Life after GATE: Options other than PSUs

With only four months left for the GATE 2025 Exam, it is the right time to explore the various opportunities available based on your GATE Score. Life after GATE Exam offers multiple paths, and all students and professionals must check their marks and analyze their GATE scores carefully. Only qualifying and getting good marks in the GATE Examination is not enough. It is important that, after that, you choose the best future for yourself to ensure a happy and content life, considering the numerous options that life after the GATE Exam can provide.

The awareness of some students about post-GATE rank is restricted by that one can apply for PSUs, as they recruit through the GATE Examination. There are various areas to which one has still not been introduced. One can also opt for M.Tech, or Ph.D. in various institutes both nationally and internationally for further studies. GATE is one of the toughest examinations in the country, opening many pathways for students and helping them shape their future in whichever way they find suitable. Various options become available after one succeeds in the GATE examination and achieves good marks.

Today we want to talk about all those options that the Life after GATE Exam offers you, other than that of working in the best PSUs of the country. GATE is a national-level examination conducted every year by the GATE committee. The examination is mainly for graduates and postgraduates in the field of engineering, architecture, or science. The examination tests the candidate’s knowledge of the subject that he/she has applied by having questions that are a mix of both conceptual and application-based. The mode of examination is online with a duration of 3 hours.

There is no upper limit to the age for being eligible for the GATE Examination. Also, a candidate can give an unlimited number of attempts in the GATE examination and the score obtained is valid for only 3 years from the result date. Life after GATE Exam offers one a plethora of options to choose from. What is required is that one chooses options sincerely and then applies to colleges or PSUs that one deems important for herself or himself.  All your dreams and aspirations will come true when your GATE results are out and you get through your desired choice of career.

Life after GATE

Apart from PSUs, GATE offers you a wide range of opportunities and we will be discussing it today:

1. Post-Graduation (M.Tech):

Once you have qualified for the GATE examination with a good score and percentile you can choose the path to higher studies. Various top institutes in India, such as IITs, NITs, and IISc, offer M.Tech and ME courses, and the criteria to apply for these courses involve succeeding in the GATE examination. The private institutes look for GATE-qualified candidates for their M.Tech programs. While most students choose the M.Tech programs, students can opt for other programs too in the IITs, NITs, or IISC.

MS (Research) is one upcoming program that is becoming popular among students. Each year, once the GATE exam results are out, all the institutes release their cut-off marks based on the vacancies in the course, the GATE Result, and the reservation criteria. You must keep certain aspects in mind when you decide to choose your institute. This includes the chosen college and specialization you want.

• Choosing institute: As was mentioned earlier, all the colleges have GATE as the criteria for receiving applications to their M.Tech program. Which college you are provided depends on your rank, the marks obtained in the GATE examination, and your choice of specialization. The admission process varies based on the institute you are applying for.
• IITs: Admission to the IITs is through the COAP (Common Offer Acceptance Portal), the common admission portal, which has been set up to provide a common platform for M.Tech applicants of IITs. The admission offers will be commonly available through GATE COAP but it will be compulsory for the candidates to apply for the respective IITs individually.
• The candidates first need to register with the IITs and apply for the choice of course that they want to pursue. After that one has to register with the COAP to check the number of seats allotted to the candidate. The candidate has three options; either accept and freeze, reject and wait, or retain and wait. If you want to confirm your admission to any seat allotted you must pay the fee and lock your seat.
• NITs: The CCMT (Centralized Counselling for M.Tech) conducts admission to NITs through GATE. In this method, you have to register, fill in your choices and lock your choices. Depending on the vacancies and your GATE scores, you receive the respective seat. To confirm your seat, you must pay the seat confirmation fee and finally register in the allotted college.
• Specialization: Depending on the latest trends in the engineering sector, you must choose your specialization carefully. This specialization will help shape your future. Choose your specialization with care based on your branch, target college, and future career prospects.

For the students opting for higher studies, the provision for fellowship programs is also available. Students with a valid GATE score can avail this provision. These candidates receive a monthly stipend. Various programs such as student exchange and research internship programs are available for all the M.Tech students. These programs will help you get further assistance for your research work.

