Dear Prospective Student

Congratulations on your academic performance. This message is for you to consider when you are making a momentous decision that would shape your professional life. When you consider your choices for future and a career in the second and third quarter of 21st century, one human enterprise that is future focussed is SPACE, encompassing space science, space technology and space applications. Not only our current communications, positioning and societal applications related to weather, disaster management, food-environment-water nexus and safety and security are dependent on space platforms and service, but a number of space spinoffs have immensely enhanced human health.

IIST is the only entirely space-focussed institute in the country with the status of a deemed-to-be university and was established in 2007 by the Department of Space, Government of India which governs one of the most appreciated organisation in the country, namely, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). In a short span of a decade of its existence and despite offering only 3 UG programs, IIST has been ranked between 23-30 rank in engineering category by NIRF during last 3 years (2017-2019). With a student to staff ratio of below 10, IIST is among top 3 institutions in the country with such teaching and learning resource. IIST boasts of well qualified faculty who are very active in research and have a student friendly approach. It boasts of a large number of well equipped laboratories where students learn and handle sophisticated equipment and laboratory set ups. UG curricula is modern in outlook and provides for full eighth semester project that accommodates ISRO or external internship as well

UG students have great learning opportunity to interact with senior ISRO engineers but also undertake internships at various ISRO centres. IIST also has a number of international collaborations through which students undertake internships US (Caltech, Colorado), Australia (ANU), Singapore (NTU), Japan(Niigata) and many others. Students also have an opportunity to work on live space projects such as small satellite projects. This live experience is unique as IIST is building three small satellites. Our faculty have successfully proposed experiments for future ISRO missions to Mars, Venus, Human spaceflight – Gaganyaan project and a future telescope for study of exo-planetary atmosphere.

IIST has excellent hostel facilities and is located in Trivandrum, Kerala which is one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country. At below rupees 50,000 per semester, the IIST fee (inclusive of hostel and food) structure is a great advantage. In addition IIST has a unique Student Assistanceship Program funded by the Department of Space, with generous scholarship and book grant based on academic performance. More than 60 per cent of UG students in IIST generally secure this assistance ship. IIST campus has a large number of activity clubs covering from astronomy to social service.

Class toppers of UG programs in Aerospace and ECE are awarded one year Professor Satish Dhawan Endowment Fellowship to undertake one year Master’s program at Caltech University (USA) which is ranked first amongst universities in the space technology segment globally.

Based on vacancies notified by ISRO and qualifying criteria the successful UG students have an opportunity to be absorbed in ISRO and till 2018 about 845 UG students joined ISRO, representing more than two third of UG pass outs. A large number of IIST UG alumni are studying abroad and have branched in diverse fields from civil service to management.

Come and learn space technology with us, your choice will place your career in space trajectory

Wishing you good luck in all future endeavours.

Vinay Kumar Dadhwal
June 3, 2019, Thiruvananthapuram

• IIST Admission Rank List published on 19 June 2019. Visit https://admission.iist.ac.in for details.
• Seat Allotment / Acceptance Rounds commenced on 21 June 2019. Click here to view schedule for Seat Allotment / Acceptance Rounds

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Important Note:

Any change of date will be indicated in the IIST Admission website. Candidates are advised to check the website regularly.

• IIST Official Video
• Life in IIST - Homing Pigeons (2016)
• Lieutenant General Larry D James from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) about IIST
• Dr. Virendra Sarohia from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) about IIST-JPL collaboration

Undergraduate Admission 2019- Information Brochure - English (Released on 15 May 2019)

Undergraduate Admission 2019- Information Brochure - Hindi (Released on 01 June 2019)

Important Notes:

(1) The First Semester Fee has to be paid through online transfer at the time of acceptance of allotted seat during the admission process. Fees for the remaining semesters have to be paid at the beginning of each semester before the notified date.

(2) At the time of joining the institute, students are required to remit a caution deposit of INR 13000 which is refundable (without interest) at the time of leaving the institute.

