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The NID eligibility criteria for 2025, covering both PG and UG programs, will be announced soon on admissions.nid.edu. The NID entrance exam requirements for 2025 include not only the minimum educational qualifications but also an age restriction. Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 2004, to be eligible for admission. Those who fulfil the NID DAT eligibility criteria for 2025 can apply by completing and submitting the application forms. For further information on NID DAT eligibility, age limits, minimum marks, and other requirements for NID 2025, continue reading.
It’s essential to review the NID 2025 exam dates and eligibility criteria before starting the application process. The NID entrance exam eligibility for 2025 encompasses academic qualifications, age limits, and other restrictions. Aspiring candidates should carefully check the detailed NID DAT eligibility criteria for 2025 before applying.
All applicants applying for the M. Des. program (any discipline) must fulfil age and education qualification criteria. For comprehensive information on the NID 2025 eligibility criteria, age limits, minimum qualifications, and additional requirements, refer to the full article.
NID Eligibility Criteria 2025 for PG Admissions
To be eligible for admission to the NID M.Des program, candidates must meet one of the following criteria: either have a 4-year bachelor’s degree in any field from a recognized university, with the completion or expected completion by July/August 2025 or hold a 3-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution, with the degree completed by 2025. Final-year students are also eligible to apply.
NID 2025 Related Links
| NID Eligibility B.Des | NID Sample Paper |
| NID Exam Dates | NID Exam Pattern |
| How to Fill NID Application Form | NID Application Correction |
| NID Admit Card | NID Syllabus |
Master of Design (M.Des.) Eligibility
All candidates applying for the M.Des. program in any discipline must meet both the age and educational qualification criteria.
Age Limit:
- Indian Nationals (General & General EWS Category): Candidates must be born on or after July 1, 1993. This criterion applies to those in the general category and the economically weaker section (EWS) category.
- Indian Nationals (Reserved Categories: OBC-NCL, SC, ST): Candidates from Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST) must be born on or after July 1, 1990. This extended age limit provides additional flexibility for these categories.
- Indian Nationals (PwD Reserved Category): Candidates with disabilities who fall under the reserved category must be born on or after July 1, 1988. This criterion is designed to support persons with disabilities by offering a broader age range.
- Foreign Nationals (Overseas Supernumerary Category): Candidates applying under the overseas supernumerary category must be born on or after July 1, 1993. This age requirement is aligned with the general age limit for foreign applicants.
Educational Qualification:
To be eligible for admission to the NID M.Des. program, candidates must meet the following qualifications in addition to the age criteria:
- Bachelor’s Degree: Candidates must hold a minimum 4-year Bachelor’s Degree in any specialization after 12th standard, from a recognized university or institute in India. They should have appeared for all subjects and cleared any backlogs by June 30, 2025.
- Full-time Diploma: Candidates must possess a 4-year Full-Time Diploma in Design, Fine Arts, Applied Arts, or Architecture, obtained after 12th standard from a recognized institution in India. They should have appeared for all subjects and resolved any backlogs by June 30, 2025.
- 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree: Candidates must have a 3-year Bachelor’s Degree in any specialization obtained after 12th standard from a recognized institution. They should have passed this degree by August 2023.
Candidates in their final year of a Bachelor’s Degree or Full-time Diploma program, who have not yet received their final degree certificate, are also eligible to apply. They must have completed all subjects and resolved any backlogs by June 30, 2025. If selected, they will be granted provisional admission and must submit their final results by July 31, 2025.
Note: Candidates who have obtained their degree or certificate from a university or board outside India must submit an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, during the physical verification of documents. For more information on obtaining the equivalence certificate, visit AIU’s official website.
Overseas Category (Supernumerary Candidates):
Foreign candidates—who are citizens of countries other than the Republic of India—are eligible to apply under the Overseas (supernumerary) category, provided they meet all the eligibility criteria specified in the relevant section.
For the M.Des. program, 15% of the seats are allocated as supernumerary for Overseas category candidates. The exact number of seats available under this category is as follows:
For the M.Des. program, the number of supernumerary seats available for Overseas category candidates is:
| Programme | No. of Seats for Overseas Category |
| Master of Design (discipline with 19 seats) | 3 |
| Master of Design (discipline with 12 seats) | 2 |
NID DAT Related Exam Links
Note:
- Overseas (supernumerary) Category: Candidates are not eligible for reservations under GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories and must pay fees as per the Overseas category; age-relaxation and scribe facilities are not available.
- OCI and PIO Cardholders: Must apply under the Overseas (supernumerary) category.
- Passport Requirements: Candidates must possess a valid passport, which should be current at the time of application.
