Admission to PhD in Agricultural Biotechnology for the academic year 2024-25

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Narendrapur Campus dedicated to teaching and advanced research in Biotechnology, invites applications from outstanding students with strong academic records for the position of Research Fellow leading to a Ph.D. degree for its Agricultural Biotechnology Programme.

Essential Qualification / Eligibility

Students having an MSc in Agricultural Biotechnology/Biotechnology or equivalent qualification in Life Sciences and allied subjects (Botany/Zoology/Biochemistry/ Biotechnology/Bioinformatics/Microbiology) with at least 60% marks. Candidates awaiting final results may also apply; however, if shortlisted, they have to produce their final mark sheet on the interview date, failing which they will not be allowed for the interview.

AND

I. FELLOWSHIP HOLDERS: Candidates should have also qualified in CSIR/UGC/DBT/ICMR/ICAR (JRF/SRF), or any other fellowship from Government sources (such as an INSPIRE awardee, or a fellowship from any sponsored project) having a valid fellowship at the time of application.
II. NON-FELLOWSHIP HOLDERS: Candidates who do not hold a valid fellowship but have qualified for a national-level entrance test (NET/GATE/GPAT/CSIR/UGC/ICAR and equivalent) may also apply and will be provided a fellowship from the university.

Examination and Interview Requirements

The CSIR/DBT/ICMR/ICAR NET awardee does not need to appear for the written test but will have to appear for the interview. However, an INSPIRE/GATE awardee will have to appear for both the written test the Research Eligibility Test (RET), and the interview.
Number of positions available: 05

Research disciplines under the faculties

Dr. Nrisingha Dey

Dr. Nrisingha Dey is a full-time Professor and ICMR-Emeritus Scientist at RKMVERI, formerly a distinguished Scientist (Scientist-G) at the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar. With a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Calcutta, he conducted postdoctoral research at Iowa State University and the University of Kentucky. His work focuses on developing synthetic promoters, transcription factors, and genetic tools to enhance stress tolerance in crops like rice, millet and pulses aiming to advance sustainable agriculture through innovative genetic engineering solutions. He has made significant contributions to molecular farming and plant biotechnology, through plant-derived biologics with antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, earning twelve patents and authoring numerous impactful publications. Dr. Dey has secured 14 extramural funded projects, supervised 16 Ph.D. students, and received the prestigious TATA Innovation Fellowship along with being a NASI and WAST fellow.

Research Topics:

• Delineation of antimicrobial peptides (AMP) as a promising strategy against multi-drug-resistant clinical pathogen-renovating an intrinsic weapon
• Deciphering the molecular mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance in Pearl millet: For Developing Climate-resilient and Sustainable Agriculture

 

Dr. Gautam Chatterjee

Dr. Gautam Chatterjee is presently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Agricultural Biotechnology. His research interest is primarily focused on microbiota engineering in agriculture, using cutting-edge next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques to promote food quality and reduce pathogen loads in the food chain. His group has published several important research articles in high-impact international journals, particularly in the areas of microbes in organic and natural farming. In recognition of his work in the field of organic farming research in India, his team recently bagged the Best Centre Award of the All India Network Programme on Organic Farming (AINP-OF) in 2022. He earlier received the prestigious Early Career Research Award (ECRA) in 2017 from the Science and Research Engineering Board (SERB), the Government of India. He is a life member of The Society of Biological Chemists of India (SBCI) and the Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI).

Research Topic:

• Unveiling the hidden microbial threats in agroecosystems: A novel one health approach to detect and monitor microbial resistance

 

Dr. Bhubaneswar Pradhan

Dr. Bhubaneswar Pradhan is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Agricultural Biotechnology at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Narendrapur Campus, Kolkata. He serves as the Director of the Quality Testing Laboratory, A Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India-funded laboratory facility that specializes in the testing of Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani (ASU) drugs as well as raw materials. With a background in Agricultural Biotechnology, Dr. Pradhan earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar focusing on microRNA isolation and characterization in plants under various biotic stress conditions. His research interests encompass the molecular basis of host-pathogen interaction, small RNA and RNAi, functional genomics, and plant stress tolerance. He has also contributed significantly to postdoctoral research, notably investigating heat stress mechanisms in groundnuts. He is a recipient of the National Post-doctoral Fellowship grant from the Science and Research Engineering Board (SERB-NPDF) from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Research Topics:

• Crosstalk of Phytohormones in Plant-Virus Interaction
• Functional Genomics of Plant Secondary Metabolism

Important Dates

1. Last date to apply (and pay the application fee): 11 February 2025 (Tuesday).
2. Display of the list of selected candidates for interview and Research Eligibility Test (RET): 13 February 2025 (Thursday).
3. Date of RET & interview: 22 February 2025 (Saturday). This will be an MCQ-based test in the areas of Life Sciences, with a special emphasis on plant biotechnology and allied disciplines.
   Time and Venue of RET: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm; RKMVERI, Narendrapur Campus.
4. The list of selected candidates will be published on our website on 26 February 2025 (Wednesday).
5. The portal will be active between 26 February 2025 (Wednesday) and 05 March 2025 (Wednesday) to pay the admission fees and complete the admission process.
6. Commencement of the programme: 06 March 2025 (Thursday).

How to Apply

• New applicants have to first register on the Online Admission Portal, then login and fill up the online application form.
• Online Admission Portal : https://isr.rkmvu.ac.in/admission
• After successfully submitting the application form, pay the application fee (INR 500.00) online from the same Portal. Link can be found under ‘Options’ next to the program name on the Dashboard.
• While filling up the online application-form attach the scanned copies of your passport size photo, mark-sheets and other applicable certificates/documents.
• Once Application-form is successfully submitted and application-fee is paid, Receipt (also Application-summary) will be available for download from the same Portal from the ‘Dashboard‘.
• Admit Card: will be available for download when the dates for Admission Test / Interview are announced. Check the Website / Admission Portal regularly for updates.

Admission and Course Fee