Archive · 25 Aug 2026
IIT Bombay Sets Eight-Year PhD Limit After Internal Review
IIT Bombay is setting a time limit for new PhD students to finish their degrees.
The limit is eight years.
The institute reviewed older PhD registrations and found that some had lasted more than ten years.
Some delays happened because supervisors were busy with other projects.
Other students moved into jobs before finishing.
The COVID-19 pandemic also caused delays.
IIT Bombay says the new rule is based on this review.
The institute recently awarded 620 PhD degrees at its 64th convocation.
IIT Bombay has reportedly introduced an eight-year completion limit for all new PhD registrations.
An internal review found some PhD programmes had remained pending for more than a decade.
The review cited supervisor commitments, candidates moving to jobs, and COVID-19-related delays as contributing factors.
Director Shireesh Kedare said the institute reviewed ongoing PhDs to understand the reasons for delays.
At its 64th convocation, IIT Bombay awarded a record 620 PhD degrees among 3,763 total degrees.
- Who
- IIT Bombay, with comments from Director Shireesh Kedare, is introducing the limit for new PhD registrations.
- What
- The institute has reportedly set an eight-year ceiling for completing new PhD programmes.
- When
- The policy applies to new registrations; the articles do not specify an introduction date.
- Where
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India.
- Why
- An internal review found that some PhD registrations had remained pending for more than a decade, citing several causes of delay.
- Completion limit
- Eight years for new PhD registrations
- Review finding
- Some PhD registrations remained pending for more than 10 years
- Reported delay factors
- Supervisor commitments, candidates moving to jobs, and COVID-19-related delays
- Recent convocation
- 64th IIT Bombay Convocation
- Total degrees awarded
- 3,763 degrees to 3,442 students
- PhD degrees awarded
- 620, described as a record
- Gender breakdown
- 791 women and 2,651 men among graduating students