CIFE – Institutional Fellowship

About CIFE – Institutional Fellowship

ICAR-CIFE runs an eleven-specialisation lineup covering a two-year Master’s programme (M.F.Sc.) and a three-year doctoral (Ph.D.) programme in fisheries science, a breadth said to be rare anywhere in the world. It has awarded its own degrees ever since being recognised as a Deemed-to-be-University in 1989 under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1953.

Fellowship

• ICAR grants a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) to those pursuing the Master’s Degree Programme, paying Rs. 5760/- a month for two years plus an annual contingent grant of Rs. 6000/- (for chemicals, equipment, books, and travel tied to data collection). Whether the fellowship continues past year one hinges on the candidate maintaining the required OGPA per guidelines.
• Under the 41st Academic Council’s approval, a student who holds the required O.G.P.A. stays entitled to the fellowship even without clearing a particular course’s exam, though such a student remains on ‘Scholastic probation’ until that course is cleared.
• JRF is awarded only to candidates joining the M.F.Sc. Programme at a University/Institute different from where they earned their Bachelor’s Degree; switching subjects under the JRF is never permitted.
• For the Ph.D. Degree, ICAR’s Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) pays Rs. 7000/- monthly across the first two years and Rs. 5600/- in the third, alongside an annual contingent grant of Rs. 10,000/- (for the same categories of research-related expenses).
• Of the contingent grant, up to Rs. 2500/- in year one may go toward books and another Rs. 2500/- toward thesis preparation; the rest must be spent solely on research-related contingencies.
• Institutional Fellowship currently pays Rs. 5040/- per month over two years for M.F.Sc. candidates and Rs. 7000/- per month over three years for Ph.D. candidates, with contingent grants of Rs. 6000/- per year at the Master’s level and Rs. 10,000/- per year at the Ph.D. level.
• Here too, a maximum of Rs. 2500/- in the first year can go toward books and Rs. 2500/- toward thesis preparation, with the balance reserved strictly for research-related contingencies.

Eligibility

M.F.Sc. Anyone with a Bachelor’s Degree in the relevant field under the 10+2+4 pattern can apply, provided they hold at least 60% marks or an OGPA of 6.50/10.00, 3.25/5.00, or 2.60/4.00 (SC/ST candidates need 55% marks or an OGPA of 6.00/10.00, 3.00/5.00, or 2.40/4.00).- Ph.D. Candidates need B.F.Sc. & M.F.Sc. (4+2 years) or B.Sc & M.Sc. (3 years) from CIFE (up to 1995), with an M.F.Sc./M.Sc. OGPA of 7.5/10 or 3.75/5 for General/OBC candidates (7.00/10 or 3.50/5 for SC/ST). Alternatively, a D.F.Sc. from CIFE qualifies if the holder has a Bachelor’s degree in biological science plus two years of post-D.F.Sc. experience in fisheries development. Sponsored candidates holding an M.Sc. in Fish and Fisheries or a related field, with at least two years of fisheries-development experience, may also apply.- Foreign students Foreign nationals skip the written test and interview altogether; admission instead rests on a review of their bio-data and a recommendation from the relevant discipline’s Head.

Selection Procedure

For M.F.Sc. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, at Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan, Pusa, New Delhi, holds a combined exam in the first week of June that both awards the ICAR Junior Research Fellowship and fills 100% of CIFE’s Master’s Degree seats. Placement into the fellowship as well as State Agricultural Universities and Deemed Universities follows entrance-exam merit and counselling.- For Ph.D. Selection rests on a written test and interview, weighted as 20% academic record, 70% subject written test, and 10% interview. Since 2020, however, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has run the national-level Ph.D. entrance tests for CIFE admissions.

For Foreign students Foreign nationals residing in India follow the same application and result-submission deadlines as Indian citizens; among these, self-financing foreign applicants are called for the written test and interview only once they meet the same qualifications required of Indian applicants, with admission decided through open competition.