JNU: Admission, Courses, Fees, Eligibility, Placement

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is one of the top universities offering postgraduate and research programs to aspiring candidates. It has been accredited with  "A++" grade by the NAAC and given the designation of "University of Excellence" by the UGC. According to the most recent NIRF Ranking 2023, JNU has maintained its second-place ranking among India's leading universities. JNU has been listed by QS World University Rankings as one of the top 10 Indian universities on a global scale. More than 18 Defense and R&D institutions have received accreditation and recognition from JNU. It comprises 7 special centres, 55 centres, and 13 schools.

JNU is now the first university in India to offer courses in foreign languages as part of its integrated MA programme. Nearly, 71 universities all around the world have signed MoUs with JNU for academic cooperation and exchange initiatives. JNU is regarded as a leading university in India with a track record of success in both academics and extracurricular pursuits.

A wide range of courses are available at Jawaharlal Nehru University in subjects including humanities, comparative literature, language, administration, technology, etc. JNU now offers over 100 courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The subjects of arts, science, computer applications, medicine, engineering, law, mass communication, and management are all covered by the courses. JNU also provides diploma, advanced diploma, and certificate programmes in a number of languages. Common University Entrance Test (CUET), administered by NTA, will be used to determine admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. However, JEE Main and JoSAA counselling will be used to determine admission to JNU's B.Tech programme.

There are approximately 8800 students studying in the university. JNU has also a clause that allows it to give up to 15% of the seats in each programme of study to foreigners. These seats are in addition to the intake that is set for each programme of study for foreign nationals. 

JNU Location

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi is located in one of the South New Delhi clusters. JNU Delhi has two campuses, one of which is the old campus and the other is the new campus. The former campus is located near Hauz Khas, adjacent to the IIT Delhi campus.  Kishangarh village is located near the main campus of JNU which is 3.8 kilometers away from the old campus.

JNU's main campus in Delhi is well interconnected to all major railway stations, airports, and interstate bus terminals. One may reach the university campus through New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Nizamuddin Railway Station, and Indira Gandhi International Airport.

JNU Ranking & Accreditation

• JNU is designated as ‘University of Excellence’ by UGC
• It is accredited by NAAC with Grade ‘A++’
• It is ranked #2 in the university category, #14 in the research category, and  #10 in the overall category by NIRF Ranking 2022.
• The QS World University Ranking 2023 has placed the institute in the rank band of #561-570 in the world ranking. It is also ranked #107 in Asia.
• The university is placed in the rank band of #601-800 by Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2022.

JNU Courses & Fees

JNU courses include various undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs. Candidates seeking admission to these courses must fulfil the required eligibility criteria set by the university. The detailed course-wise eligibility criteria and fee structure is tabulated below.

JNU Admission

JNU admission process varies for each course. Students seeking admission to different programs are required to go through different stages as required by the university. The university accepts scores of CUET UG & CUET PG for admission to most of the UG & PG courses, respectively. The course-wise detailed admission process for JNU courses is as follows:

JNU B.A (Hons) Admission

JNU offers B.A (Hons) programs through its School of Language. The B.A (Hons) program comes with multiple specializations including Persian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, French, Chinese, Russian, Pashto, and Spanish. 

• Candidates seeking admission to any of these specializations are required to appear for the CUET UG examination.
• Based on the University's authorized Admission Policy and Procedures, candidates are admitted on merit based on their performance in the CUET.

JNU MA/M.Sc/MCA/MPH Admission

JNU offers its PG courses with multiple specializations. Candidates must fulfill the eligibility criteria set by the university for further participation in the admission process. Once the eligibility criteria is fulfilled, candidates are required to:

• Appear for the CUET PG examination and obtain a valid score
• Apply for the preferred program through JNU’s official website
• The university will release the merit list based on CUET PG scores
• Selected candidates can then submit their fees and confirm the admission

JNU MBA Admission

• Candidates seeking admission to the MBA program from JNU are required to appear for the CAT examination.
• Based on CAT scores, the institute will call students for the interview round
• Following the interview round, the final merit is released.
• Candidates are then required to submit the fees and confirm their admission

JNU M.Tech Admission

• Appear for the JNUEE examination conducted by the NTA
• JNU will publish the exam merit list immediately after the examination is concluded.
• Students must get qualifying scores in order to be admitted to M.Tech. program offered by JNU
• If the candidate receives a respectable score, he or she will be accepted to the university for the M.Tech program.

JNU Integrated B.Tech+M.Tech Admission

The processes that candidates must take to get admission to B.Tech+M.tech program in different specializations are as follows:

• Fill up the JEE Mains application form and submit it by the deadline.
• Participate in the NTA's JEE Mains entrance test.
• Meet the eligibility requirements and obtain a qualifying score as specified by JNU's School of Engineering.
• The JOSAA will announce the opening and closing ranks for JNU online.
• If the candidates achieve the required rank, they will be accepted to the combined B.Tech + M.Tech program.
• Candidates must pay the current academic year's course cost and provide the relevant documents for document verification.

JNU M.Phil/PhD Programs

The JNU offers research opportunities (M.Phil./Ph.D., M.Tech./Ph.D., Pre-Ph.D./Ph.D) in over twenty fields. Candidates for M.Phil/Ph.D programs are called for the viva voce evaluation.

In order to qualify for admission to PhD programs, candidates must meet the comparative merit requirements of their respective categories. Candidates are required to appear for the written test and viva voice conducted by the university. The final admission is done after incorporating the Deprivation Points, wherever applicable.

