Why IIT Bombay is putting an 8-year limit on finishing PhD

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has set a strict eight-year limit for completing PhD programmes after discovering that some doctorates had been waiting for over a decade. This decision was made following an internal review aimed at identifying the reasons behind the prolonged completion times. The review also addressed a significant backlog of pending PhDs, leading the institute to award a record 620 PhD degrees in the 2025-26 academic year, surpassing the previous high of 600.

IIT Bombay's director, Shireesh Kedare, explained that the delays were due to various factors, including supervisors being occupied elsewhere, candidates focusing on other work, and external candidates moving on. The Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbated these issues. As a result, the institute implemented the eight-year deadline for new registrations.

IIT Bombay's 2025 convocation saw the awarding of 3,763 degrees to 3,442 students across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels. Among these, 28 students received a three-year Bachelor of Science (BS) degree as an early exit option for the four-year BTech programme. The convocation, held over the weekend, was attended by Umesh Waghmare, secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, who delivered the chief guest address.