- NRI Eligibility: NRIs with an Indian passport must apply as Indian nationals and cannot apply under the Overseas category.
- Admission Process: Admission is based on the final merit list of the Overseas category after all admission stages; candidates must visit the NID campus to present original documents and self-attested copies, including their passport, grade sheets, and an AIU equivalence certificate.
- Visa and Documentation: Candidates must obtain a student visa for the entire program before it starts; failure to pay fees or produce required documents will result in cancellation of candidature and the seat being offered to the next candidate in merit order.
- Vacant Seats: Seats remaining vacant in the Overseas category will not be transferred to other categories.
- Examination and Medium of Instruction: Overseas candidates must appear for DAT Prelims and DAT Mains as per the schedule; they can choose test centres from available options; the medium of instruction at NID is English.
Important Note:
- Final Exam Appearance: Candidates who are yet to complete their final qualifying exams (specifically a full-time Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree under the 10+2+4 system or higher) in 2025 must ensure they pass all required exams on their first attempt. Any pending backlogs, compartments, or supplementary exams that have not been cleared will result in the admission being cancelled, and all fees will be forfeited.
- Provisional Admission Conditions: If the results of the final qualifying exam are not declared by the seat allotment date:
- Candidates must provide a self-undertaking, signed by both the candidate and their parents, along with a certificate from the University in the prescribed format (available on admissions.nid.edu) at the time of seat allotment.
- Candidates must submit attested marksheets of all previous semesters/years from their qualifying degree or diploma, signed by the Head of their institution, during seat allotment.
- Final results or marksheets demonstrating eligibility must be submitted to the Academic Record Cell by July 31, 2025. Failure to meet this deadline will result in the cancellation of admission and forfeiture of all fees.
- Eligibility for Further Admission Process: Candidates who have not appeared for all required subjects of their qualifying exam by June 30, 2025, will not be eligible to participate in any further stages of the admission process. This requirement ensures that all candidates meet the academic criteria before moving forward with their admission.
Reservation of Seats
The total number of seats available for Indian Nationals, as detailed in Section 3 of this document, are divided into various categories as outlined below:
| Seat Category | Category of Eligible Candidates |
| Open | GEN, GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD |
| General-Economically Weaker Section (GEN-EWS) | GEN-EWS, GEN-EWS-PwD |
| Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL) | OBC-NCL, OBC-NCL-PwD |
| Schedule Caste (SC) | SC, SC-PwD |
| Schedule Tribe (ST) | ST, ST-PwD |
| Open—Persons with Disability (PwD) | GEN-PwD, GEN-EWS-PwD, OBC-NCL-PwD, SC-PwD, ST-PwD |
| Other Backward Class-Non Creamy Layer—Persons with Disability (OBC-NCL-PwD) | OBC-NCL-PwD |
| Schedule Caste—Persons with Disability (SC-PwD) | SC-PwD |
| Schedule Tribe—Persons with Disability (ST-PwD) | ST-PwD |
Foreign nationals applying under the Overseas category are not included in the seat reservations for GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories.
As per Government of India guidelines, the allocated seats for each category are as follows; Here is the category-wise reservation of seats:
| Category | Disciplines with 19 Seats Each | Disciplines with 12 Seats Each |
| GEN-EWS (10%) | 2 | 1 |
| OBC-NCL (27%) | 5 | 3 |
| Scheduled Caste (15%) | 3 | 2 |
| Scheduled Tribe (7.5%) | 1 | 1 |
Reservation of Seats for Various Categories
Economically Weaker Section (EWS):
- Reservation: 10% of seats
- Eligibility: Only General category candidates meeting the criteria specified in OM No. 20013/01/2018-BC-II dated 17 January 2019, issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, are eligible.
- Certificate: Must be an Income & Asset Certificate issued by specific authorities (District Magistrate, Chief Presidency Magistrate, Revenue Officer, Sub-Divisional Officer) on or after 01 April 2023, based on the financial year 2022-23.
- Verification: Provisionally allowed to appear for DAT Prelims based on self-declared information. The certificate must be valid; otherwise, the candidate will be shifted to the General category.
Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL):
- Eligibility: The caste must be listed in the current Central list of OBCs. Creamy Layer candidates are not eligible.
- Certificate: Must be issued on or after 01 April 2023, confirming the candidate is not from the Creamy Layer, in English/Hindi. Non-English/Hindi certificates must be accompanied by a notarized English/Hindi translation.
- Verification: Valid certificates are required to be uploaded with the application. Invalid certificates will lead to the candidate being moved to the General category, or cancellation if age relaxation was availed.
Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST):
- Eligibility: Must belong to castes and tribes listed in the central list.
