Ph.D. Programme Admission 2026-27 at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow (7 Seats in Law, 4 in Human Rights): Last Date Extended

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow was established by an Act of Parliament (No. 58 of 1994) and came into existence on 10 January 1996. It is a central university at Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow, accredited 'A++' Grade by NAAC in 2023. The University runs 99 programmes across Diploma, Integrated PG, UG, PG and Ph.D. levels at its main campus and at its satellite centre at Amethi, in disciplines that include Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture, Biotechnology, Business, Law, Education and Environmental Sciences.

Under Chapter VII (clause 9) of the academic ordinance, 50 per cent of seats in all University programmes are reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, and a further 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections as per MHRD letter F.No. 19-4/2019-CU.Cdn dated 23 January 2019.

The Ph.D. programmes in Law and in Human Rights are run by BBAU's School of Legal Studies, which comprises the Department of Law, the Department of Human Rights and the Centre of Post Graduate Legal Studies. The School is headed by Prof. Sanjeev Kumar Chadha, Professor and Dean, whose areas are Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Administrative Law and the Law of Torts. The School describes its core mission as delivering legal education through an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together faculty, scholars, alumni and members of the legal profession.

By Notification No. ACD 46266-4/BBAU/26 dated 12 August 2026, issued in continuation of University Public Notice No. ACD45830-L/BBAU/2026 dated 27 July 2026, the Registrar has extended the last date for registration to the Ph.D. programmes as follows:

• Without late fee: 13 August 2026 to 31 August 2026
• With late fee: 1 September 2026 to 7 September 2026

The BBAU Samarth admission portal currently shows the Ph.D. (Law) and Ph.D. (Human Rights) applications as Live, with a start date of 27 July 2026 and an end date of 31 August 2026, which is the last date without late fee.

The Information Bulletin and Admission Prospectus for the Ph.D. Programme 2026 lists the following category-wise seats at the main campus for the two law-side programmes:

• Ph.D. Law: UR 3, SC 1, ST 3, EWS nil - total 7 seats
• Ph.D. Human Rights: UR 1, SC nil, ST 2, EWS 1 - total 4 seats

The University notes that no candidate is entitled to claim admission as a matter of right, and that the number of seats given in the prospectus may increase or decrease.

Ph.D. in Law: A Master's Degree (LL.M.) with at least 55 per cent marks in aggregate or equivalent grade 'B' in the UGC 7-point scale. The qualifying national level test is UGC-NET, subject code 58.

Ph.D. in Human Rights: A Master's Degree in Law, Human Rights and Duties, Gender Studies, or a closely related field such as Human Rights, Social Work, Political Science or International Relations (as listed in the eligibility qualification for UGC-NET subject code 92), with at least 55 per cent marks in aggregate or equivalent grade 'B'. The qualifying national level test is UGC-NET, subject code 92.

A relaxation of 5 per cent, from 55 per cent to 50 per cent, or an equivalent relaxation of grade, is allowed for SC, ST, OBC (non-creamy layer), differently-abled and other categories as decided by the Commission from time to time, and for candidates who obtained their Master's degree before 19 September 1991. The relaxation applies only to qualifying marks and does not include grace marks. Percentage in the qualifying examination is read without rounding off. All essential qualifications, including NET, are considered up to the last date of filing the online application.

Admission is made in the order of NET categories. JRF-qualified candidates (Category 1) are admitted first on the basis of an interview under the Ph.D. Ordinance, 2026. For candidates in Categories 2 and 3, the merit is a combination of 70 per cent weightage for the test score (national level test or entrance test score) and 30 per cent weightage for the interview. NET marks for Categories 2 and 3 remain valid for one year for Ph.D. admission.

Candidates are called for interview in a 1:5 ratio against the declared category-wise seats. The 30-mark interview component is made up of weightage for academics (5 marks: UG percentage x 2/100, PG percentage x 3/100, or four-year UG percentage x 5/100), weightage for fellowship (10 marks for JRF or any other national level fellowship, 7 marks for M.Phil. plus NET, 5 marks for M.Phil. or NET), a research proposal (5 marks) and personal interaction (10 marks). The Departmental Research Committee may hold interviews in hybrid mode. Interview and DRC meeting dates are to be announced later by the respective departments at www.bbau.ac.in.

The registration fee stated in the extension notification is Rs 1,000 for UR, OBC and EWS candidates and Rs 750 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. A late fee of Rs 1,500 applies to all categories for registrations made between 1 and 7 September 2026.

The fee must be paid online during registration through the available payment options, and registration is complete only after the fee is realised. A separate registration fee is payable for each Ph.D. programme applied for, and the registration fee is not refunded or adjusted in any circumstances.

On admission, the tuition fee for a regular Ph.D. is Rs 4,400 per semester, and Rs 2,200 per semester for SC, ST and PwD scholars, in addition to the other components listed in the prospectus.

Eligible candidates must register online on the BBAU Samarth admission portal at https://bbauadm.samarth.edu.in/2026/ using the New Registration option, then select Ph.D. (Law) or Ph.D. (Human Rights), complete the application, upload documents and pay the registration fee online.

Applicants seeking admission to more than one programme must submit a separate application and registration form, and pay a separate fee, for each. Candidates are advised to read the Information Bulletin and Admission Prospectus for the Ph.D. Programme 2026 before applying, and to check www.bbau.ac.in regularly for further notifications.

Applicants are provisionally allowed to appear for the interview or entrance test, and candidature remains subject to fulfilling the minimum eligibility criteria at the time of admission. Departments verify certificates submitted for the benefit of reservation.

Candidates shortlisted for counselling must submit self-attested or original copies of the mark sheet or grade sheet of the qualifying degree, a character certificate in original from the Dean, Head or Principal of the institution last attended, a migration certificate from the competent authority, and the SC, ST, PwD, Kashmiri Migrant or NRI certificate issued by the competent authority, and must bring all original documents for verification. Admission is liable to be cancelled if any information or document is found to be fake. All disputes concerning the conduct of the entrance examination, including results, fall within the jurisdiction of Lucknow.