How is IIITM Gwalior for a PhD in CS/IT? Will it be better than VNIT Nagpur (taking the research in CS into consideration)?

VNIT Nagpur is a better option for CS. The CS department has excellent professors. The labs are well-equipped to carry out research projects. The institute organizes many coding related events throughout the academic year. If you are interested in a professor's area of research, you can approach them about it.

The Doctoral Program at IIITM Gwalior is one of the best in Gujarat. There is no time restriction but usually, the program is completed in 2-5 years. 

Requirements:

• For a P.hD in CS or IT, the student must have achieved a relevant Masters's degree along with some work experience as an added advantage.
• Candidates must be a 1st Class degree holder or its equivalent CGPA holder in both Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses.
• Candidates are also required to qualify for GATE or have a GATE scorecard before applying for the course. 

Education:

• Candidates pursuing P.hD programs are entitled to stipends depending on norms set by MHRD and subject to fulfillment of academic qualifications put up by the university from time to time.
• The professors at IIITM are experts in research and students can verify their profiles through the IIITM website. They receive the best students in science for research which is an important plus point for students looking to pursue P.hD.

Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology or VNIT, Nagpur also offers P.hD programs in Engineering, Architecture Planning, and Applied Sciences. It is a private university which selects candidates for its Doctoral programs based on merit. 

Requirements:

• For applying at VNIT, students are required to have a master’s degree in their respective fields and GATE scores.
• Students who have qualified for Government Fellowships like DST and CSIR fellowship can also submit their applications without GATE scores.
• VNIT itself offers a fellowship to select students depending on their means and merit. 

Comparing between the two universities, it can be seen that both have their benefits and competencies. An important factor in pursuing P.hD is the kind of research professor and peers that are available since they affect the overall environment of the course. Both universities provide an excellent environment and assistance for Doctoral Programs. Students can go for further research by looking into the professor’s backgrounds and scrutinize the research projects undertaken by alumni of the university.