Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Review By Kaustubh

IISER Bhopal is strictly a research-oriented institute of National Importance. Candidates that are genuinely interested in pursuing research as a career path can choose this institute as IISERs are one of the best to pursue research in India. I was personally preparing for NEET and IAT (IISER Admission Test) simultaneously and finally thought of choosing IISER Bhopal as it interested me. I am currently a 3rd year UG student here, majoring in Biological Sciences. IISER Bhopal is ranked 4th in India and 62 in the world.

I am currently in my 3rd year of a 5 year BSMS dual degree program offered by all IISERs. To get into IISER Bhopal, the aspirant has to score a good rank in the IAT (IISER Aptitude/Admission Test), and go through the rigorous counseling process through the JAC Portal. All students giving 12th boards or 1 year gap students are also allowed to appear for the IAT and are eligible for admission in IISER. The program’s motive is to train students in scientific learning and research. The curriculum is well structured with core courses in the first year, 3 pre-major subjects in the second year, and core subjects from the third year in the chosen department.

Most of the faculty members are experienced researchers and experts in their respective fields. All professors hold Ph.D degree from internationally reputed institutes and have published plenty of research papers. The teaching style changes from teacher to teacher, but all are sufficiently good. All the faculty members are approachable and promote open discussions.

The institute does have a placement cell which runs in collaboration with students and the administration. Even though they do help in acquiring corporate offers, by organizing workshops and placement drives, most students here are research oriented and focus more on Ph.D opportunities.

IISER Bhopal is a compulsory residential institute. Currently there are 8 hostels (5 boys, 3 girls) with double occupancy rooms. 2 more hostels are under construction. I do wish that these accommodations also provide single occupancy option also. The charges are nominal.

IISER Bhopal has state of the art infrastructure. The lecture hall complex is well equipped with both board and digital aids, with sufficient seating capacity. The academic buildings (4 in number) house the research labs of the faculty members along with conference rooms, seminar halls in them. The UG Labs are also well equipped with many modern equipment and machines. The institute also has an extensive sports facilities including cricket ground, football ground, athletics ground, tennis court, basketball court, table tennis, chess, carom, well equipped gym, and many more.

The student community is vibrant and diverse, from people from all around the country. Various community events and traditional festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm. There are also many clubs (Drama, Dance, Music, Book, Biology, Chemistry, Maths, etc.) and councils (Science, Fine arts, SDC, Sports, etc.) that are equally participated in by the whole student community. These councils are also responsible for organizing various fests over the academic year like ‘Enthuzia’, ‘Singularity’, ‘MUN’, etc. E-Cell at IISER Bhopal has been recently set by the student body, and I was the first and founding Coordinator of the same. We are focusing more on innovative and scientific enthusiasm within the community.