DU withdraws Hindi PhD interview notice after overnight schedule sparks protest
By TUF News Desk · Published 29 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Shortlisted candidates for a Hindi PhD seat at the University of Delhi got less than a day to prepare. The Hindi Department issued its interview notice on the evening of October 27 and asked candidates to report at 9:15 am the next morning.
The first interview session was set for 9:30 am on October 28, with 45 candidates called. A second session was scheduled for 2 pm the same day, with 27 candidates expected. Interviews for the remaining candidates were planned for October 29, 30 and 31 and November 2.
Protests outside the Hindi Department
The schedule did not survive its first day. Student organisations staged a protest outside the Hindi Department, and the interviews planned for October 28 could not be held.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) both raised objections. Their central complaint was the gap between the notice and the interviews. Candidates travelling from other states, they argued, had no realistic way to reach Delhi in time.
DUSU president Yash Dabas raised the travel problem directly. One candidate from Uttar Pradesh, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said their interview was set for October 28 and that an email to the university about the matter had gone unanswered.
The department then withdrew the entire schedule until further orders. The university has not announced fresh dates, and it has not publicly explained why the notice was withdrawn.
The shortlist is the other complaint
Time was only part of the protest. Students also questioned how many candidates had been called for interviews at all.
The department has more than 150 PhD seats, according to Jagran Josh, and applicants argued that the shortlist did not reflect that number. Their demand was simple: every candidate who applied should get a chance to appear for an interview.
The ABVP also wants adequate representation for candidates who qualified through the National Eligibility Test (NET) and for those applying under the ‘Only for PhD’ category, plus a reasonable gap between the shortlist and the interview dates.
Akshay Pratap Singh, secretary of the ABVP’s Delhi University unit, said the organisation would keep pressing its demands and would not accept discrimination of any kind in the process.
What candidates should do now
Shortlisted candidates are waiting, since the withdrawal notice gives no revised timeline.
The official DU admission portal carries PhD admission notices, and the Hindi Department website will carry the department’s own updates. Candidates should also keep their documents and research proposal ready, since a fresh notice could again come with a short window. Our admission documents checklist covers what departments usually ask for at verification.
PhD interviews at Delhi University run department by department, with each department setting its own shortlist and schedule. A notice issued overnight leaves outstation candidates with almost no room to respond, and the revised Hindi schedule will show whether that changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the DU Hindi PhD interview notice withdrawn?
The Hindi Department withdrew the schedule until further orders after students protested the short notice and the size of the shortlist. No fresh interview dates have been announced yet.
What was the original DU Hindi PhD interview schedule?
Shortlisted candidates were asked to report at 9:15 am on October 28, with interviews planned for October 28, 29, 30 and 31 and November 2. The first session was set for 9:30 am with 45 candidates, and the second for 2 pm with 27 candidates.
What are students demanding in the DU Hindi PhD admission row?
They want all applicants to get an interview, adequate representation for NET-qualified candidates and those in the ‘Only for PhD’ category, and enough time between the shortlist and the interview dates for outstation candidates to travel.
Where will the fresh DU Hindi PhD interview dates be announced?
On the University of Delhi admission portal and the Hindi Department website. Candidates should check both regularly, since the department has not given a date for the revised schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the DU Hindi PhD interview notice withdrawn?
The Hindi Department withdrew the schedule until further orders after students protested the short notice and the size of the shortlist. No fresh interview dates have been announced yet.
What was the original DU Hindi PhD interview schedule?
Shortlisted candidates were asked to report at 9:15 am on October 28, with interviews planned for October 28, 29, 30 and 31 and November 2. The first session was set for 9:30 am with 45 candidates, and the second for 2 pm with 27 candidates.
What are students demanding in the DU Hindi PhD admission row?
They want all applicants to get an interview, adequate representation for NET-qualified candidates and those in the 'Only for PhD' category, and enough time between the shortlist and the interview dates for outstation candidates to travel.
Where will the fresh DU Hindi PhD interview dates be announced?
On the University of Delhi admission portal and the Hindi Department website. Candidates should check both regularly, since the department has not given a date for the revised schedule.
Sources: NDTV, Jagran Josh