IIT Madras Launches New Admission Route for Science Olympiad Winners

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has started a new way for students to get into its undergraduate programs. This program, called ‘Science Olympiad Excellence’ (ScOpE), is for students who have done very well in national and international science competitions.

Starting from the academic year 2025-2026, students can apply for admission without going through the regular JEE (Advanced) exams. This is similar to how some students get admitted through sports and fine arts.

Each program will have two extra seats just for these applicants, and one seat will be reserved specifically for female students. To apply, candidates must have completed Class 12, just like those applying through JEE (Advanced). The age limit and other rules will also be the same. However, students who have studied at an IIT before cannot apply.

Eligible candidates need to be Indian citizens or have an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) or Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card that was issued before March 4, 2021. They also need to have participated in at least one major science competition in the last four years, such as:

– Mathematics: International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camps (IMOTC) organized by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE).
– Physics, Chemistry, Biology: Orientation-cum-Selection Camps (OCSCs) organized by HBCSE.
– Informatics: International Olympiad for Informatics Training Camp (IOITC) organized by the Indian Association for Research in Computer Science (IARCS).

The director of IIT Madras, Prof. V. Kamakoti, said that this new program is about inviting students who are curious and creative thinkers. He believes that real breakthroughs come from exploring ideas rather than just memorizing facts.

Admission to programs through ScOpE will depend on a special ranking list called the ScOpE Rank List (SRL), based on each candidate’s performance in five Olympiads: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Informatics, and Biology. More details on how the ranking will be created will be available on their website.