Indian Institute of Science

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public university for scientific research and higher education located in Bangalore, India. Established in 1909 with active support from Jamsetji Tata and H.H. Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. It is also locally known as the "Tata Institute". It acquired the status of a Deemed University in 1958. IISc is widely regarded as India's best university. It has been ranked at number 11 and 18 worldwide (and ranked 3rd and 6th in Asia) when considering the criteria of Citations per Faculty in 2014 and 2015 respectively. IISc was the first Indian institute to feature on Times Higher Education World University Rankings for engineering and technology in the year 2015-16 at 99th position and in the year 2016-17 IISc has ranked 8th position. IISc has become 1st Indian University to be ranked in World's top 10 in the small universities category. IISc has been ranked number 1 and 4 in the BRICS and Asian region respectively while considering the criteria of Papers per Faculty in 2015. IISc has also been ranked 6th in the criteria of research by the Times Higher Education Rankings for the BRICS & Emerging Economies Rankings 2016. IISc has been ranked 20 worldwide in the Global Employability University Ranking 2015 rankings.IISc ranks at number 1 in the NIRF University Rankings. IISc has made significant contributions to life sciences, advanced computing, space, and nuclear technologies.

The Indian Institute of Science was founded in 1909 as a result of the joint efforts of Jamsetji Nussarwanji Tata, the Government of India and the Maharaja of Mysore.

Tata conceived of a university of science in 1896 that would work for the benefit of India, and in 1898, created an endowment for establishing such an institution.

The Government of India decided to locate the Institute in Bengaluru, where the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, donated over 370 acres of land for this initiative.

The Institute was formally vested in 1909, the foundation stone was laid in 1911, and the first batch of students started their studies the same year

Admission into IISc is highly competitive. Usually only the top 0.01 percent candidates qualifying the GATE examination are able to clear the cutoff for ME/M.Tech admissions. Depending on the department and the number of students, the cutoff can get much higher. Admission to research programmes of the Institute, both Ph.D and M.Sc (Engg), is based on career analysis and (possibly) multiple rounds of technical interviews in the campus. Candidates are called for interviews based on the entrance test of the Institute or GATE or any other test recognised by the Institute (which depends on the choice of department and specialisation). For course oriented degrees – ME and M.Tech. – the admission is through the GATE examination conducted every year. For research oriented degree – Master of Science which is similar to MS with Thesis—the admission is through the GATE. For Master of Management (M.Mgt), which has a ceiling strength of only 25 seats across India, the admission is through CAT (Common Admission Test). Admission to MDes is through the GATE or the CEED (Common Entrance Examination for Design). Bachelor of Science graduates can get admission to IISC through the JAM exam.

IISc was ranked 201-250 in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings in 2016-2017. It was ranked 27 in ASIA and 14 among BRICS & Emerging Economies University Rankings 2017. The QS World University Rankings ranked IISc 152 in the world and 33 in Asia in 2016. The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked it 301-400 in the world, the only university in India to be ranked by this ranking. In all these international rankings, IISc was ranked first in India, as well as in the Careers360 ranking of 2017.

Pravega is the annual science, technology and cultural festival of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Started in 2013 by the undergraduates of IISc, the fest advertises itself as an eclectic blend of science, technology and culture packed into three January days.

Pravega 2014 featured various scientific, technological and cultural competitions, Gaming events, music shows, lectures, video conferences, exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops. The second edition, held from 29 January to 1 February 2015, built on these events and also introduced new and unique events to the mix. Events such as Whodunnit and the Literary Decathlon are some such newly introduced competitions.

IISc being India's Premier Research Institute, the fest’s technical events revolve around cutting edge Science and Engineering. Cultural events involve competitions such as Battle of Bands (prelims for which were held in four cities last year) and Lasya (a dance competition).

Over 500 colleges from across India including the IITs, NITs and IISERs are invited every year to attend this festival. Pravega is usually held on the fourth weekend of January, in the IISc Campus, Bangalore.

Many scientific workshops and camps, such as Vijyoshi (National Science Camp) for secondary school and undergraduate students, are hosted by IISc.

IISc also has active sports teams, major ones being in cricket, football, badminton and volleyball. They participate each year in the IISM (inter IISER sports meet) and a number of other tournaments and events.

IISc also has a band, Rhythmica, which performs all over the city of Bangalore and has gained acclaim as one of the city's finest college bands.

The appointment of  young faculty member is made at the Assistant Professor level and follows the Assistant/Associate/Professor structure. An evaluation is made at the end of a 6 year period for possible promotion. The salary structure is as prescribed by the  Government of India with additional facilities such as house rent allowance (if residing outside the campus), medical facilities for faculty members and their families, pension schemes, etc. The faculty member can supplement his/her income through consultancy. The Institute grants a one year sabbatical (leave with salary) after every six years of service and also sponsors one conference visit within India every year and travel to one international conference once in 3 years.

Relocation expenses are covered up to Institute-specified limits. This is currently Rs. 1,25,000 for faculty members travelling  within India and Rs. 2,50,000 for faculty members travelling from other countries. In addition to a start-up research grant of a few lakhs of rupees, the Institute gives an annual contingency grant for books, stationery,  and travel support (this is currently Rs. 3 Lakhs for a sliding period of three years) for attending international conferences. This is typically supplemented by travel support from industry partners and government agencies. Faculty members are also eligible for reimbursement (currently 75%) of an annual membership fee of an international professional body, full funding for attending one national conference per year, loan for purchase of computers, etc. The faculty and their families are covered by  an attractive Contributory Health Services Scheme.  On-campus accommodation is also provided to new faculty members.