The ICAR PhD counselling brochure 2026 is the official 100-page rulebook that decides how ICAR allots doctoral seats and JRF/SRF fellowships for the 2026-27 session. This guide is for M.Sc., M.V.Sc. and M.Tech graduates who hold a non-zero AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 score and must fill choices between 29 September and 2 October 2026.
You will find seats, fellowship money, fees, documents, rounds, upgradation, refund rules and the direct brochure download link below. Every figure comes from the brochure or the official counselling portal, and our own calculations are labelled as such.
The ICAR PhD counselling brochure 2026 lists 2,330 PhD seats in Annexure III, and 300 of them carry an ICAR JRF/SRF fellowship of Rs.37,000 per month. You pay Rs.500 to register and Rs.10,000 to accept a seat across four online rounds and a mop-up round that ends on 24 October 2026.
- Issued by: ICAR, Agricultural Education Division, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan-II, New Delhi
- Exam: AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD)-2026, conducted by NTA on 4 July 2026
- Seats covered: 30% at State Agricultural Universities; 100% at ICAR-DUs, RLBCAU Jhansi and Dr. RPCAU Pusa
- Scale: 80 sub-subjects at 76 universities under the ICAR-AU system
- Annexure III totals: 2,330 seats and 300 JRF/SRF fellowships
- Fellowship: Rs.37,000 per month in years 1 and 2; Rs.42,000 in year 3
- Fees: Rs.500 registration (non-refundable) and Rs.10,000 seat acceptance fee
- Rounds: 4 online rounds plus 1 mop-up round; no physical reporting during rounds
- Choice filling: 29 September 2026, 5:00 PM to 2 October 2026, 11:50 PM
- Session closes: 31 March 2027
- Notification PDF: Download from Telegram (t.me/agrijob_in/888)
📥 Want the original PDF? Jump to the Important Links section for the Telegram download and the official ICAR portal copy. For more admission guides like this, bookmark Agrijob.in admission updates.
- What Is the ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026?
- Who Should Read the ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure?
- ICAR PhD Counselling 2026: Seats, JRF/SRF Fellowship and Fees
- Who Is Eligible for ICAR PhD Counselling 2026?
- How Does ICAR PhD Online Counselling Work? Step-by-Step
- ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure vs NTA Information Bulletin
- Pros and Cons of ICAR PhD Counselling Rules
- Important Terms Related to ICAR PhD Counselling
- Important Dates: ICAR PhD Counselling Schedule 2026-27
- Important Links and Brochure Download
- Conclusion: ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions About ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026
What Is the ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026?
ICAR PhD counselling brochure: it is the official document, issued by ICAR’s Agricultural Education Division, that explains how candidates who cleared AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 register, fill choices, upload documents and secure a PhD seat with fellowship at 76 agricultural universities. It applies only to the 2026-27 session and overrides the NTA bulletin where the two differ.
The document is titled “ICAR AICE (31st) Online Counselling Brochure-2026”. NTA held the exam on 4 July 2026 for 80 sub-subjects, and ICAR then generated subject-wise merit ranks. You can read the original on the official ICAR counselling portal (AICE-JRF/SRF PhD brochure PDF).
The brochure has seven annexures: university contacts, the subject-wise seat matrix, JRF/SRF seats, master’s-level eligibility, ICAR’s revised fellowship memo, the accreditation delinking notice and the UGC degree-equivalence notice.
What Is New in the 2026-27 Brochure?
Two features are new. Universities now verify documents online, so no candidate reports to a university during any round. The Rs.10,000 seat acceptance fee is also paid centrally on the ICAR portal instead of at each university.
The brochure adds a serious warning as well. Portal-generated papers such as the rank card, allotment letter, provisional admission letter and fellowship award letter may vanish once the portal closes. Download and print each one the moment it appears.
Does ICAR Allot a College or a University?
ICAR allots a university, never a college. The admitting university then places you in a constituent college and programme, often by category-wise merit. Ask the registrar about the campus before you lock choices; contact details sit in Annexure-I of the brochure.
Who Should Read the ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure?
Every candidate with a non-zero AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 score should read it before choice filling. These eight profiles gain the most:
- 🎓 Final-semester M.Sc. students who need a Provisional Degree Certificate (PDC) or a Registrar certificate before counselling starts.
- 🌾 Rank holders targeting IARI, NDRI, IVRI or CIFE, where 100% of seats are filled through ICAR counselling.