2. GATE Fellowship Programs:

Candidates with a valid GATE Score Card are also eligible for fellowship programs. The institutions are supported by the MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development) and other government agencies. The fellowship is offered on a semester basis for 2 years for M.Tech students. Apart from this, M.Tech students receive the fellowship for a maximum of 5 years. The concerned department offers a stipend of ₹ 12,400 per month to the M.Tech students for 8 hours of work per week. A monthly stipend of ₹ 37,000 for up to 2 years and ₹ 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year is provided to Ph.D. students. The programs also offer additional assistantships in the form of scholarships, fellowship programs, etc. which may be available through other organizations, such as CSIR, and DAE.

3. Post-Graduation and other courses:

Other than the M.Tech. courses offered by colleges for post-graduation, various colleges offer courses of PGDIE (Postgraduate diploma courses in Engineering), PGDIM (Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Management), and PGDPM (Post Graduate Diploma in Product Management). One can apply to these courses after the GATE results are out.

NITIE Mumbai, which is a very renowned college for its academics and college placements, also inducts students in the post-graduate diploma courses in Engineering through GATE. The NITIE campus in Mumbai runs three Post Graduate Diploma courses for Engineers. The admission criterion is based on the GATE score plus GD/PI. It is one of the best’s institutions for pursuing post-graduation programs in the field of Industrial Engineering.

Not many students are aware of the ‘Fellow Program in Management (FPM)’ offered by the IIMs in which students are selected based on GATE scores. The Fellow Program in Management (FPM) is the doctoral program offered by the IIMs. The objective of this FPM program is to develop and provide students with the necessary skills to identify and research complex issues in the field of management.

Unlike all the other programs in IIMs that require heavy fees, there is no fee for this program. Besides this, you are entitled to an awesome monthly scholarship for the duration of the study and a yearly contingency allowance. It helps to cover the expenses of research, books, to name a few. Apart from that boarding and lodging is also free for all students in most of the institutes. The scholarship amount that IIMs offer to successful candidates is not the same. However, it is the best that you can get in India compared to any other doctorate program. There are many other financial benefits too that depend on the respective institute to which you secure admission.

4. Fly abroad for higher studies:

If you dream of pursuing higher studies at a foreign university, GATE helps you fulfill this dream too. Other than the opportunity to apply for M.Tech programs in India, GATE also offers you the opportunity to study abroad in various universities and colleges. Some of the foreign universities that accept GATE scores are the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, Technical University of Germany, and RWTH Aachen Germany. Therefore, GATE is also your solution to studying abroad in the best universities without a GRE score.

5. Research:

Your GATE score remains valid for three years. So, after your M.Tech if you are passionate about your subject and want to explore on the same front you must apply for research, junior research scholarship in laboratories. Research is a field in our country, which has not been developed and explored well, which is why students opt for going to foreign countries for research. Keeping in mind the same mindset the government also is promoting research work and provides stipends to research scholars.

Therefore, instead of going for a regular job you can go into the field of research, earn well through the stipend and continue on your quest for discovering something big in life. Research is a field that is gaining great momentum in the country. Choosing this field can help you take a decent leap in your career and provide you the best work opportunity. Research also helps you provide path-breaking career paths for you with a stable economic condition.

6. Sponsorship:

Various government bodies in India offer sponsorship programs to GATE-qualified employees. Therefore, if you are working in eminent government bodies such as DRDO, ISRO, BARC, Doordarshan, IAF, Indian Navy, and Army, etc, then a good GATE score can be a bonus for your career. The GATE score makes you eligible for their sponsorship programs, which continue for two years. The concerned departments offer these sponsorships with a clause that once the candidate completes M.Tech or ME. However, candidates must remember that he/she must work for the organization providing sponsorship for a few years. Therefore, a good GATE score offers you several benefits to create a fulfilling career.

7. Job:

A valid GATE score is your ticket to success in case of jobs in PSUs or if you opt for M.Tech or ME. You can also get an opportunity for a technical job profile that will help you to fulfill your dream and live a comfortable life. While studying too, you can work as a teaching assistant in college under the professor and support your studies well.

While the GATE examination is becoming popular these days, students still are not aware of the opportunities through GATE. With this article, we have provided you help to find your perfect match and choose from the immense career options that GATE offer you. Out of all the other exams, this is one of the most effective ways to achieve a combination of an exciting career with job security. We all dream of having a future that excites us and motivates us to do our best in our careers. Your GATE score will help you to choose your dreams and make a scintillating career in your subject. GATE is a promising opportunity that offers students various chances to grow their careers, right from M.Tech to post-graduation diploma courses to fellowship programs, PSUs, and foreign studies.

