Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of India's most prestigious central universities, offers a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics as a full-time, on-campus research programme under the Faculty of Science (Institute of Science). The programme is housed within the School of Biotechnology, which has a dedicated Centre for Bioinformatics (Sub-DIC) funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, since 1989. The Ph.D. spans a minimum of 3 years and up to 6 years, with the first year devoted to mandatory coursework. Seat intake is extremely limited - only 1 seat per academic session - making it one of the most competitive doctoral programmes at BHU. Admission is through the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test, with exemptions for candidates holding UGC-JRF, CSIR-NET, DBT-JRF, or GATE qualifications. The programme is highly sought after due to BHU's strong interdisciplinary research environment, DBT-funded bioinformatics infrastructure, and the growing demand for computational biology expertise in academia and industry.

Admission for the 2026-27 session has been completed. The online registration window was open from December 3 to December 16, 2026, followed by document verification and interviews in January 2027, and offer letters issued between January 24 and February 5, 2027. A second admission cycle was scheduled to begin from February 12, 2027. For the 2027-28 session, admissions are expected to open tentatively in November-December 2027. Candidates are advised to regularly check the official BHU admission portal at admission.bhu.ac.in for updates.

Key Points

The Ph.D. in Bioinformatics at BHU is offered under the Faculty of Science through the School of Biotechnology, which houses a DBT-funded Centre for Bioinformatics (Sub-DIC) operational since 1989.
Seat intake is extremely limited at 1 seat per academic session, making this one of the most competitive doctoral programmes at BHU.
Admission is through the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test; candidates with valid UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, DBT-JRF, or GATE scores are exempted from the entrance test and directly called for interview.
Allied disciplines eligible for admission include Computational Biology, Computational and Integrative Science, Systems Biology, and Physics.
The Centre for Bioinformatics organizes 1-2 workshops annually for Ph.D. students from BHU and other institutions, providing additional research training in bioinformatics tools and databases.
The School of Biotechnology has a success rate of over 80% in national entrance tests like CSIR/UGC-NET, ICMR, and DBT-JRF among its students.

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
FAQs

BHU Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) Fees

The Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) programme at BHU is offered under the Faculty of Science and carries a very affordable fee structure typical of central universities. Based on the fee structure applicable to Science faculty Ph.D. programmes at BHU, the annual tuition fee is approximately Rs. 11,585 in Year 1 and Rs. 10,735 in subsequent years. The total fees for the complete 3-year programme are approximately Rs. 33,055 (excluding hostel). Hostel fees are charged separately and are optional.

Fee Structure

Fee Component	Year 1 (Rs.)	Year 2 (Rs.)	Year 3 (Rs.)	Total (Rs.)
Tuition Fee	11,585	10,735	10,735	33,055
Admission Fee (one-time)	150	-	-	150
Total Fees (excl. Hostel)	11,735	10,735	10,735	33,205
Hostel Fee (approx., per year)	5,375	5,375	5,375	16,125
Total Fees (incl. Hostel)	17,110	16,110	16,110	49,330

Fee figures are based on the most recently available BHU Science faculty Ph.D. fee structure.
Actual fees for 2026-27 may be slightly revised; candidates should verify from the official BHU admission bulletin.
Hostel accommodation is not mandatory; it is allotted on a merit-cum-availability basis.
Registration/application processing fee: Rs. 600 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and Rs. 300 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates (non-refundable).
Fees paid are generally non-refundable once the admission process is complete.

BHU Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) Admission 2026

Admissions to the Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) programme at BHU are conducted annually, typically in two cycles. With only 1 seat available per session, competition is extremely high. The 2026-27 admission cycle was completed with online registration in December 2026, interviews in January 2027, and offer letters issued by early February 2027. For the upcoming 2027-28 session, the process is expected to follow a similar timeline. Candidates must qualify the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test or hold a valid JRF/NET/GATE/DBT-JRF score to be eligible.

Admission Dates

Event	Date
Online Registration Opens	December 3, 2026
Last Date for Online Registration	December 16, 2026
Correction Window	December 17, 2026
Call Letter Issuance	December 20-24, 2026
Document Verification and Interview	January 5-16, 2027
Publication of Result and Offer Letter	January 24 - February 5, 2027
Second Admission Cycle Begins	February 12, 2027

Entrance Exam Dates

Exam	Event	Date
NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test 2026	Admit Card	October 21, 2026
NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test 2026	Exam Date	October 27, 2026
NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test 2026	Result Declaration	November 26, 2026
CSIR-NET (Life Sciences)	Exam (tentative for 2027)	June 2027 (tentative)
DBT-JRF 2026	Exam Date	As notified by DBT

Note: For 2027-28 admissions, NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test dates will be announced on the official NTA/BHU portal. Candidates with valid CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF, DBT-JRF, or GATE scores are exempted from the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold a Master's degree (M.Sc. in Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Computational Biology, Computational and Integrative Science, Systems Biology, or Physics) from a recognized university with a minimum of 55% marks (50% for SC/ST/PwBD candidates).
Candidates with valid UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, DBT-JRF, or GATE scores are exempted from the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test and are directly called for interview.
There is no upper age limit for applying to the Ph.D. programme at BHU.

