NLSIU is offering a Ph.D in Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy for the Academic Year 2025-26. This PhD programme in NLSIU involves research across disciplines to arrive at a more comprehensive perspective and solution for a particular problem.
As part of the Ph.D programme, candidates are provided the opportunity to teach in areas related to their research, allowing for deeper integration with the NLSIU community and also provide diverse feedback opportunities.
Express your interest here!Related Videos
You can watch PhD related videos on the ‘Videos’ tab of this page.
The Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) encourages students with any degree in the social sciences, humanities, and public policy field to apply. Candidates are encouraged to review the ongoing research projects and faculty research interests on the University website while preparing their proposals.
Application Deadline Extended to March 30, 2025 | View Corrigendum
The following candidates shall be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) programme:
Eligibility for Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy)
The following candidates shall be eligible to apply for the Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) programme:
a) Candidates having a 4-year/ 8-semester/ 12-trimester bachelor’s degree through regular mode from a recognized University having secured a minimum of 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade on a point scale wherever the grading system is followed (50% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC- NCL/Persons with Disability.)
b) Candidates having a Master’s degree in any discipline through regular mode with a minimum of 55% or equivalent grade (50% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC-NCL/Persons with Disability) and a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized University through regular mode; or
b) Candidates having passed the Company Secretaryship examination conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and been awarded Associate Membership of the Institute (ACS) and having completed a bachelor’s degree programme from a recognized University through regular mode; or
c) Candidates having passed the Chartered Accountants examination conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and been awarded Membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and having completed a bachelor’s degree programme from a recognized University through regular mode;
Provided that candidates in their final year of study in the respective degrees in (a), (b) and (c) shall be eligible to apply, subject to the candidate securing the minimum marks or equivalent grade prior to the date of commencement of the Ph.D.
Admission Process
Application
Candidates shall submit the application form duly filled up along with a research proposal of about 6-8 pages. The application form is available at nlsatadmissions.nls.ac.in.
The research proposal must:
i. Contain a Tentative Title,
ii. Identify a research problem and discrete research questions,
iii. Demonstrate background research and a thorough awareness and understanding of the relevant literature on the research problem,
iv. Identify the methodological approach to respond adequately to these research questions.
Candidates who demonstrate a firm grasp of the foundational themes and methodological questions of the relevant discipline will be awarded higher marks. The research proposal must be prepared by the candidate without any external assistance or assistance of AI tools.
Application Fee
An application fee of Rs. 3000/- (Rupees Three Thousand Only) shall be payable at the time of submission of the application.
Last Date for Submitting Applications
The application deadline has been extended till 11:59 pm, IST on March 30, 2025.
View Corrigendum.
Admission Test (NLSAT-PhD)
The National Law School Admissions Test-Ph.D. (NLSAT-Ph.D.) will be held on April 27, 2025, between 10.00 am to 12.30 pm in specified centres across the country. The duration of the test shall be 150 minutes.
The NLSAT-Ph.D. shall test the students on Research Aptitude and subject-matter expertise.
Candidates who secure not less than 50 marks in the written test will qualify for evaluation of their Research Proposal. They will be invited to make an oral presentation before a Panel of Experts on the date specified by the University.
Intake
The maximum number of Ph.D. seats for the Academic Year 2025-26 are 8 (Eight). This includes 4 in Ph.D. (Law) and 4 in Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy). The University reserves the right not to fill all the seats where sufficient candidates do not satisfy the admission requirements.
Selection Process
Candidates will be selected based on the marks obtained by the candidate in the NLSAT-Ph.D., the research proposal, and the oral presentation. The weightage of each score component shall be as follows:
a) NLSAT-Ph.D. Exam: 50%
b) Research Proposal: 25%
c) Oral Presentation: 25%
The dates for the oral presentation shall be announced after the completion of the NLSAT-Ph.D. They are likely to be held in May 2025. Classes for coursework component of the Ph.D. programme shall commence at the University in July 2025.
PhD Regulations
Regulations governing the PhD programme are available here.
Candidates should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the programme, before applying for the PhD.
Read the official Admission Notification here.
Selected candidates will be offered a Doctoral Fellowship of Rs. 50,000 per month for a maximum period of three years from the date of their admission. The Doctoral Fellows would be required to work for approximately ten hours every week on university roles related to their doctoral dissertation and towards their development as an academic professional. On satisfactory progress in their doctoral research and completion of institutional responsibilities, there will be an annual increase of 10 % in the Fellowship Amount. Continuation of the Doctoral Fellowship at the end of each Academic Year shall be contingent on progress in doctoral research and completion of institutional responsibilities. The fellowship may be discontinued if research undertaken by the Fellow is found unsatisfactory.
Doctoral Fellowships will not be provided to candidates who remain in paid employment or other forms of paid full-time engagement with any entity or organisation after admission to the Ph.D. Programme.
Applicants already receiving UGC Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) or any such other national fellowship/sponsorship are not eligible to receive the Doctoral Fellowship.
