New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has opened online applications for PhD admissions for the academic year 2025-26, even as the students' union members launched an indefinite hunger strike on Thursday night.

The protest is against the university's decision to exclude the June 2025 UGC-NET aspirants and to not reinstate the JNU Entrance Examination (JNUEE) for PhD admissions.

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According to the official schedule released by the university, the online submission of PhD application forms will take place from June 26 to July 7. A short correction window will be available from July 8 to 9, followed by the tentative issue of viva-voce invitations by July 18. The viva-voce examinations are scheduled to be held from July 25 to 31.

The first merit list will be published on August 11, with pre-enrolment registration and fee payment from August 11 to 13, and physical verification of documents from August 18 to 21.

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The second merit list will be released on August 29, followed by registration and fee payment from August 29 to 31 and document verification on September 4 and 5.

If necessary, a third and final merit list will be published on September 15, with fee payment open until September 17, and verification scheduled for September 22 and 23. The final deadline for admission and registration across all rounds is September 30.

However, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) has criticised the admission process, calling it "exclusionary" and "undemocratic".

In a statement, the student body condemned the university administration for barring candidates who appeared for the June 2025 UGC-NET exam, many of whom are recent postgraduates. The exclusion affects a significant portion of the MA pass-out batch, according to student representatives.

The union also reiterated its long-standing demand to reinstate the JNUEE, which it views as a more equitable mode of admission.

JNUSU alleged that the administration has refused to engage with elected student representatives.

Accusing the Vice-Chancellor of selective dialogue and administrative high-handedness, JNUSU office-bearers, including president Nitish Kumar, vice-president Manisha and general secretary Munteha Fatima, have vowed to continue their hunger strike until the demands are met.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)