Admission Process

Register online at the official BHU admission portal (admission.bhu.ac.in or bhuonline.in) within the notified registration window.
Pay the non-refundable registration processing fee (Rs. 600 for General/OBC/EWS; Rs. 300 for SC/ST/PwBD).
Appear for the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test (if not exempted via JRF/NET/GATE/DBT-JRF).
Shortlisted candidates are called for a personal interview/viva voce before the departmental selection committee at the School of Biotechnology.
Final merit list is prepared based on entrance test score and interview performance (or directly on interview for exempted candidates).
Selected candidates submit the admission fee and complete document verification to confirm their seat.

BHU Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) Scholarships 2026

BHU Ph.D. scholars in Bioinformatics can avail of several fellowships and scholarships. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the programme (spanning life sciences and computational sciences), scholars may be eligible for fellowships from UGC, CSIR, DBT, or DST. The DBT-JRF is particularly relevant for Bioinformatics scholars. These fellowships substantially support scholars throughout their research tenure.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship / Fellowship	Eligibility	Amount	Duration
UGC-JRF Fellowship	Candidates with valid UGC-JRF score	Rs. 31,000/month (1st-2nd year); Rs. 35,000/month (3rd-5th year)	Up to 5 years
CSIR-JRF Fellowship	Candidates with valid CSIR-JRF score (Life Sciences)	Rs. 31,000/month (1st-2nd year); Rs. 35,000/month (3rd-5th year)	Up to 5 years
DBT-JRF Fellowship	Candidates with valid DBT-JRF score	Rs. 31,000/month (1st-2nd year); Rs. 35,000/month (3rd-5th year)	Up to 5 years
GATE Scholarship	Candidates admitted on GATE score	Rs. 12,400/month (as per AICTE norms)	Duration of programme
BHU Research Fellowship (BRF)	Meritorious candidates without JRF/NET/GATE	Rs. 5,000/month (approx.)	As per university norms
INSPIRE Fellowship (DST)	Top rankers in science	Rs. 28,000/month + Rs. 20,000 annual contingency	Up to 5 years
National SC/ST Fellowship	SC/ST candidates	As per UGC norms	Duration of programme

DBT-JRF is the most relevant fellowship for Bioinformatics scholars and requires a separate application/exam conducted by DBT.
JRF/CSIR/GATE fellowships require separate application/registration after admission.
BHU Research Fellowship (BRF) is limited in number and awarded based on merit and availability of funds.
Candidates are advised to check the latest fellowship amounts on the respective official websites (ugc.ac.in, csirnet.nta.ac.in, dbtindia.gov.in) as amounts are subject to revision.

BHU Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) FAQs

Ques. Is the Ph.D. in Bioinformatics at BHU offered through the School of Biotechnology or a separate department?

Ans. The Ph.D. in Bioinformatics at BHU is offered under the Faculty of Science through the School of Biotechnology, Institute of Science. The School houses a dedicated Centre for Bioinformatics (Sub-DIC) funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, since 1989. This centre provides internet facilities, bioinformatics databases, and computational tools for research.

Ques. How many seats are available for Ph.D. Bioinformatics at BHU?

Ans. Only 1 seat is available per academic session for Ph.D. Bioinformatics at BHU (as per the 2023-24 bulletin). This makes it one of the most competitive doctoral programmes at the university. Candidates with JRF/NET/DBT-JRF qualifications are given preference through the RET-exempted route.

Ques. Which entrance exam should I appear for Ph.D. Bioinformatics admission at BHU?

Ans. Admission is through the NTA Ph.D. Entrance Test (Bioinformatics subject code). Candidates with valid UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, DBT-JRF, or GATE scores are exempted from this test and are directly called for an interview. The DBT-JRF is particularly relevant for Bioinformatics aspirants.

Ques. What are the research areas available under Ph.D. Bioinformatics at BHU?

Ans. The School of Biotechnology at BHU is actively engaged in research areas including: Functional genomics, Systems biology and synthetic biology in bacteria; Cellular and Molecular Immunology and Oncology; Enzyme-based diagnostics and protein structure-function relationships; Molecular microbiology; Functional genomics of nitrogen-fixing bacteria; and Molecular basis of UV-B radiation tolerance. The Centre for Bioinformatics supports in silico research across these areas.

Ques. Can candidates from allied disciplines apply for Ph.D. Bioinformatics at BHU?

Ans. Yes. Candidates with a Master's degree in Computational Biology, Computational and Integrative Science, Systems Biology, or Physics are eligible to apply for Ph.D. Bioinformatics at BHU as allied discipline candidates. However, the maximum number of admissions from allied disciplines is capped at 20% of available vacancies.

Ques. What is the fellowship/stipend available for Ph.D. Bioinformatics scholars at BHU?

Ans. Scholars with a valid DBT-JRF, CSIR-JRF, or UGC-JRF qualification receive Rs. 31,000/month for the first two years and Rs. 35,000/month thereafter. Scholars without any external fellowship may receive a BHU Research Fellowship of approximately Rs. 5,000/month, subject to availability. Given the very limited seat intake (1 seat), most admitted scholars typically hold a fellowship.