International Students
The NLSAT-International is conducted for admission to the 5-Year BA LLB (Hons), 3-Year LLB (Hons), LLM, MPP, and PhD programmes for students applying, and eligible under the “international student” category for the Academic Year. The Academic Year commences in July every year.
Eligibility
In addition to the eligibility criteria specified for each of the individual degree programmes, a candidate applying under the “international student” category should be a citizen of a country other than India.
PhD:
Any person holding a Master’s/ post-graduate degree in law, social sciences or the humanities, from a recognized University is eligible to apply to the programme. Applicants should have graduated with an aggregate of not less than 55% of total marks or equivalent grade.
Students in the final year of their Master’s/ post-graduate degree are also eligible to apply. However, their provisional final offer of admission shall be contingent upon the successful completion of their Master’s degree with the minimum aggregate marks specified above. Proof of completion of the qualifying degree has to be submitted no later than December 31.
Admission Process
The University shall admit candidates who meet the eligibility and admission criteria set out below, as per the merit list, up to:
15 candidates for the BA LLB (Hons) programme,
6 candidates for the LLB (Hons) programme,
6 candidates for the LLM programme
6 candidates for the MPP programme,
1 candidate for PhD (Law) programme, and
1 candidate for PhD (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) programme.
NLSAT-International (PhD) Examination
Candidates shall submit the duly filled application form along with a research proposal of about 6-8 pages. The application form shall be available on the University website.
The research proposal must:
(i) Contain a tentative title,
(ii) Identify a research problem and discrete research questions,
(iii) Demonstrate background research and a thorough awareness and understanding of the relevant literature on the research problem,
(iv) Identify the methodological approach to respond adequately to these research questions.
Candidates who demonstrate a firm grasp of the foundational themes and methodological questions of the relevant discipline will be awarded higher marks.
The research proposal must be prepared by the candidate without any external assistance or AI tools.
The admission test for the PhD programmes shall have only one part, which shall test the students on Research Aptitude and subject-matter expertise.
Candidates who secure more than 50% marks in the written test will qualify for evaluation of their Research Proposal. They will be invited to an interview, where they will make an oral presentation before the PhD Admissions Review Panel constituted for this purpose. The final offers of admission shall be based on the assessment of the research proposal, interview and oral presentation by the PhD Admissions Review Panel.
To be offered admission, a candidate should have secured more than zero marks in the test and the research proposal.
Further details of the examination shall be communicated to enrolled students after completion of the registration process.
For Indian Nationals | AY 2025-26
| Fee | Amount |
| Registration Fee (at the time of admission) | Rs. 30,000/- |
| Course Work Fee (at the time of admission) | Rs. 30,000/- |
| Annual Fee (every year for the first three academic years of the programme) failing which a fine will be charged by the University | Rs. 25,000/- |
| Continuation Fee (after the first three academic years of the programme) | Rs. 15,000/- p.a. |
| Fee for Final Presentation | Rs. 50,000/- |
| Examination Fee (at the time of submission of Thesis) | Rs. 20,000/- |
| Re-submission of thesis | Rs. 20,000/- |
The total amount payable by Indian students for AY 2025-26 is Rs. 85,000/- as provided below:
Registration Fee – one time 30,000/-
Course Work Fee – one time 30,000/-
Annual Fee – 25,000/-
Total fee – per annum 85,000/-
View the official fee notification.
For International Students | AY 2025-26
| Fee | Amount |
| Registration Fee (one time) | Rs. 90,000/- |
| Course Work Fee (one time) | Rs. 90,000/- |
| Annual Fee (every year for the first three academic years of the programme) | Rs. 75,000/- |
| Continuation Fee (after the first three academic years of the programme) | Rs. 45,000/- p.a. |
| Fee for Final Presentation | Rs. 1,50,000/- |
| Examination Fee (at the time of submission of thesis) | Rs. 60,000/- |
| Re-submission of thesis | Rs. 60,000/- |
The total amount payable at the time of admission by international students for AY 2025-26 is Rs. 2,55,000/- as provided below:
Registration Fee – one time 90,000/-
Course Work Fee – one time 90,000/-
Annual Fee 75,000/-
Total fee – per annum 2,55,000/-
Faculty Videos | PhD
Prof. Kamala Sankaran, Dean – Research at NLSIU, speaks on the University’s Doctoral Programmes
Prof. (Dr.) Arun K. Thiruvengadam gives an overview of the dynamic research community at NLSIU
The University’s PhD programme in the previous year was offered in terms of the Ph.D. Degree Programme Regulations, 2021. The Regulations have been revised since the Academic Year 2023-24.
NLSIU currently offers two Ph.D programmes:
– The Ph.D. (Law) programme allows a candidate to contribute academically in the field of law;
– The Ph.D. (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) involves research across disciplines to arrive at a more comprehensive perspective and solution for a particular problem.
