DU PG Admissions 2026: Delhi University to Accept GATE Scores for MTech Program for First Time

In a major shift from its traditional postgraduate admission framework, the University of Delhi (DU) has announced that it will accept Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) scores for its MTech program in Microwave and Communication Engineering.

This marks the first time in the varsity’s history that GATE scores will be used to secure a seat in a Master’s degree program. According to an official university notification, this administrative shift was introduced after the program received formal approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Two-Tiered Admission Priority: GATE vs. CUET-PG

Haneet Gandhi, the Dean of Admissions at Delhi University, clarified that while the university has historically relied on GATE scores to vet candidates for PhD programs, extending this metric to a PG course is entirely unprecedented.

The university will follow a strict, two-tiered selection hierarchy to fill the seats:

                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                  │      DU MTech Admission Framework      │
                  └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
                                      │
                                      ▼
                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                  │   FIRST PREFERENCE: Valid GATE Score   │
                  │   (Allocated purely on merit basis)    │
                  └───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
                                      │
                                      │ If seats remain vacant...
                                      ▼
                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
                  │  SECOND PREFERENCE: CUET-PG 2026 Score │
                  │   (Filled sequentially by category)    │
                  └────────────────────────────────────────┘

Official Statement: “We will use the GATE score first, but if the seats do not get filled, then we will also use CUET-PG scores for the next round. Candidates with a valid GATE score will be given first preference, based on merit in their respective categories.”

Key Portal Exception: No CSAS-PG

Unlike the rest of Delhi University’s postgraduate courses, admissions for this MTech program will not be conducted through the Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS-PG) portal. Instead, DU will be launching a dedicated, separate admission portal specifically for the MTech course.

Eligibility Criteria & Academic Branches

To qualify for the MTech program, candidates must hold a BTech, BE, BSc Engineering, MSc, or an equivalent degree from a recognized university or institution in one of the following specific technical disciplines:

• Electronics and Communication Engineering (EC)
• Electrical Engineering (EE)
• Instrumentation Engineering (IN)
• Radio Physics and Electronics Engineering

Official Seat Matrix & Reservation Breakup

The specialized MTech program has a highly competitive intake capping at a total of 30 seats for the 2026–27 academic session. The category-wise seat distribution is outlined below:

Context: Broader DU PG Admissions 2026 Landscape

This unexpected MTech notification comes amidst DU’s ongoing broad-scale postgraduate registration cycle for the 2026–27 session, which opened on May 16 and is scheduled to close on June 7, 2026.

As part of the wider implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) framework across the university this year, students are navigating two distinct PG tracks:

1. Two-Year Master’s Programs: Being handled centrally via the standard CSAS-PG portal based strictly on CUET-PG 2026 scores.
2. One-Year Master’s Programs: Designed strictly for DU students graduating with a four-year Bachelor’s degree (with Honors/Research), which will also use a standalone portal.

To streamline the high volume of applications, DU has also introduced an auto-integration feature linked with DigiLocker and API Setu. This allows the portal to instantly fetch a candidate’s verified name, date of birth, category, and NTA-issued CUET-PG scores, eliminating manual data entry and preventing formatting errors.