JNU Placement

JNU is one of India's most prestigious institutions, with a reputation for academic distinction. Every year, the institution has a placement drive in which major employers compete to attract qualified students. However, a large proportion of pupils choose to pursue higher education instead. JNU's University Placement Cell (UPC) conducts workshops, recruitment camps, and trade shows with the purpose of bringing recruiters and learners together to successfully conduct the placement drive.

Top Recruiters that consistently participate in the JNU placement drive are McKinsey, Google, Samsung, Sapient, Siemens, Adobe, and Legato. JNU Placement highlight according to NIRF 2022 report is as follows:

JNU Scholarships

The university provides financial aid to worthy and distinguished students based on a variety of parameters. The below are the specifics:

Tendulkar Scholarship: This scholarship is worth Rs.400/- each month is given to two students from different Centers of the School of Social Sciences via rotation for two years.

Prof. Ramesha Rao Scholarship and Travel Grant: The scholarship is for a duration of ten months at Rs.3,000/- each month for a year, as well as a travel grant of Rs.30,000/- to an M.Phil/Ph.D student for delivering a paper at an International Conference, Seminar, etc. in the field of Cancer Biology.

Ford Foundation Scholarships: Ford Foundation Scholarships of Rs. 700/- per month are offered to M.A. students. The Scholarships will be given solely on the basis of merit, with the condition that at least 50% scholarship goes to female students.

Merit-cum-means Scholarship: Merit-cum-Means scholarships are offered for meritorious students whose parents'/guardians' annual income does not exceed Rs. 2,50,000. Scholarship payments will be controlled by the rules in effect in the University.

Prof. MJK Thavaraj MCM Scholarship: There are two scholarships available, each valued Rs.300/- each month. M.A. is granted Rs.2000/- as a contingency and on merit. Students in their first year of economics in the School of Social Sciences.

JNU Facilities & Infrastructure

The university provides a variety of services to its students. It is a vast campus that spans over 1000 acres of land. The area is used not only to construct magnificent schools for various subjects, but also to provide numerous infrastructure and amenities for learners. There are dormitories, resource centres, cafeteria, recreation centres, meeting rooms, research facilities, and other amenities to make students' lives easier and less stressful.

Hostel facilities: The university has 18 hostels for boys and girls, as well as one complex for married students. These are commodious and fully furnished hostels. Aside from hygienic and healthy food, dorms offer recreational amenities such as TVs, indoor games, a health club, and PCOs. Hostels have live-in wardens who are part of the faculty who supervise the hostels.

Library: JNU has a central library rich in resources mainly in humanities and social sciences. It’s a nine-storey building spread in an area of 1 lakh sq. ft. The library has a collection of more than 500,000 books, 10,000 print journals, and access to more than 20,000 e-books.

Sports Facilities: The university has a state-of-the-art sports complex consisting of both indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Laboratories: The university has a number of research laboratories to carry out research activities in different fields. These include Botany, Zoology, Physics, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology labs. There are also Linux labs, oracle labs, and computer labs in the university.

Auditorium & Halls: The campus has several auditoriums and lecture halls. These spacious rooms and auditoriums house a variety of activities and events.

JNU Clubs & Committees

Jawaharlal Nehru University has an excellent track record of establishing several clubs and committees to provide non-academic experience to its students. Students can join their favorite societies and committees and participate with their effort and enthusiasm. Clubs and committees assist students in participating in extracurricular activities and developing their social skills. Some of the popular clubs and committees are:

• Literary Club
• Dance Club
• Debating Club
• Drama Club
• Photography Club
• Fine Arts Club
• UNESCO Club
• Wellness Club
• Nature & Wildlife Club

JNU Collaborations

Jawaharlal Nehru University actively interacts with a number of international universities and organizations, and has academic relations with universities and institutions in 48 nations. Academic cooperation with reputable overseas universities in other nations are also being sought. Currently, the university has collaborations with following universities:

• University Of Glasgow
• Jinan University, China
• Washington University In St. Louis, USA
• Aecid
• Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
• Yunus Emre Institute, Turkey
• University Of Cologne, Germany
• Seoul National University, Republic Of Korea
• University Of Porto, Portugal
• Eurac Research, Italy
• Soas, University Of London
• University Of Florence, Italy
• University Of Bern, Switzerland
• Al- Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty
• Colima University, Mexico
• Grinnell College, Iowa, USA

JNU Notable Alumni

JNU, being one of India's largest and most prominent government central institutions, has produced a number of noteworthy alumni. These noteworthy graduates have made their alma mater proud by shining their name in numerous sectors and businesses. This prestigious institution has produced prominent politicians, businesspeople, activists, scientists, and actors. Some of the most well-known and noteworthy JNU notable alumni include:

• Palagummi Sainath: Indian Columnist & Author
• S. Jaishankar: Minister of External Affairs, Government of India
• Nirmala Sitharaman: Minister of Finance, Government of India
• Amitabh Kant: Retired IAS Officer, Former CEO of NITI Aayog
• Parakala Prabhakar: Indian Political Economist
• Aditya Jha: Indian-Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist and social activist
• Anjana Sinha: Indian Police Officer (IPS)
• Arun Kumar Shukla: Indian Structural Biologist 
• Vineet Narain: Indian Journalist and Anti-Corruption Activist
• Sanjoy Bhattaracharya: Professor in the History of Medicine and Director of the World Health Organisation