Many Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have been using the GATE score in their recruitment process. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of these PSUs:

• Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)
• Coal India Limited (CIL)
• Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS)
• Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited (CVPPL)
• Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)
• Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL)
• Engineers India Limited (EIL)
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL)
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
• Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL)
• National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO)
• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
• NLC India Limited (NLCIL)
• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)
• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
• National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
• Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC)
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
• Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID)
• Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA)(previously known as Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO))
• Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL)
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)

Now, let us find some crucial information concerning the most frequently asked questions:

FAQs:

1. What to do after GATE Exam?

Ans: If you are wondering about the career options after GATE exam, you need not worry as every year GATE exam offers several opportunities that are suitable for GATE aspirants who have different aspirations towards their professional lives. In this way, you will have many opportunities associated with your GATE examination attempt. Some of the beneficial opportunities include selection in PSUs, postgraduate scholarships, and research opportunities. Successful candidates can also explore the private job sector, as GATE scores hold much significance in engineering niche roles. Interested individuals can research their respective opportunities and apply for job openings that match their professional and financial aspirations with long-term goals.

Therefore, you can see that decent GATE scores can create several opportunities for you in the long term. So, you must turn optimistic enough to ensure that you see the opportunities around you and utilize them before it’s too late.

2. What are the benefits of passing GATE exam?

Ans: It is one of the common questions, which pops up in the minds of most GATE aspirants. You will be amazed to read the answer to this question. You must put effort to understand the GATE exam purpose. Life after GATE is full of promising opportunities in the government and private sectors. Some of the appreciating advantages of GATE exam associated with government firm opportunities include receiving selection at the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and postgraduate and research opportunities at the top premier colleges in the country. Apart from this, successful candidates can build their careers after GATE, thanks to a wide range of opportunities available in the form of benefits of GATE exam. This includes the availability of scholarships to study in the top colleges in India and countries that fall under the eligibility criteria of the GATE exam.

3. What are the benefits of pursuing an M.Tech degree?

Ans: One must pursue an M.Tech degree, as there are several benefits of M.Tech specifically for engineering graduates who have just completed their graduation or are presently in the initial years of their careers. Some of the benefits of pursuing an M.Tech include the following:

• Opens several doors: Do you know that top MNCs especially in the engineering sector prefer to recruit candidates who have completed their M.Tech program? Yes, you heard that right! You will observe that MNCs prefer candidates that have completed their master’s and possess specialized skills.
• Helps acquire industry skills: Pursuing and completing M.Tech in their particular discipline helps to build the required industry skills before applying for the target jobs.
• Receive research and teaching work: Research jobs are quite interesting and beneficial for B.Tech graduates who want to pursue a career in these respective fields. You can even reap the benefits of GATE exam and use your GATE Score to create an impactful career for yourself in the long term.
• Additional opportunities: Many opportunities are not limited to the above benefits. If you switch on your smartness button, you can create many opportunities with the help of your degree and skills.

Therefore, you can refer to the above-mentioned points and design the ideal professional life that you always wanted.

4. Do GATE qualifiers get a stipend?

Ans: Yes. This is valid only for the successful candidates who secure admission in the listed colleges that fall under eligible categories for the GATE exam. Usually, this stipend falls into the category of the scholarships that they receive to pursue a postgraduate degree or research at their respective college.

The stipend amount starts from ₹ 12,400 per month and varies with the chosen course or program and even the university.  The candidate’s GATE rank is also a deciding factor in terms of the stipend received during the respective program.

Therefore, you must check your admission documents to find out the final stipend amount that you will receive every month. In this way, financial aspects are also sorted in terms of building a career after GATE exam.

5. Is the GATE score valid for Ph.D.?

Ans: The GATE score is valid for PhD at the colleges/universities present in the official notification of the GATE exam.

6. Can I get a GATE Scholarship for Ph.D.?

Ans: Yes. Based on the scores of the respective student or professional receives the GATE scholarship for their Ph.D. programs. The final amount will reflect in the selection brochure or documents received at the time of admission in the finalized institute.

Hope you found this blog post useful and the information will help you to create the professional life always wanted.

If you are currently preparing for the GATE exam, we wish you all the best for your GATE 2025 exam!

Dear Aspirants,

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