Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a public institute for research and higher

education in science, engineering, design, and management. It is a premier scientific

research institute in India and has been continuously ranked first in the university
category for the last three years in the NIRF rankings (by the Government of India).
It is located in Bangalore, India, and was 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".[4] It was granted the Deemed
University status in 1958.

Contents

 1History
 2Campus
 3Rankings
 4Academic divisions, departments, and centres
 5Academic programs
o 5.1Doctoral degree programs
o 5.2Masters degree programs
o 5.3Bachelors degree programs
 6Admissions process
 7J. R. D. Tata Memorial Library
 8Central computing facility
 9Notable alumni
 10Notable faculty
 11Academic and industrial collaborations
 12Student activities
 13December 2005 terror attack
 14See also
 15References
 16External links

History[edit]
Directors[5]

 M. W. Travers, FRS, 1909–1914[5][6]

 Sir A.G. Bourne,[5] FRS, 1915–1921
 Sir Martin O. Forster, FRS, 1922–1933
 Sir C.V. Raman, FRS, 1933–1937
 Sir J.C. Ghosh,[7] 1939–1948
  M. S. Thacker, 1949–1955
 S. Bhagavantam, 1957–1962
 S. Dhawan, 1962–1981
 D.K. Banerjee, 1971–1972
 S. Ramaseshan,[8] 1981–1984
 C.N.R. Rao, FRS, 1984–1994
 G. Padmanaban, 1994–1998
 Goverdhan Mehta, FRS 1998–2005
 P. Balaram, 2005–2014
 Anurag Kumar, 2014–present

Jamsetji Tata, founder

After an accidental meeting between Jamsetji Tata and Swami Vivekananda, on a

ship in 1893 where they discussed Tata's plan of bringing the steel industry to India,
Tata wrote to Vivekananda five years later: "I trust, you remember me as a fellow-
traveller on your voyage from Japan to Chicago. I very much recall at this moment
your views on the growth of the ascetic spirit in India... I recall these ideas in
connection with my scheme of Research Institute of Science for India, of which you
have doubtless heard or read."[9][10]
Impressed by Vivekananda's views on science and leadership abilities, Tata wanted
him to guide his campaign. Vivekananda endorsed the project with enthusiasm, and
Tata, with the aim of advancing the scientific capabilities of the country, constituted a
Provisional Committee to prepare a plan for setting up of an Institute of research and
higher education. The committee presented a draft proposal to Lord Curzon on 31
December 1898.[11] Subsequently, Sir William Ramsay, a Nobel Laureate, was called
on to propose a suitable place for such an institution who suggested Bangalore as
the best location.
The Nizam of Hyderabad- H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan too played a vital role in the
upliftment of the Institute. The Nizam made the biggest contribution in terms of
money which amounted to 3 lakh Rupees over a period of 31 years.[12]
The land and other facilities for the institution were donated by H.H. Sir Krishnaraja
Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore (a Princely State now called State
of Karnataka), and Tata himself. The Maharaja donated about 371 acres
(1.50 km2)[13] of land. Tata gave several buildings towards the creation of IISc. [14]
The constitution of the Institute was approved by the Viceroy, Lord Minto, and the
necessary Vesting Order to enable it to function was signed on 27 May
1909.[15] Early in 1911, the Maharaja of Mysore laid the foundation stone of the
Institute, and on 24 July, the first batch of students were admitted to the
Departments of General and Applied Chemistry under Norman Rudolf and Electro-
Technology under Alferd Hay. Within two months, the Department of Organic
Chemistry was opened. In 1958 the institute was granted the deemed
university status by the UGC.[16]
At the time of the inception of IISc in 1909, Morris Travers, Sir William Ramsay's co-
worker in the discovery of the noble gases, became its first Director. For Travers,
this was a natural continuation of his work on the Institute, since he had played a
role in its founding. The first Indian Director was the Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman.
Raman was the Indian Science-based Nobel Laureate.[15] The current Director
is Anurag Kumar.
The Institute was the first to introduce Masters programs in Engineering. It has also
started integrated doctoral programs in Biological, Chemical, Physical and
Mathematical Sciences for natural science graduates.[11]