New Delhi: Delhi University has withdrawn its notification for Hindi PhD admissions after students raised concerns over the short notice for interviews and the number of candidates shortlisted for the selection process. Issued on the evening of October 27, the notification scheduled interviews from the morning of October 28, leaving applicants with little time to prepare and make travel arrangements. Following objections and protests, the Hindi department cancelled interviews scheduled for October 28, 29, 30 and 31, and November 2, 2026, until further orders. The university has not yet announced fresh interview dates or explained the reason for withdrawing the notification.
With the interview schedule withdrawn, candidates are awaiting clarity on the revised admission process, including whether more applicants will be shortlisted and whether all eligible candidates will get an opportunity to appear for interviews.
Reacting to the development, Akshay Pratap Singh, secretary of ABVP Delhi University, told NDTV that the organisation would continue to press for its demands and would not tolerate any form of discrimination.
ABVP has demanded that all candidates who applied for the programme be given an opportunity to appear for interviews. It has also called for adequate representation of candidates qualified through the National Eligibility Test (NET) and those eligible under the ‘Only for PhD’ category.
The organisation has further sought sufficient time between the release of the shortlisted candidates’ list and the interview dates so that applicants can prepare and arrange travel, particularly those coming to Delhi from other states.
The original notification asked candidates to report at 9:15 am on October 28, just hours after the schedule was announced. Students objected to the short notice and questioned why only a limited number of applicants had been called for interviews despite more than 150 seats being available.
ABVP and the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) also raised concerns about the opportunities available to candidates in the NET and ‘Only for PhD’ categories. The issue led to protests outside the department, with students calling for a fair and transparent admission process.
The withdrawal of the interview notification has put the scheduled selection process on hold, but it does not mean that the entire PhD admission process has been cancelled.
The university is yet to clarify whether the revised notification will include changes to the interview schedule, the number of shortlisted candidates or the shortlisting criteria. It has also not announced whether the concerns raised by students and the organisations will lead to any changes in the admission process.
Candidates are now awaiting an official update from the Hindi department. The revised notification is expected to provide clarity on the interview dates and the next steps in the selection process.
For now, applicants should rely on official university announcements before making travel arrangements. The university has not officially linked the withdrawal to the protests or issued a detailed explanation for its decision.
