Welcome to the Four-Year Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), a leading institution of higher learning with a strong tradition of research for over a century, has opened its portals to undergraduate students by introducing a four-year Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme in 2011. The programme is designed as a blend of core science and interdisciplinary topics that will serve as a launching pad for attractive career opportunities in academia and industry.

The novelty of this programme lies in its interdisciplinary approach, strong flavour of engineering, exposure to disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, and a year-long research project. The graduates of this programme will obtain a Bachelor of Science(Research) degree with specialization in a particular discipline. Students specializing in a particular discipline are encouraged to take courses in other disciplines, thus maintaining the strong interdisciplinary flavour of the programme.

This programme is embedded in a mature and highly sophisticated research culture which has an equally strong base in science and engineering. This research culture has evolved over the last hundred years, primarily engendered by a highly distinguished faculty and brilliant graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. The Institute has grown in an open and free academic environment where dedicated teaching, state-of-the-art laboratories, fast information networks and well-stocked libraries have come into being, aided by a flexible and enabling mode of administrative functioning. We believe that this unique academic environment is well positioned to impart high-quality training to inquisitive young minds.

This brochure contains information pertaining to the process of admission to this programme in 2024. If you have any questions that are not answered in this brochure, please look up our website for up-to-date, detailed information or send an email to the address admission.ug@iisc.ac.in.

Cordially and with best wishes,

Professor Prof. Balaji Jagirdar, Dean, Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme

The four-year Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme is organized into eight semesters. The final semester is devoted exclusively to a research project. The following major disciplines are available in the Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth & Environmental Science
• Materials
• Mathematics
• Physics

Students specializing in any of the above disciplines will have to take a set of prescribed core and elective courses in the chosen discipline. They will also take courses in engineering, humanities, and interdisciplinary areas for a well-rounded learning experience. While a student specializes in a major discipline, he/she can also broaden his/her knowledge and skills by taking courses in other disciplines. Students who take a sufficient number of designated courses in a discipline other than their major will qualify for a "minor" in that discipline. The combination of courses taken by a student will be listed in his/her final transcript.

Semesters 1, 2 and 3: A systematic exposure to scientific, mathematical and engineering principles will take place during the first three semesters. In each of these semesters, the students will take one course each in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, engineering and the humanities. The teaching of the compulsory core courses in science and engineering will include substantial components of laboratory demonstrations and hands-on experiments. The students will also be exposed to courses in the humanities that will help them appreciate science and its implications for society and also sharpen their skills in communicating science to both experts and to the general public.

Semesters 4, 5 and 6: At the beginning of the fourth semester, each student will choose a discipline for specialization ("major") according to his/her academic interest. The following specializations are available: (1) Biology (2) Chemistry (3) Earth & Environmental Science (4) Materials (5) Mathematics (6) Physics. All these specializations are interdisciplinary in nature and will have adequate exposure to other disciplines. The number of students in each discipline will be approximately the same. Both the academic interests of the student and his/her performance in the first three semesters will be considered in assigning a major discipline. In addition to a "major" discipline, a student may also choose a "minor" discipline. In each of these semesters, the students will typically take four courses in the chosen major and minor disciplines; they will also take one elective course in engineering and one seminar course in the humanities.

Semesters 7 and 8: A research project will be started in the seventh semester along with advanced elective courses. The final semester will be devoted exclusively to the project. The project should be in the chosen major discipline or an interdisciplinary topic that substantially overlaps with the major discipline.

All lecture courses will be taught by IISc faculty who will bring their rich experience of research and graduate training to bear on teaching at the undergraduate level. Mentoring and tutorials will be two important aspects of the undergraduate experience at IISc. Lecture courses will be accompanied by tutorials in which post-graduate students of IISc will assist students under the supervision of faculty members. Post-graduate students will also be involved in conducting laboratory classes.

Students who complete all requirements for the award of the Bachelor of Science (Research) degree have the option of getting a Master of Science degree by studying at the Institute for a fifth year. The Master of Science degree will be awarded in the six Major disciplines currently available in the Undergraduate Programme. Students opting for the Master of Science programme will get both Bachelor of Science (Research) and Master of Science degrees at the end of the fifth year if they complete all requirements for the award of the Master of Science degree.

Details about the six disciplines and engineering and the humanities are available on this site under "Subjects & Curriculum".