- Certificate: Should be issued in the candidate’s name, in English/Hindi, by competent authorities. Non-English/Hindi certificates need notarized translations.
- Verification: Invalid SC/ST certificates will lead to cancellation of the candidature.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD):
- Reservation: 5% of total seats across all categories.
- Eligibility: Must have a Disability Certificate and Unique Disability ID (UDID) as per the RPwD Act 2016.
- Verification: Valid certificates must be uploaded. Candidates using a scribe or compensatory time must meet specific guidelines. Invalid certificates or misuse of facilities will result in cancellation of admission.
Important Information for (M.Des.) Eligibility
Here’s a summary of the important information regarding reservations and category changes for the M.Des admissions at the National Institute of Design (NID):
- Category-Based Qualifications: Candidates from GEN-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD categories must meet the minimum qualifying criteria specified in Section 8.5 to be declared qualified.
- Seat Allocation:
- OBC-NCL: Unfilled seats or seats with unqualified candidates in the OBC-NCL category will be de-reserved and allotted to Open Category candidates based on merit.
- GEN-EWS, SC, ST: Seats reserved for GEN-EWS, SC, and ST categories will not be de-reserved if unfilled.
- Modification of Details:
- Candidates can modify details in the application form (excluding Programme Applied, Name, Date of Birth, Registered Mobile Number, and Registered Email ID) during the “Window to Edit” period.
- Changing categories during this period will incur additional application fees, with no refund for excess fees.
- Verification and Candidature:
- Reservations are subject to document verification at any stage after the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims.
- If a candidate is found to have used false or invalid documents or provided incorrect information to avail of reservation benefits, their candidature will be cancelled. This applies even if the candidate has already been admitted.
- Admission Entitlement: Simply appearing in the DAT or being listed in the rank/merit list does not automatically guarantee admission to the M.Des program.
NID 2025 Admission
The NID DAT is a national-level entrance test conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) for entry into B.Des and M.Des programs. The admission process comprises two stages: prelims and mains. To secure a place in their preferred course, candidates must meet the NID admission requirements. Candidates need to understand the eligibility criteria for DAT 2025 and carefully review the NID entrance exam syllabus for 2025 to excel in the exam.
NID 2025 Related Links
| NID Exam Dates | NID Exam Pattern |
| How to Fill NID Application Form | NID Application Correction |
| NID Admit Card | NID Sample Paper |
| NID Result/Merit list | NID Cut Off |
| NID Syllabus | NID Placements |
NID M.Des 2025 Eligibility FAQs
What is the minimum educational qualification required for M.Des admission?
Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution. This can include degrees in fields such as design, fine arts, engineering, architecture, or other relevant areas.
Is a specific percentage required in the undergraduate degree for M.Des eligibility?
Generally, candidates are required to have a minimum aggregate of 50% in their undergraduate degree. However, this can vary by institution, so it’s important to check the specific requirements of the institution to which you are applying.
Can candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering or architecture apply for M.Des?
Yes, candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, or other related fields can apply for the M.Des program, provided they meet the minimum percentage criteria and other specific requirements set by the institution.
Is work experience necessary for admission into the M.Des program?
Work experience is not always mandatory but can be advantageous. Some institutions may prefer or give preference to candidates with relevant work experience, especially for specialized design programs.
Are there any age restrictions for M.Des admission?
Generally, there are no specific age restrictions for admission into M.Des programs. However, candidates should check the guidelines of the particular institution for any age-related policies.
Can candidates from non-design backgrounds apply for the M.Des program?
Yes, candidates from non-design backgrounds, such as those with degrees in science, humanities, or business, can apply for M.Des programs, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria and may need to demonstrate a strong interest or aptitude for design.
Do I need to have a portfolio for M.Des admission?
Many design institutes require candidates to submit a portfolio showcasing their work as part of the admission process. This portfolio is used to assess the candidate’s skills, creativity, and suitability for the program.
Is there an entrance exam for M.Des admission?
Yes, admission to M.Des programs usually involves an entrance exam, which often includes a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) or similar. This is followed by a studio test and/or personal interview, depending on the institution.
Are there any specific subjects or courses in the undergraduate degree that are mandatory for M.Des eligibility?
Most institutions do not mandate specific subjects or courses in the undergraduate degree, but a background in design, arts, or related fields can be beneficial. It’s best to verify the specific requirements of the institution.
What documents are typically required to prove eligibility for M.Des admission?
Required documents usually include a valid Bachelor’s degree certificate, transcripts of academic records, proof of age, identity documents, and a portfolio (if applicable). Some institutions may also require a statement of purpose and letters of recommendation.
If you have any queries regarding NID M.Des 2025 Eligibility, you can ask your query and leave comments below.
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