IUCAA-NCRA Admission Test (INAT-2011) 

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IUCAA-NCRA Admission Test (INAT – 2011) 

For Ph.D. Programmes in Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Physics 

IMPORTANT DATES FOR INAT-2011

Last date to apply online - Saturday, 15 October 2011
The Admission (written) test will be held on Thursday, 5 January 2012
Short-listed candidates will be interviewed on Thursday & Friday, 5 & 6 January 2012

 

IUCAA and NCRA: The Inter-university centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA - TIFR), Pune, are two leading centres of research in a wide range of areas in Astronomy and Astrophysics. IUCAA and NCRA are located in neighbouring campuses in the Pune University Campus

IUCAA offers challenging opportunities to young researchers in theory, observation, and instrumentation in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Recently, IUCAA has acquired a share in the 10 m Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), and operates the IUCAA Girawali Observatory (IGO) with 2 m optical telescope. Both the telescopes are with imaging, spectroscopic and polarimetric capabilities. IUCAA has a high performance computational facility, and a good library

NCRA offers exciting opportunities for research in Astronomy and Astrophysics, as well as instrumentation, with an emphasis on Radio Astronomy. NCRA has built and operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, which is located near Pune, and is the biggest and most powerful radio telescope in the world at low radio frequencies. It has been used internationally and has led to several significant discoveries. NCRA has modern computing facilities and a well-stocked library

IUCAA NCRA admission test (INAT 2011): IUCAA NCRA admission test (INAT 2011) is being conducted to select candidates for research scholarship (to join Ph.D Programme) either at Inter-University centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, or National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA TIFR), Pune

Eligibility: Applications are invited from students who expect to complete their M.Sc. or B.E./B.Tech./M.E./M.Tech. degrees by August 2012 with more than 55% marks. In addition, talented final-year B.Sc., 1st year M.Sc. and 2nd/3rd year B.E./B.Tech. students may also apply to be PRE-SELECTED for a research scholarship towards a Ph.D. at IUCAA for Physics or Astronomy and Astrophysics or at NCRA-TIFR for Astronomy and Astrophysics. Students in any branch of the B.E., B.Tech., M.E. or M.Tech. degrees, or in the Physics, Electronics, Astronomy or Applied Mathematics branches of the B.Sc. or M.Sc. degrees, are eligible to apply for INAT-2011. Students who have already completed any of the above degrees are also eligible. 

Students in the final year of the B.Sc. or the first year of the M.Sc. degrees (in the above branches) may also apply for selection to NCRA's integrated Ph.D. programme. Such students would attend one year of courses (taught in collaboration with IISER-Pune) before joining the IUCAA-NCRA graduate school.

Based on the applications and referee assessments, a subset of the candidates will be short-listed and invited to take the written test, to be held in Pune on January 5, 2012. Candidates with more than 55% in the qualifying examination may walk-in for the written test by producing a valid photo identification. The final selection to the research scholarship will be based on the results of the written test (on Thursday, January 5, 2012) and two interviews (on Thursday, January 5, and Friday, January 6, 2012), both to be held in Pune. Note that, for both IUCAA and NCRA-TIFR, the selection through INAT is in addition to the selection through the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST). 

Nature of the Written Test:

The test will be of TWO hours duration. The question paper will contain objective-type questions in Basic Mathematics and Physics, Electronics and Advanced Physics; candidates are expected to be able to answer about two-thirds (roughly 30) of the questions. For each question, candidates will have to choose from four answers, one of which will be correct. For a correct answer, there will be +3 (plus three) marks, and for a wrong answer, there will be -1 (minus one) mark. Based on their performance in the written test, a limited number of candidates will be invited for interviews, which will be conducted on January 5 and/or 6, 2012. The final selection will be based on the scores in the written test and interviews. Candidates selected by either IUCAA or NCRA are expected to join in August 2012, after satisfactory completion of their qualifying examination.

How to apply: Candidates should fill an online application form available at http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~inat and take two print-outs of the confidential assessment form received as attachment to the acknowledgement email. This should be handed over to two referees, who shall then send the duly filled-in and signed assessment form directly to the administrative officer (core programmes), IUCAA, Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, so as to reach him on or before Saturday, 15 October 2011 . Candidates, who are unable to apply online can send a letter requesting for the application form set, along with a self addressed envelope (approximate size 15 cm x 10 cm) with postage stamp of Rs 15/- affixed on it, so as to reach IUCAA before Saturday, 15 October 2011 . Short-listed candidates will be invited to take the written test, and all out-station candidates, who are invited to take the written test, will be paid travel support as per rules

Candidates with a first class degree may also walk-in for the written test by producing a valid photo identity. In case of walk-in candidates, travel support will be paid as per rules only to those candidates who qualify for the interviews

Details of the admission test: hursday, 5 January 2012 , 09.00 hours, Chandrasekhar Auditorium IUCAA, Pune University campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra

Nature of the written test: The test will be of two hours duration.  The question paper will contain three sections, (section A in Basic Mathematics, and Basic Physics; Section B in Advanced Physics; and Section C in Electronics) and each section will contain fifteen objective type questions, with multiple answers, in which one of the answers will be correct. The candidates have to mark the correct answer. Candidates are expected to answer about thirty questions. For a right answer, there will be +3 (plus three) marks, and for a wrong answer, there will be -1 (minus one) mark. M.Sc/B.Sc (Physics/ Astronomy/ Applied Mathematics) candidates are encouraged to attempt Sections A and B, and M.Sc/ B.Sc (Electronics) and B.E./B.Tech/M.E./M.Tech candidates are encouraged to attempt sections A and C. However, candidates may also attempt all questions. Based on their written test performance, a limited number of candidates will be invited for interviews, which are to be conducted on December 22, and/or 23, 2010. Final selection is based on the scores in written test and interviews. Candidates selected by either IUCAA or NCRA are expected to join in August 2011, after satisfactory completion of their qualifying examination

The Administrative officer (core programmes), Inter-university centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune University campus, Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra, Email inat@iucaa.ernet.in, Tel 020-25604100, 2569141, Fax 020-25604699
National centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Pune University campus, Post Bag 3, Ganeshkhind, Pune-411007, Maharashtra, Website http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in, Tel 020-25719000, 25719111, Fax 020-25692149, 25697257, Email res@ncra.tifr.res.in

More details (including information for walk-in candidates) may be found at the following websites http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~inat, http://www.ncra.tifr.res.in/~inat