No, candidates applying for the Ph.D (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) programme are required to have a Master’s degree.
a) Candidates having a Master’s degree in any discipline through regular mode with a minimum of 55% or equivalent grade (50% of marks or its equivalent grade in case of SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/PWD) and a Bachelor‟s degree from a recognized University through regular mode; or
b) Candidates having passed the Company Secretaryship examination conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and been awarded Associate Membership of the Institute (ACS) and a having completed a bachelor‟s degree programme in Law (LL.B.) from a recognized University through regular mode; or
c) Candidates having passed the Chartered Accountants examination conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and been awarded Membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India , and having completed a bachelor‟s degree programme in Law (LL.B.) from a recognized University through regular mode; or
d) Candidates having passed the Solicitors Examination conducted by the Bombay Incorporated Law Society and having a completed a bachelor‟s in Law (LL.B.) degree from a recognized University through regular mode; or
e) Candidates having a Master of Business Laws (MBL) degree from the National Law School of India University with minimum CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) of 4.00 and having completed a bachelor‟s degree from a recognized University through regular mode;
Note: Provided that candidates in their final year of study in the respective degrees in (a) and (e) shall be eligible to apply, subject to the candidate securing the minimum marks or equivalent grade prior to the date of commencement of the Ph.D.
No, there is no age limit to apply for the programmes.
Candidates will have to appear for the admission test NLSAT – Ph.D. conducted by the University. To apply, visit admissions.nls.ac.in
Note: While submitting the application for the admission test, candidates should also submit a research proposal of about 6-8 pages. The research proposal should contain:
i. Tentative Title
ii. Statement of the problem and the background information on the subject.
iii. A brief outline of the research design including a set of research questions, a brief review of the relevant literature on the issue identified for research, a research hypothesis (where applicable) and the proposed methodology. Students who demonstrate a firm grasp of these foundational issues will be awarded higher marks.
No. Candidates may apply for either Ph.D (Law) or the Ph.D (Social Sciences, Humanities and Public Policy) programme.
To apply for the Ph.D programmes, visit admissions.nls.ac.in
The University shall conduct a written test (NLSAT-Ph.D) along the following scheme:
a) Research Aptitude – 50 marks
b) Essays on relevant topics pertaining to law/ other disciplines – 50 marks
Candidates will be selected based on the marks obtained by the candidate in the NLSAT- PhD, the research proposal, and the oral presentation. The weightage of each score component shall be as follows:
a) NLSAT-PhD: 50%
b) Research Proposal: 35%
c) Oral Presentation: 15%
The list of selected candidates as above shall be displayed on the NLSIU website.
Candidates are required to be present at the NLSIU campus for the duration of their coursework spread over three trimesters. Course work is compulsory for all the Ph.D. candidates.
The first component of the course work must be completed during the first trimester upon their admission. The remaining two trimesters of the course work needs to be completed within the first two academic years.
a) The candidate will have to complete a minimum of three (3) years’ research in their chosen subject, including the mandatory course work as provided in these Regulations.
b) Maximum period: The maximum duration of the Ph.D. programme shall be six (6) years* from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme, subject to the fulfilment of the requirements per the Regulations.
*- Provided that candidates who are Persons with Disabilities (having more than 40% disability) may be allowed a relaxation of upto two (2) years; however, the total period for completion of a Ph.D. programme in such cases should not exceed eight (8) years from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme;
– Provided further that female Ph.D. candidates may be provided Maternity Leave/ Child Care Leave for up to 240 days in the entire duration of the Ph.D. programme; however, the total period for completion of a Ph.D. programme in such cases should not exceed six (6) years and eight (8) months from the date of admission in the Ph.D. programme.
c) Failure to complete the course within the maximum period set out in point (b) above will automatically result in cancellation of registration.
There are a total of six courses that a doctoral candidate has to complete. Three of these are compulsory taught courses. Each taught course will extend for around 10 weeks and will be held on campus.
The first compulsory taught course is to be completed in the initial trimester on admission to the programme. The second compulsory taught course can be completed in the initial or any subsequent trimester (depending on when the course is offered). These two taught courses have to be completed prior to the first presentation before the Research Advisory Committee. In addition, there are also two course requirements relating to review of literature and fine-tuning of the proposal which need to be completed under the guidance of the Supervisor prior to the first presentation before the Research Advisory Committee.
The third compulsory taught course has to be completed prior to the second presentation before the Research Advisory Committee. In addition, candidates also will also need to complete the course requirement relating to teaching/research assistantships as will be decided by the Supervisor/relevant University body of the University.
There is a Research Advisory Committee for each Ph.D. scholar consisting of a Supervisor and two members (one from within NLSIU and one external member).
Please refer to the fee tab on the respective programme pages for fee details.
Yes, the University will release sample questions at a later date.
We do not offer rolling admissions to the Ph.D. programme. New students are admitted once a year, to begin studying at the start of the Academic Year in July.
Yes, but only in the next academic year. Candidates will have to appear for the NLSAT after applying for the programme in any given year.
Yes. The University will notify a ‘Campus Open Day’ for you to visit us and familiarize yourself with the campus before applying for any programme through the NLSAT. Follow our website for further updates.