How to move Towards PhD Life 😊

Hello readers, today I am writing the article for you considering my point of view. As I am going to complete my masters form IIT Kharagpur in few months, I am currently collecting the information to PhD studies.

“Moving Towards our beautiful PhD Life“ is raw information article and this is collection of information after listening multiple IIT students/videos.

Sorry for the unstructured format. I am watching multiple videos and listing to multiple IIT friends to collect the information and updating in one place. Once enough data is get collected.

Now lets move towards actual content but before that

Please Not that the information is not certain as different things are coming in view from different people. This is blog is genuine attempt to generalize and collect things together. THANK YOU 😊

Requirements

CGPA matters in academics. It directly reflects how good you are in studies atleast in academics. It is also related to seriousness. If your CGPA is not that good then be serious make a strong research profile and then start looking for the professors. Important is research.

• CGPA > 8 will be fine

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PhD from India or foreign?

If you get PMRF scholarship then getting PhD from India is like more beneficial. With the PMRF scheme you will be reviewed by all the professors from across IIT’s.

PhD from wither India or Foreign doesn’t matter when you have very strong research.

If foreign then which place is good?

Most best place is Europe.

Germany is best as there is less researchers and they are looking for researcher. [Start learning German from now]. First look for guide. German government is more supportive. Tuition fee is less than other countries. German is must and you have to complete A2 level course.

Switzerland is also good place.

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Why PhD ?

• I want to do PHD

• Want deeper research in domain and enhance the knowledge of that domain

Benefits of PhD ?

• More Growth opportunities than Masters Degree

• Tremendous knowledge of particular domain

• Patience

• To join top research institute like IIT’s as a Professor

• In senior positions highest educational degrees contribute for promotion

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PhD Fee Structure ?

• 25,000 ₹ per semester

  • In Part-Time PhD fees

    • Self-Sponsored: You yourself pay the fees

    • Company-Sponsored: Company where you are employed will pay the fees
      [Need to sign bond as you will serve to company for particular years after degree completion]

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Types of PhD ?

1. Full Time PhD

2. Part-Time PhD

   1. Self Sponsored

   2. Company Sponsored

Full Time PhD - Student staying in campus and delicately doing research under supervision of professor

• Stiped is getting from government of India or MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development)

• Or you can join as project PhD also. Then you are part project. Your thesis will be part of project. Your stipend will be coming from that project funding only.

Part Time PhD - Working in the company and at the same time you are pursuing your PhD parallelly under supervision of some guides

• In College:

  Apply with research proposal and application along with NoC.
  Appear for written exam interview in campus.

• Requirements and Procedure:

  1. You should be in R&D role in company and minimum 2 years in company

  2. Company should be well known and should be existing more than 10 years in market
     Why this is matters is PhD is going to take next 4-6 years and company is going to pay indirectly complete fees. [Company gives to you and you pays fees]
     There is agreement between institute and company like you will be working for company and you are doing part time PhD

  3. Managers approval is very very important

  4. Talk with professor and check which professor is interested in part time PhD

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Application Process

Recruitment happens twice in the year/Application opens twice year 1. July 2. December

• Documents required

  • Sponsorship Certificate/Agreement from company [If Part Time PhD]
    States that company is going to take care of all expense. e.g. college fees, if paper is going for conference then that expense, travelling cost, staying cost
    There is pre defined form for all institutes we have to take sign on that from company

  • Industry guide CV
    There is another guide from company end. He is the most of the time manager your project

• Research Profile. You should be in research profile in company

• Research proposal
  Most if the time guides are not interested in reading your proposal so you should talk with them or there research scholars.
  Also relate and mention how the professors work or part of work is related in you work/proposal

Written Exam:
[For part time students most of the times no written test]

• 20 Subjective questions all from gate syllabus. After exam Interview.

Interview:

• Multiple panels, each with 8 to 10 professors. [with your guide too]

• Answer back to back questions on board.

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What after selection

First 6 to 10 month we have to do course work.

IIT KGP - 4 courses
ISSC - 3 courses

For part time students NPTEL courses
Some students take 6 months of leave, complete the course and then join the company again. They talk with supervisor to setup with MTech and BTech students. Being an PhD student you just formulate the problem and then the MTech BTech student work on it, implement, generate result and then you write then paper. It is kind of team work thing.

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How to choice guide ?

Shortlist the professor which align with your research domain. Connect with the student who are working with that professor. Ask the students for the feedback about guide.

Que to ask to students working with professor:

1. How much support they give

2. How much time he spent/talk with you about project

3. DO they are asking for extra work which is not at all research work

4. are they inspiring you or torturing you

Choice the guide only and only all are green ticks.

If any professor is reading this article then my senior apologies if you are getting offended in any way. This article is with perspective of students and everything mentioned is common in multiple PhD students perspective.

You should have complete information about the guide. Remember the guide should be very supportive. The bonding between guide and student is very important.

Guide can either make you or break you.

Once you finalized one or two guides, mail them like sir this is my PhD perceptive, if they give some positive feedback then only it make sense to choice the guide.

What requires to complete the PhD ?

• minimum 2-4 research paper in A* conference
  Quality matters. Incremental changes are not good.

• Thesis Defense

How to complete PhD on time ?

First of your goal should be clear. You should have clear path like you have to do in first year this , in second year this. like that.

Also keep the guide in loop like you are going to do this, are there any suggestion or shall I move forward. You need the clear communication that this is my AIM and after that I am expecting the PhD.

Make sure your synopsis is completed in 3 or 3½ then another 6 months to write thesis.

What require to become IIT Professor

PhD Degree is mandatory. If you have post doc experience which is from outside India then it add more value in your application.

• Complete PhD with certificate

• Post Doc around 1 year

The detailed information will be some other article/blog.

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Resources:

1. My IITian Friends, PhD scholars, Friends and every person who helped be getting any part of information.

2. PhD from IIT Kharagpur while working at Qualcomm || PhD for working Professional || Part time PhD

3. RF Engineer at Qualcomm : How to become IIT'S Professor :-with Priyansha , Assistant Professor @ IIT Roorkee
   Completed PhD in 3.1 year and then start postdoc in 3½ years then defense and convocation is completed in 4 years.

4. Selection Procedure for IIT'S Professor :- with Priyansha , Assistant Professor @ IIT Roorkee

5. HOW to Pursue a PhD While Working - Kishalay Das