Eligibility and Selection procedure

Mandatory Educational Qualifications. (Qualifying exam)

National Entrance Exam (i.e., Mode of Entry) Requirements

(a) Candidates who have Completed their 10+2 (or equivalent) examination in 2023 and also those who are expecting to complete their 10+2 (or equivalent) examination in 2024. (b) The candidates must have studied Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as main subjects in their qualifying exam along with any other subjects. (c) The candidates must have secured a first-class or 60% or equivalent grade (relaxed to pass class for SC/ST candidates) in the qualifying examination (i.e., 10+2 or equivalent)

Selection will be based on the merit list of one of the following national examinations. 1. JEE Main -2024 2. JEE Advance-2024 4. NEET(UG)-2024 5. IISER Aptitude test 2024 Note: Candidate must be qualified in any one of the exams mentioned above, and the exam result must be valid as on 01 August 2024.

1. Reservation/concession/relaxations for SC/ST/OBC/EWS/Person with disability (PwD) andKashmiri-Migrant (KM), Kashmiri Pandits/Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) living in theKashmirvalley: as perGovernment ofIndiaregulations.
2. 10 % Supernumerary Quota over and above the approved intake for the program will be provided to women candidates.
3. A minimum of “Pass Class” in the qualifying examination (i.e., 10+2 or equivalent) is required for SC/ST students.
4. Applicants applying under the EWS and OBC(as per the central list of OBC available at www.ncbc.nic.in )category must ensure that they have the valid EWS/OBC-NCLCertificatesissued on or after 01 April 2024 (i.e., valid in FY:2024-25) by 15 May 2024.
5. Scholarships: All the students who join the Institute are eligible for a scholarship from theINSPIRE/IISc Promotional Scheme (IIScP), depending upon their mode of entry. Scholarships from many Indian and multinational agencies and business houses are also available for meritorious students. The scholarship amount may vary for different scholarship agencies as per norms.
6. The applicants are advised to visit the Four-year Bachelor of Science(Research) programme website at https://bs-ug.iisc.ac.in/news.html and the admissions portal, frequently for all admission-related updates.

Procedure for Applying

1. Application Forms (available only online):

   The online application may be prepared and submitted by accessing the IISc Admission website during 01 April 2024 to 07 May 2024. The application fee is Rs. 500/- for GN/OBC/KM candidates and Rs. 250/- for SC/ST/PWD categories.

2. Payment of the Application Fee:

   Payment option: On-line Payment - Net-banking, Visa Card/ Master Card, Debit/Credit Cards/UPI.

Important Dates

Events	Tentative Date
Commencement of submission of online applications:	01-04-2024
Last date for submission of online applications:	07-05-2024
Date of reporting to the institute	19-07-2024
Commencement of classes:	01-08-2024

General Information

• 3.1 Fee Structure
  • 3.1.1 Fee structure (in Rs.)

    Fee structure for Regular UG Programme (Bachelor of Science (Research) Programme) (in Rs. per annum)
    Particulars	Gen/OBC/EWS Category	SC/ST Category
    Tuition Fee (Annual)	10,000	Fully Waived
    Gymkhana Fee (Annual)	1,200	1,200
    Other Academic Fees(Annual)	3,700	3,700
    Statutory Deposit (Refundable)*	7,500	7,500
    Library Deposit (Refundable)*	7,500	7,500
    Students Emergency Fund (Annual)	300	300
    TOTAL (1st year)	30,200	20,200
    * to be paid in the first year only

  • 3.1.2 Scholarships
    • All the students who join the Institute are eligible for a scholarship from the KVPY/INSPIRE/IISc Promotional Scheme(IIScP), depending upon their mode of entry. Scholarships from many Indian and multinational agencies and business houses are also available for meritoriousstudents. The scholarship amount may vary for different scholarships agencies as per norms.
• 3.2 Reimbursement of Travelling Expenses
  • Candidates who join the Institute are eligible for reimbursement of Second-Class Railway / Bus fare by the shortest route from the place of residence to the Institute. This is as follows:
    1. For attending the counseling (both ways)
    2. For joining the Institute (one way).
  • A duly filled-in TA form with journey tickets should be submitted to the Admissions Unit within 15 days of joining the Institute. Beyond this period, no claim will be accepted.
• 3.3 Concessions for SC/ST Candidates
  • Minimum qualification : Relaxed to a PASS CLASS
  • Seats : Reservation as per Government of India Rules.
  • Selection : Based on relaxed criteria.
  • Travelling Allowance (TA) : II Class rail or bus fare by the shortest route for:
    1. Attending the counseling
    2. Joining the Institute
  • TA for (a) will be sent to the home address of the candidate by Money Order only and it will be paid at the Institute for (b).
  