(3) Hostel and Dining charges are applicable only for the academic period of the semester and hence will not cover expenses incurred during the vacation period, except at the end of sixth semester, when students undertake credited Summer Internships.

(4) Any revision to Medical, Hostel and Dining charges will be informed well in advance.

DoS offers performance (Semester Grade Point Average–SGPA) based financial assistance to all undergraduate and Dual Degree students. It is mandatory for the students to avail this financial assistance. Students and their parent are required to sign a surety bond [see Section 7 (2)/ 7(3)] for the same at the time of joining IIST.The financial assistance scheme per semester is detailed below:

Financial Assistance Scheme per Semester

Important Notes:
(1) Full/ Partial financial assistance will be awarded to the students at the end of the semester after declaration of semester results.

(2) Students who are eligible for full financial assistance for the semester will receive a book grant of INR 3000 for that semester. Prior approval, production of bill and verification of purchased book(s) are essential to avail the book grant.

Based on notified vacancies in different specializations, by ISRO, undergraduate and Dual Degree students will be absorbed as Scientist/ Engineer-SC, subject to fulfilment of the following conditions applicable to ALL categories of students:

• Students should successfully complete the B.Tech and Dual Degree Programmes in 4 (four) and 5 (five) years, respectively
• Students should secure minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 7.5 (on a scale of 10) at the end of B.Tech and Dual Degree Programmes
• Students are required to be fully medically fit as per ISRO norms

ISRO/ DoS do not guarantee job to all eligible students. Absorption will be in the order of merit based only on vacancies notified by ISRO/ DoS for IIST absorption for that particular year.

Important Notes:

(1) Currently, Scientist/Engineer- 'SC' is placed in Level 10 of the Central Government 7th pay commission Pay Matrix Table. The basic emoluments at present amount to approximately INR 56,100 p.m. In addition, House Rent Allowance [HRA], Dearness Allowance [DA] and Transport Allowance at the prescribed rates in force at the place of posting are applicable. The employees are governed by the National Pension System. Medical facilities for self and dependants, Leave Travel Concession, Group Insurance, etc., are also available.

(2)Students, their parent and a surety are required to sign a surety bond (on a INR 500 non-judicial paper), in the prescribed format given in APPENDIX-VI, at the time of joining IIST.

(3)Students who are offered a job in ISRO/DoS are mandated to serve as Scientist/Engineer-„SC‟ in the allotted ISRO/DoS centresfor a minimum period of 3 (Three) yearsA student not accepting the ISRO/DoS job offer is liable topay INR 10 (Ten) Lakhs(and any accrued interest till the date of payment). Having secured a job in ISRO/DoS and having joined service, a student resigning from ISRO/DoS before completing the mandatory minimum period of 3 (three) years, shall pay as per the following norms:

• Student with less than one year of service in ISRO/DoS – INR 10 (Ten) Lakhs
• Student with one to two year service in ISRO/DOS – INR 9 (Nine) Lakhs
• Student with two to three year service in ISRO/DOS – INR 8 (Eight) Lakhs

The payment will be made to IIST or the respective ISRO/ DoS centre, the latter after the transfer of the bond to the respective ISRO/DoS centre is effected.

(4) ISRO has provisions for its scientists/ engineers to pursue higher studies.

(5) Students who are not offered job by ISRO/DoS will be free of any financial obligations notwithstanding the DoS financial assistance that they have availed.

(6) For the students who are not absorbed in ISRO/DoS establishments, the Placement Cell of IIST shall put its best efforts to facilitate placement.

• Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram
• Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram
• Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Bengaluru
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
• U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru
• ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri
• Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad
• National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad
• ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.
• ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram
• Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun
• Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan
• Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad
• North Eastern-Space Applications Centre (NE-SAC), Umiam, Meghalaya
• Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh
• National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Gadanki, Tirupathi
• Advanced Data Processing Research Institute, Hyderabad