- 💰 Fellowship aspirants chasing one of the 300 ICAR JRF/SRF awards worth Rs.37,000 per month.
- 🐄 Veterinary and dairy scholars who must avoid the wrong university choice for their subject.
- 🧑💼 In-service candidates from ICAR institutes, SAUs or government agriculture departments who need a sponsorship certificate.
- ♿ PwBD and reserved-category candidates who must upload valid, latest certificates.
- 👨👩👧 Parents and mentors who help with payments, scans and printouts.
- 📚 Repeat aspirants who want to avoid last year’s choice-filling and upgradation mistakes.
Still deciding between PG and PhD routes? Read our ICAR AIEEA PG counselling brochure guide for the M.Sc. side of the same process.
ICAR PhD Counselling 2026: Seats, JRF/SRF Fellowship and Fees
Annexure III lists 2,330 PhD seats, and 300 of them carry an ICAR JRF/SRF fellowship of Rs.37,000 per month in years 1 and 2. You pay Rs.500 to register and Rs.10,000 to accept a seat. This section explains all three numbers.
How Many PhD Seats and Fellowships Are Available?
The fellowship share is about 12.9% of seats (our calculation: 300 divided by 2,330). The category split below comes straight from Annexure III.
| Category | JRF/SRF Fellowships |
|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) | 232 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 45 |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 23 |
| Total | 300 |
| PwBD (horizontal 5%, drawn from the above) | 15 |
OBC-NCL, EWS and UPS candidates have no separate fellowship quota. They compete for fellowships on overall merit.
| Sub-subject | Seats | JRF/SRF | Fellowship Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agronomy | 131 | 31 | 23.7% |
| Genetics and Plant Breeding | 121 | 27 | 22.3% |
| Agricultural Extension Education | 110 | 16 | 14.5% |
| Plant Pathology | 101 | 16 | 15.8% |
| Soil Science | 97 | 17 | 17.5% |
| Entomology | 92 | 21 | 22.8% |
| Vegetable Science | 83 | 15 | 18.1% |
| Fruit Science | 78 | 11 | 14.1% |
| Forestry | 70 | 7 | 10.0% |
| Agricultural Economics | 66 | 9 | 13.6% |
Original insight (our analysis of Annexure III): Sericulture offers 5 fellowships against only 6 seats, the highest ratio in the list. Twelve veterinary subjects together offer 417 seats but just 18 fellowships, about 4.3%. Eleven subjects, including Water Science and Technology, Agricultural Chemicals and Dairy Chemistry, carry no fellowship at all.
How Much Is the ICAR JRF/SRF Fellowship Worth?
ICAR’s office memorandum dated 15 October 2024 (reproduced as Annexure V) revised the monthly amounts for JRF/SRF scholars pursuing a PhD in the ICAR-AU system. The contingency grant remains unchanged, and the brochure does not print its amount, so confirm it with your university.
| Year of PhD | Earlier Rate (per month) | Revised Rate (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st year | Rs.31,000 | Rs.37,000 |
| 2nd year | Rs.31,000 | Rs.37,000 |
| 3rd year | Rs.35,000 | Rs.42,000 |
Our calculation: Rs.37,000 x 24 months plus Rs.42,000 x 12 months equals Rs.13,92,000 over the full three-year term, before the contingency grant. The revision lifted the monthly amount by about 19% in years 1-2 and 20% in year 3.
What Are the Conditions for the ICAR JRF/SRF Fellowship?
- Duration is three years, and the fellowship starts from your joining date or the session start, whichever is later.
- It is tenable only at agricultural universities of the ICAR-AU system, BHU, CAU Imphal, Dr. RPCAU Pusa and Nagaland University (SASRD), and only where the PhD has course and research work.
- Only Indian nationals or persons domiciled in India can receive it.
- You must keep an OGPA/CGPA of at least 7.00 out of 10 (6.50 for SC/ST/PwBD) at the end of every year.
- You cannot hold any other scholarship or fellowship at the same time.
- A vacated fellowship is never passed to the next candidate in merit.
- Subjects that are not BSMA-compliant get no JRF/SRF.
- In-service candidates who draw full or partial leave salary receive only Rs.3,000 per month plus the research contingency.
