS QMS, and Six Sigma training programs), but the JRF (QROR) doctoral fellowship seats are at Bengaluru. Candidates should confirm the latest centre allocation at https://admission.isical.ac.in/ before applying.

Ques. What is the difference between JRF (QROR) and M.Tech (QROR) at ISI?

Ans. The M.Tech (QROR) is a 2-year taught Master's program at ISI Kolkata, while the JRF (QROR) is a research fellowship leading to a Ph.D. degree. The JRF (QROR) is for candidates who wish to pursue doctoral research in quality, reliability, and operations research. The M.Tech (QROR) is more suitable for those seeking industry roles in quality engineering and operations management.

Ques. How many seats are available for JRF (QROR), and how competitive is it?

Ans. Only 3 seats are available through the ISI Test Channel for JRF (QROR). This makes it one of the most competitive JRF programs at ISI. The written test (Paper I: MCQ - MMA; Paper II: Descriptive - QRB) covers Statistical Quality Control, Reliability Theory, Operations Research, Design of Experiments, and core Statistics. Candidates from both Statistics and Engineering streams can apply.

Ques. What research areas are available for JRF (QROR) students at ISI?

Ans. Research areas include Statistical Quality Control (control charts, process capability, acceptance sampling), Reliability Engineering (life testing, hazard functions, system reliability), Design of Experiments (factorial designs, Taguchi methods), Operations Research (linear programming, queuing theory, inventory models, network analysis), and related applied statistics areas. The ISI SQC & OR Division has faculty with expertise across all these domains.

Ques. What is the exam pattern for the ISI Admission Test for JRF (QROR)?

Ans. The ISI Admission Test for JRF (QROR) consists of two papers: Paper I (MMA - MCQ format, 2 hours, covering Mathematics and Statistics at UG level) and Paper II (QRB - Descriptive format, 2 hours, covering Quality, Reliability, and OR topics). Paper I has negative marking (-1/3 per wrong answer). Both papers carry equal weight (100 marks each). Candidates who qualify the written test are called for an interview.

Ques. Can engineering graduates apply for JRF (QROR) at ISI?

Ans. Yes. BE/BTech graduates are eligible to apply for JRF (QROR) under the Engineering Stream. The written test Paper II (QRB) has separate sections for Statistics Stream and Engineering Stream candidates. Engineering graduates with a strong background in mathematics, probability, and operations research are well-suited for this program.