Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Ph.D. Thesis (also covers M.Tech. / M.Des. / MSR / BT-MT in the same Thesis Guide) Formatting Guidelines
Official layout specifications, binding margins, and document formatting requirements.
Governing Body: Dean of Academic Affairs (DOAA) / Thesis Processing Cell (Uttar Pradesh, IN)
1. Page Setup & Geometry
Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments
2. Typography & Spacing Hierarchy
Font selections, heading styles, line spacing, and paragraph indentation
3. Technical & Archival Compliance
ETD ProQuest repository requirements, table spanning, and vector DPI rules
Table captions: above*.
Figure captions: below*.
4. Preliminary Pages Checklist & Order
Strict graduate school ordering, title page numbering suppression, and Roman pagination
- 1Title PageMandatoryPagination:
suppressed counted - 2CertificateMandatoryPagination:
roman visibleRequirement: Mandatory statement that the work has not been submitted elsewhere for a degree. - 3DeclarationMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 4Abstract/SynopsisMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 5Acknowledgement and/or DedicationOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible - 6Table of ContentsMandatoryPagination:
roman visible - 7List of Figures, Tables, Illustrations, SymbolsOptional / If ApplicablePagination:
roman visible
6. Academic Integrity, Similarity & AI Policy
Plagiarism threshold, similarity checking software, and Generative AI disclosure rules
Before submission the thesis is sent to the Thesis Processing Cell for Similarity Check and Formatting Check. The TPC form signed by student and supervisor is filed with DOAA.
In accordance with UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity) regulations and Institute Senate resolutions, students must disclose all generative AI assistance.
7. Institutional Declarations & Certificates
Signed certificates, declarations, and copyright statements named in the handbook
Signatories: Supervisor(s)
“It is certified that the work contained in the thesis titled "…," by "(Name of the Student)" has been carried out under my/our supervision and that this work has not been submitted elsewhere for a degree.”
Signatories: Student
“This is to certify that the thesis titled … has been authored by me. It presents the research conducted by me under the supervision of … To the best of my knowledge, it is an original work, both in terms of research content and narrative, and has not been submitted elsewhere, in part or in full, for a degree.”
8. Institutional & Departmental Policies
Ph.D. abstract/synopsis must not exceed 1000 words; M.Tech. abstract must not exceed 300 words. Both in double spacing.
Similarity and formatting check via Thesis Processing Cell before DOAA submission.
Students may submit in a book format roughly half of A4 if all material remains distinct and legible.
All headings are centered (without punctuation) 25 mm down the top edge; subsequent typesetting begins four spaces below the heading.
Notice a discrepancy in this 2019 handbook?
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* Provisional ScholarSpec layout used where the cited handbook does not specify this value. Confirm with your thesis office before submission.
- Currency check 2026-09-19: still current. DOAA continues to host https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/thesisguide.pdf (imprint November 2019; HTTP Last-Modified 17 Jan 2020, 51697 bytes). TPC's 'Guidelines for Thesis Preparation' link is https://www.iitk.ac.in/doaa/data/GUIDELINE_THESIS.pdf (Last-Modified 25 Mar 2026) — byte-identical to thesisguide.pdf (MD5 48800d1f280f553578cf7e73753c4368), not a new edition.
- No later public thesis-preparation PDF was found on iitk.ac.in. The PG Manual and 2019 TPC circulars cover process/plagiarism, not a replacement layout handbook.
- Body typeface is not named; only uniformity of fonts/sizes is required.
- Verified 2026-10-13 against primary sources: re-verified DOAA Thesis Guide (Nov 2019 imprint, active at doaa/data/thesisguide.pdf) confirming A4, 35/25 mm margins, 2.0x line spacing, unprescribed body font, 1000-word doctoral abstract, and mandatory GenAI student disclosure in preliminary pages.