What Do Counselling Fees and Refunds Cost?
| Fee / Rule | Amount | Key Condition (per brochure) |
|---|---|---|
| Counselling registration fee | Rs.500 | Non-refundable; not adjusted against any other fee; paid by card, net banking or UPI |
| Seat acceptance fee | Rs.10,000 | Same for every category; paid after your documents are marked Verified |
| Processing deduction on refund | Rs.1,000 | Deducted when you cancel or withdraw up to the end of round 4 |
| Balance admission fee | As per university | Paid at physical reporting after adjusting the Rs.10,000 already paid |
| Mop-up round entry | Rs.500 | Only for leftover candidates who never registered in round 1 |
If you accept a seat up to round 4 but neither withdraw nor join, the Rs.10,000 is lost. ICAR starts refunds after admissions close and completes them within six months. In the mop-up round, withdrawal is not available and the fee is never refunded.
Want the salary and career angle after the PhD? See our ICAR PhD JRF/SRF fellowship, salary and scope guide.
Who Is Eligible for ICAR PhD Counselling 2026?
You need a four- or five-year bachelor’s degree, a two-year master’s degree with thesis work, a non-zero AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 score and a place in your subject’s merit list. The master’s degree must be complete in every respect before counselling begins.
- Candidates with zero or negative marks cannot take part in any round, including mop-up.
- A three-year bachelor’s degree is not accepted, except in a few courses at IARI and NDRI, where the institute’s own alternate eligibility applies.
- Holders of a five-year integrated M.Sc. cannot seek PhD admission through this route.
- Eligibility is not checked during registration. It is verified at online document checking, again at upgradation and once more at physical reporting.
- Degree equivalence is decided only by the admitting university, following the UGC notice dated 19 July 2016.
- Livestock Production and Management graduates should not choose veterinary universities, but they can join SASRD Nagaland.
- Veterinary Extension Education needs a B.V.Sc. & A.H. plus an M.V.Sc. (Veterinary Extension).
- Existing full-time PhD scholars must not have completed two years on 4 July 2026.
- Admission is valid only for the 2026-27 session, which closes on 31 March 2027.
Which Documents Do You Need for ICAR PhD Counselling?
The brochure lists 15 items. Upload JPEG scans of the first group during counselling and carry every original to the allotted university.
| Document | Upload Online | Bring at Reporting |
|---|---|---|
| Class X certificate (date of birth proof) | Yes | Yes |
| Final-year UG mark sheets or grade reports | Yes | Yes |
| Final-year PG mark sheets, degree or PDC / Registrar certificate | Yes | Yes |
| NTA admit card | Yes | Yes |
| Confirmation page of the NTA online application | Yes | Yes |
| ICAR rank card | Yes | Yes |
| Allotment letter issued by ICAR | No | Yes |
| Provisional admission letter from the university | No | Yes |
| Passport-size photographs, same as in the NTA application | Yes | Yes |
| Aadhaar, passport, ration card, bank passbook or other valid government ID | Yes | Yes |
| Domicile certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Character certificate from the last institution attended | Yes | Yes |
| SC, ST, UPS, OBC-NCL (Central list) and Gen-EWS certificates | Yes | Yes |
| PwBD medical certificate from a Government hospital | Yes | Yes |
| Sponsorship certificate or employer declaration (in-service candidates) | Yes | Yes |
What Are the Document Upload Rules?
- Only JPEG files are accepted. PDF and DOC formats are rejected, and files must not be password protected.
- Images must be clear and sharp, and the details must match your NTA application.
- Documents sent by email, fax or WhatsApp are never considered.
- Certificates not in English need a translation certified by the head of the last institution attended.
- OBC-NCL counts only if you are on the Central list; a State-list OBC candidate does not qualify.
- If your degree or PDC is missing, the Registrar must certify that thesis submission and viva-voce are complete and state your final OGPA or percentage.
How Does ICAR PhD Online Counselling Work? Step-by-Step
Counselling is fully online: register, fill choices, upload documents, get a seat, pay the seat fee and download your letter. Follow these ten steps in order on icarcounseling.com.
- Log in with the credentials sent by SMS or email and accept the Declaration and Undertaking.
- Pay the Rs.500 registration fee by credit card, debit card, net banking or UPI.
- Select sub-subjects and universities one by one; the portal shows only the subject you chose at the NTA stage.
- Add as many choices as you can and save them. You may edit, delete or reorder them any number of times before the deadline.
- Print the final choice list. The last saved list locks automatically at closing time.
- Check SMS and email for the allotment, then download the allotment letter from the portal.
- Upload every document as a JPEG file for verification by the allotted university.
