This is time to apply for the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST). Those who wish to enroll for Ph.D or Integrated Ph.D Programme in Physics, Theoretical Computer Science, Neuroscience or Computational Biology at reputed central universities and institutes may sit for this entrance test.
Aspirants can apply through the website till December 14.
An application fee of Rs 400 should be paid through net banking or with credit /debit cards. The application fee for women candidates and those who belong to the reserved categories would be Rs 200. There are further fee relaxations for girl students belonging to the reserved category.
Entrance exam
The entrance exam would be held on February 20 at 37 centres around the country including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
More than 33 top science institutes would be selecting the candidates for their various programmes based on the JEST scores. They include the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital;, Bose Institute, Kolkata; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai; Institute of Physics, Bhubaneshwar; National Brain Research Centre, Haryana; Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru, IIST, Thiruvananthapuram and 6 IISERs.
Eligibility
The eligibility for the programmes may differ at the various institutes depending up on the courses and the number of seats. The eligibility for integrated Phd is usually BSc and it is MSc if the candidate intends to apply for Ph D alone. However, some institutes admit candidates who have BTech, MTech or MCA qualifications. Those who have completed graduation in subjects like Mathematics, Electronics, Opto–Electronics and Astronomy too can apply for these courses.
More information about the eligibility for the different courses is available on the websites of the concerned institutes. The students who complete the final exams by August 2020 too can apply.
Additional information
There are just two core papers – Physics and Theoretical Computer Science – in JEST even though the candidates can opt for higher studies in a variety of subjects. A candidate can write the entrance test only in one of these two subjects.
Though it has not been mentioned that a candidate should secure a certain percentage of marks in their qualifying exams to apply for JEST, an excellent academic record would be an added advantage.
Some institutes may insist on high cut-off marks while considering the applications. There are no age restrictions to write JEST; however, the institutes may impose age restrictions for the candidates securing admissions in certain courses. One could write JEST for umpteen number of times as there are no age limits for it.
Detailed information about the various institutes and the programmes offered by each department are provided on the websites of these institutions. You could download model question papers from the website as well.
The aspirants must keep in their minds that an admission to one of these premier institutes is not guaranteed just because you get a score in JEST.
The applications for each institute should be separately submitted as per the notifications issued by the centres. The JEST score is valid for only a year.
JEST assures the eligibility for the candidate to apply for the numerous research programmes offered by these institutes.
This year, the JEST would be conducted by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. Visit its website for more information.
For clarifications send emails to jest.tifr@gmail.com