IIMC commences PhD programme

After six decades, IIMC, the country's top media institute, has introduced a vibrant new PhD programme, which the institute sees as a bright media, studies future and a great way to open up the academic space for media in India.

With the official launch of its first Ph.D program on January 1, 2026, the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), as a deemed-to-be University, has made a significant leap into the upper echelon of research with an official inauguration. For IIMC — an institution which has led the way for Indian journalists and media educators over the past sixty years — and to be seen as making this change is also of significance as it means that it has transitioned from a traditional professional training institution to one which is now an academic research institution.

The new programme comes when media, communication technologies, and public discourse are undergoing very rapid changes.

It is not just an expansion of the academic field that IIMC sees in the launching of a doctoral programme. It is rather an endeavour to have a continuous supply of researchers who will study, analyse, and advise the Indian media that keep on changing.

ADMISSIONS START, SELECTION PROCESS REVEALED

The online application window for the 2025, 26 academic year opened on January 1 and will be available until January 30, 2026.

IIMC has distinguished a clear two, track system for its aspirants: Qualified candidates of UGC, NET will be directly called for interviews. Part, time candidates who do not have NET qualification will have to appear in an entrance exam on February 15, 2026.The list of selected candidates will be posted on February 23. Interview will proceed from March 9. The institute will wrap up the process on March 27 and begin coursework on April 1, 2026, a schedule which definitely shows the seriousness with which the first doctoral cohort at the institute is being treated.

A PROGRAMME CREATED FOR "A DEVELOPING INDIA" 

At the very first moment of PhD admission portal opening, Vice, Chancellor Dr Pragya Paliwal Gaur, in her speech, stressed the main idea behind the programme: The chief objective of this PhD programme is to contribute real research to a developing India. Besides that, she emphasised recruitments of highly original, socially relevant research projects; studies that transcend routine academic works and deal with issues shaping society and nation, building. To inaugurate this new chapter, Dr Paliwal Gaur planted the 'Kovidar' sapling, symbolising the "Tree of Knowledge", at the New Delhi campus, an old academic tradition which now serves as a new milestone in IIMCs journey.

WHAT THE NEW PHD PROGRAMME OFFERS 

The programme is designed to cultivate an environment that supports long, form academic inquiry, particularly, in rapidly expanding fields. Scholars will be able to conduct research in: Journalism and mass communication Digital media Political and strategic communication Media industry management Development communication Film studies Advertising and public relations The institute states that the programme will facilitate transdisciplinary research by integrating media studies with technology, society, governance, and market systems. 

A NEW CHAPTER FOR INDIA'S MEDIA ACADEMIA 

The launch of a PhD programme is, for the IIMC alumni network, a moment that has been anticipated for a very long time. IIMC moves into the league of such institutions that not only train media professionals but also produce researchers capable of decoding the trends that shape news, information flows, public communication, and technology. The IIMC's choice represents an increasingly complex Indian media industry where journalism education no longer simply trains practitioners but must develop analytical and strategic thinkers. IIMC official admissions open soon for a new crop of scholars researching, analysing and guiding the future progression of media over the next several decades.