- Answer a university query once, through your login, before the resubmission deadline.
- Pay the Rs.10,000 seat acceptance fee after your documents are marked Verified.
- Download the Provisional Admission Letter and report physically with originals at the final university.
A university officer can raise only one query per candidate. If you miss the resubmission deadline, you are marked Not Reported, your seat is cancelled and you are dropped from later rounds. Log in twice a day during every round, and keep the brochure PDF from Telegram (t.me/agrijob_in/888) open for the document rules.
How Does Upgradation Work?
Upgradation is allowed in rounds 1, 2 and 3 only, and only after you pay the seat acceptance fee. The system moves you to a higher choice from your own list if a seat opens. You do not pay the fee again, but your earlier seat is forfeited at once, and an upgraded candidate who does not report loses any fellowship claim.
How Does the Mop-Up Round Differ?
- No upgradation is permitted, and withdrawal is not available.
- Candidates already admitted, withdrawn or denied for ineligibility in rounds 1-4 cannot enter.
- New entrants pay Rs.500; earlier registrants who missed a step are exempt from it.
- Fresh choices apply to vacant seats only, and your old choices are cancelled.
What Happens to Seats Left Vacant After Counselling?
Any ICAR-quota seat still vacant after the final round is released to the university. It then becomes a university seat and no longer belongs to ICAR. Leftover seats also carry no ICAR fellowship claim, so the mop-up round is your last chance at the ICAR route.
Preparing for university-level PhD counselling as well? Compare with our BAU Sabour PhD counselling 2026-27 guide.
ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure vs NTA Information Bulletin
The brochure governs counselling and admission, while the NTA Information Bulletin governs the entrance exam. If they conflict, the brochure prevails, as its own disclaimer states.
| Parameter | Counselling Brochure | NTA Information Bulletin |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | ICAR | NTA for ICAR |
| Main purpose | Seat allotment and admission | Exam application and eligibility |
| Where to get it | icarcounseling.com | icar.nta.nic.in |
| Fees explained | Rs.500 registration; Rs.10,000 seat fee | Exam application fee |
| Rounds and upgradation | Explained in full | Not covered |
| Fellowship rules | Section 7 and Annexure III, V | Summary only |
| Document upload format | JPEG only | Exam-stage uploads |
| Precedence in a conflict | Prevails | Yields |
| Best for | After the result | Before the exam |
We recommend treating the counselling brochure as your main document from result day onward. Use the NTA bulletin only to confirm a subject’s eligibility line, and if the two differ, follow the brochure. Read our ICAR JRF 2026 application guide if you also want the exam-side rules.
Pros and Cons of ICAR PhD Counselling Rules
Advantages
- ✅ No physical reporting in any round, which saves travel cost and time.
- ✅ Central payment of the Rs.10,000 seat fee removes per-university payment hassle.
- ✅ Upgradation in three rounds lets you climb to a better choice.
- ✅ Choice lists can be edited unlimited times before the deadline.
- ✅ SMS and email alerts confirm every allotment.
Disadvantages
- ❌ Only JPEG uploads are allowed, which confuses candidates holding PDFs.
- ❌ Change of subject, university or migration is impossible after admission.
- ❌ The Rs.10,000 fee is forfeited if you accept a seat and never join.
- ❌ Query-response windows shrink to a few hours from round 2 onward.
Important Terms Related to ICAR PhD Counselling
- JRF/SRF (PhD): the ICAR fellowship of Rs.37,000-Rs.42,000 per month for a three-year PhD.
- Seat Acceptance Fee: Rs.10,000 paid after document verification and adjusted against your university fee.
- Upgradation: moving to a higher choice in rounds 1-3; the earlier seat is lost.
- Mop-up Round: the final round for vacant seats with fresh choice filling.
- ICAR-DU: ICAR Deemed University such as IARI, IVRI, NDRI or CIFE, with 100% seats in ICAR counselling.
- Provisional Degree Certificate (PDC): proof that all master’s requirements are finished.
- Contingency Grant: the yearly research allowance paid with the fellowship.
- OBC-NCL: Non-Creamy Layer status as per the Central list only.
- PwBD: Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, with a 5% horizontal fellowship reservation.
- BSMA: the Broad Subject Matter Area norm; non-compliant subjects get no JRF/SRF.
