Located on the lap of the lower Himalayas, near the beautiful hill town of Nainital, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) is an autonomous research institute funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). ARIES extends the opportunity to all M. Sc. qualified students to pursue an exciting research career as a PhD student in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences.

Astronomy & Astrophysics division of ARIES is engaged in cutting-edge research in the fields of Solar Physics, Extrasolar Planets, Stellar physics, Interstellar Matter, Transients like Supernova and GRBs,  AGN,  Galaxy Morphology, Relativistic Astrophysics etc. The Atmospheric division specializes in atmospheric chemistry, trace gases, boundary layer meteorology, atmospheric dynamics, aerosols etc.

PhD Admissions (July 2025) in ARIES, Nainital

In this round, students with M. Sc. in Physics/Astrophysics are invited to apply for the Junior Research Fellowship programme of ARIES, leading to a PhD. Selected students will be offered PhD registration at Rohilkhand University, Raipur University, or Gorakhpur University. Students admitted to the PhD programme are initially offered a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). Successful completion of the coursework is mandatory for all the JRFs. After completing two years as a Junior Research Fellow, a student is offered a Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) after an assessment. The total tenure of the fellowship will not exceed five years, including the coursework.

The details of the shortlisted candidates will be posted on the ARIES website. The interviews will be conducted Online/Offline at ARIES, Nainital. 

Fellowship: Rs 37000/- per month (JRF); Rs 42000/- per month (SRF).

Minimum Qualification for PhD interviews at ARIES

• M.Sc. Physics/Astrophysics with minimum 55% marks for General/OBC and 50% for SC/ST. Post-graduation degree should be from a UGC-recognized college/University.
• The candidate should have passed M. Sc. on or after June 1, 2023. 
• Age limit: 28 years as of 30 June 2025. The upper age limit for reserved categories may be relaxed as per the UGC rules.
• Applicants should have a valid JEST -OR- GATE -OR- CSIR/UGC NET (JRF/LS) qualification in Physics. GATE percentile should be 95 or more. Candidates who appeared for the interview at ARIES in the June 2025 round are not eligible. CSIR/UGC NET qualification from the most recent exam held in 2025 is only admissible.
• All the applications will be further screened by taking into account marks/ranks in JEST/GATE/NET and M.Sc. and other guidelines decided by ARIES. Fulfilling the minimum qualifications does not guarantee a call for an interview.

Application Process

Online application is mandatory for the PhD applicants. Final selection will be made on the basis of an Online/Offline interview to be held at ARIES, Nainital. The preferred date of interview can be selected in the application form. For the candidates appearing in person, shared accommodation may be provided upon request (only to the shortlisted candidates) for one night prior to the day of the interview.

Apply Now

• Deadline for online application submission: 23:59 Hrs, 30 July 2025
• Announcement of shortlisted candidates for Interview: 01 August 2025
• Date of Interview (Online/Offline): 04 – 06 August 2025
• Announcement of the selected candidates: 08 August 2025
• Expected date of joining ARIES: 18 August 2025

Contact

The Chairman
Academic Committee
Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
Manora Peak, Tallital Sub PO,
Nainital -263001 Uttarakhand
E-mail: ac [at] aries [dot] res [dot] in