  
• 3.4 Physically Handicapped Persons
  • 5% seats are reserved for physically handicapped candidates, as specified by the Government of India. Candidates who have at least 40% permanent physical impairment in relation to a body part/system/extremity/extremities/whole body, etc., will be given the benefit.
  • The candidates in this category are required to be certified by a Medical Board at IISc. The Medical Board will decide the following:
    • Whether the candidate qualifies for the benefits under this category.
    • If the disability is likely to interfere with his/her studies.
  • The Medical Board duly constituted for this purpose shall meet at the time of counseling for the programme and at the time of reporting for the course programme. Candidates who are not certified by the Medical Board as Physically Handicapped will not be considered for admission under this category. The decision of the Medical Board is final.
• 3.5 Facilities in the Campus
  • 3.5.1 Hostel and Dining Hall Facilities
  • Separate hostel accommodation for male and female students is available in the campus. Nearly 3000 students, including about 500 girls, are housed in various hostels on campus. Two hostels, each of capacity 600, have been built recently. Girl students are housed in single rooms in one of these hostels. UG boys in their first two years will be housed together in a single hostel and provided with single rooms. At present, there are two messes that cater to the tastes of a variety of cuisines from different parts of India. The students are required to abide by the hostel/mess rules in force.
  
  
  • 3.5.2 Recreation

  • The Gymkhana in the Institute campus is the centre of all cultural and extra-curricular activities of the students. It has some of the best sports facilities in Bangalore with a cricket ground, tennis courts, swimming pool, cinder track, indoor badminton court, billiards, table tennis tables, etc. A well-equipped gymnasium with the latest multi-trainer and wall-bar equipment is another attraction. It also has indoor and outdoor auditoria.

    The Ranade library, attached to the Gymkhana, has a collection of 10,000 books and subscribes to over 50 magazines. A well-maintained outdoor swimming pool, a T.V room, music and reading rooms, and a snack parlor situated in the premises, are all very popular. Film, Music, Yoga, Nature, Debating and Photography Clubs are being nurtured by the Gymkhana.

  
  
  • 3.5.3 Health Centre
  • The Institute provides medical facilities to students and staff at the Health Centre. An out-patient clinic and in-patient wards are administered by full-time professional doctors and nursing staff. In addition, specialist consultancy services are provided in Medicine, Ophthalmology, Dental Health, Psychiatry and Gynaecology. Cases requiring other specialist services are referred to the appropriate Medical Centres in the city. The Health Centre has a diagnostic laboratory, an X-ray facility and non-invasive diagnosis by ultrasonography.
  
  
  • 3.5.4 Computational Facilities

  • The Supercomputer Education and Research Centre (SERC) supports state-of-the art computing facilities that cater to the ever-increasing demands of high performance computing for scientific and engineering research. The supercomputing facility at SERC is a symbiosis of computing, storage, graphics, visualization and network. The Centre has been conceived of as a functionally distributed supercomputing environment housing leading-edge computing systems with sophisticated software packages, and connected by a powerful high-speed network.

    In addition to the facilities offered by SERC, computer laboratory facilities are available exclusively for undergraduate students in the UG infrastructure complex.

  
  
  • 3.5.5 JRD Tata Memorial Library
  • The main library of the Institute has nearly 5 lakh volumes of books, periodicals, technical reports and standards. It receives over 1500 current periodicals and has the latest technical reports, standards and patents. These are maintained in separate sections. Over 6000 electronic journals are now available online in addition to a large number of e-books. In addition, most of the departments maintain separate libraries for use by their faculty and students. A small library for text books used in UG courses is operated in the UG administrative complex exclusively for undergraduate students.
  
  
  • 3.5.6 Placement Services
  • Many leading industrial organizations visit the Institute for campus recruitment and offer good career opportunities to graduating students. The Placement Centre also provides advice and assistance to students about other placement opportunities, including those notified through advertisements, references and special requests from various industrial and research organizations.