Important Dates: ICAR PhD Counselling Schedule 2026-27
The official schedule on icarcounseling.com covers PG (other than Veterinary) and PhD (all streams) together and runs from 29 September to 24 October 2026. Dates are as of 29 September 2026; recheck the portal for changes. For the full round-wise table, see our ICAR AIQ counselling 2026 schedule guide.
| Event | Date and Time (IST) |
|---|---|
| Ranks, seat matrix, registration, choice filling and document upload begin | 29 Sep 2026, 5:00 PM |
| Choice filling and document upload end | 2 Oct 2026, 11:50 PM |
| Round 1 seat allotment | 5 Oct 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Round 1 seat acceptance fee deadline | 7 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM |
| Round 2 seat allotment | 9 Oct 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Round 2 seat acceptance fee deadline | 10 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM |
| Round 3 seat allotment | 12 Oct 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Round 3 seat acceptance fee deadline | 13 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM |
| Round 4 seat allotment | 15 Oct 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Withdrawal of seats ends | 16 Oct 2026, 3:00 PM |
| Round 4 seat acceptance fee deadline | 16 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM |
| Mop-up fresh choice filling | 19 Oct, 5:00 PM to 21 Oct 2026, 11:50 PM |
| Mop-up seat allotment | 23 Oct 2026, 11:00 AM |
| Final seat acceptance fee deadline and reporting by universities | 24 Oct 2026, 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM |
Important Links and Brochure Download
The complete counselling brochure notification is posted on the Agrijob.in Telegram channel. It is a 100-page PDF of about 4 MB that covers candidate instructions, the mop-up round rules, the university contact list, the subject-wise and university-wise PhD seat matrix, the JRF/SRF seat table, master’s-level eligibility for every subject and ICAR’s revised fellowship memo.
👉 Download Notification PDF: t.me/agrijob_in/888
How to Download the Brochure From Telegram
- Tap the link t.me/agrijob_in/888; it opens post 888 on the Agrijob.in channel.
- Join the channel if Telegram asks you to, then return to the post.
- Tap the attached PDF file to start the download.
- Save the file to your phone or computer and keep a printed copy of Annexures III, IV and V.
- Compare it with the official copy on icarcounseling.com whenever ICAR issues a corrigendum.
What Is Inside the Notification PDF?
| Section of the PDF | What You Will Find |
|---|---|
| Instructions for candidates and mop-up rules | Zero-score bar, four rounds, upgradation limits, mop-up entry conditions |
| Sections 1-8 | Process, documents, upgradation, refunds, in-service rules, fellowship conditions |
| Annexure I | Registrar contact details of every participating university |
| Annexure II | Subject-wise and university-wise PhD seat matrix (ICAR, UR, SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PwBD, UPS) |
| Annexure III | Category-wise JRF/SRF seats for 2026-27 (2,330 seats, 300 fellowships) |
| Annexure IV | Master’s-level eligibility for every subject |
| Annexures V-VII | ICAR fellowship memo of 15.10.2024, accreditation delinking notice, UGC equivalence notice |
All Important Links in One Table
| Link Name | URL |
|---|---|
| 📥 Download ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) Counselling Brochure 2026 PDF (Telegram, 100 pages) | Download Notification via Telegram (post 888) |
| 📄 Official brochure PDF (ICAR portal) | icarcounseling.com AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) brochure |
| 📅 Official counselling schedule PDF (ICAR portal) | Online counselling schedule 2026-27 (PG and PhD) |
| 📅 Official counselling schedule PDF (Telegram) | Download schedule via Telegram (post 886) |
| 📢 ICAR public notice dated 25.09.2026 (Telegram) | Download notice via Telegram (post 847) |
| 🌐 ICAR counselling portal | icarcounseling.com |
| 🏛️ ICAR official website | icar.org.in |
| 📝 NTA ICAR exam portal | icar.nta.nic.in |
| 📊 ICAR PhD counselling cut-off 2025 (official PDF) | AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) cut-off 2025 |
| 🚫 UGC anti-ragging regulations | UGC ragging regulations (PDF) |
| 📊 Full schedule guide on Agrijob.in | ICAR AIQ counselling 2026 schedule |
| 🎓 PhD fellowship, salary and scope guide | ICAR PhD JRF/SRF fellowship guide |
| 📚 ICAR JRF 2026 application guide | ICAR JRF 2026 application form guide |
| 🧪 IARI PhD entrance and interview guide | IARI PhD entrance exam preparation |
| 📱 Agrijob.in Telegram channel | t.me/agrijob_in |
Conclusion: ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026
The ICAR PhD counselling brochure 2026 tells you exactly what ICAR expects: correct JPEG documents, a locked choice list, timely fee payment and careful use of upgradation. Candidates who read it fully avoid the most common reasons for cancelled seats and lost fellowships.
Next step: download the PDF from Telegram (t.me/agrijob_in/888), prepare your JPEG documents and finish choice filling before 2 October 2026, 11:50 PM. Bookmark this page; we update it whenever ICAR issues a new notice, and you can browse more guides in our admission section.
- Annexure III lists 2,330 PhD seats and 300 JRF/SRF fellowships for the 2026-27 session.
- The fellowship pays Rs.37,000 per month in years 1-2 and Rs.42,000 in year 3, about Rs.13.92 lakh in total.
- Pay Rs.500 to register and Rs.10,000 to accept a seat; the seat fee is lost if you never join.
- Upload JPEG files only; PDF, DOC and WhatsApp submissions are rejected.
- Upgradation works only in rounds 1-3 and forfeits your earlier seat immediately.
- Download the notification from Telegram post 888 and lock choices by 2 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions About ICAR PhD Counselling Brochure 2026
What is the ICAR PhD counselling brochure 2026?
It is ICAR’s official 100-page counselling document for the AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD)-2026 exam. It explains seat allotment, fees, document rules, fellowship conditions and admission conditions for PhD programmes at 76 agricultural universities in the 2026-27 session. Where it differs from the NTA bulletin, the brochure prevails.
Where can I download the ICAR PhD counselling brochure 2026 PDF?
You can download the notification PDF from the Agrijob.in Telegram channel (post 888) or read the official copy on icarcounseling.com. Both links are also in the Important Links table above.
What is the ICAR JRF/SRF stipend for PhD in 2026-27?
ICAR JRF/SRF scholars in the ICAR-AU system receive Rs.37,000 per month in the first and second years and Rs.42,000 in the third year, as per the memorandum dated 15 October 2024. The fellowship lasts three years, and a contingency grant is paid separately.
How many rounds of ICAR PhD counselling are there in 2026?
There are four regular online rounds and one mop-up round. Seat allotment starts on 5, 9, 12 and 15 October 2026, and the mop-up allotment is on 23 October 2026. Upgradation is allowed only in the first three rounds.
What is the last date of choice filling for ICAR PhD counselling 2026?
Choice filling and document upload for the main rounds close on 2 October 2026 at 11:50 PM. Your last saved list locks automatically at that time. The mop-up round has a separate fresh choice-filling window from 19 October, 5:00 PM to 21 October 2026, 11:50 PM.
How much are the registration fee and seat acceptance fee, and are they refundable?
The registration fee is Rs.500 and is non-refundable. The seat acceptance fee is Rs.10,000 for every category. If you cancel or withdraw up to the end of round 4, ICAR refunds the collected fee minus Rs.1,000; if you accept a seat and never join, the fee is forfeited.
Which documents and file format are needed for ICAR PhD counselling 2026?
You need your Class X certificate, UG and PG mark sheets, degree or PDC, NTA admit card, rank card, photographs, valid government ID, domicile and character certificates, and category or PwBD certificates where applicable. Upload them only as clear, non-password-protected JPEG files.
Can a candidate with zero or negative marks join ICAR PhD counselling?
No. Candidates who scored zero or negative marks in AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) 2026 cannot take part in any round of counselling, including the mop-up round. A candidate not declared eligible for counselling is never considered for ICAR-quota seats.
Can a 3-year bachelor’s or 5-year integrated M.Sc. holder join?
Generally no. The essential requirement is a four- or five-year bachelor’s degree plus a two-year master’s degree with thesis work. Three-year bachelor’s degree holders are eligible only for a few courses at IARI and NDRI, and five-year integrated M.Sc. holders cannot join through this route.
Do I have to report to the university during the rounds, and can I change my subject later?
No physical reporting is needed during the rounds because universities verify documents online. You report once, at the final university, with originals and the balance fee. After admission, ICAR does not allow any change of subject or university, and migration is not permitted.
Last Updated: September 2026 | By NITISH SINGH, Agrijob.in | Source: ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD)-2026 Online Counselling Brochure and icarcounseling.com. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly for accuracy. Bookmark this page for the latest information.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Verify all dates, fees, eligibility and fellowship details on icarcounseling.com and icar.org.in before acting. Agrijob.in is not affiliated with ICAR or NTA.
