IIST: Apply before 19 September for a career in space technology

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology is a deemed university that functions under the aegis of the department of space at Valiamala in Thiruvananthapuram. Those who dream of a spectacular career in space technology can apply for the various graduate programs from 10 am on 5 September to 3 pm on 19 September. To register visit www.iist.ac.in/admissions/undergraduate.

Courses
1) BTech Aerospace Engineering is a four-year course with 75 seats.
2) BTech Electronics and Communication Engineering (Avionics) has 75 seats up for grabs. This course is for four years.
3) Dual degree; five years: BTech in Engineering Physics and a degree in one of MS Astronomy and Astro Physics/ Solid Space Physics or MTech in Earth System Sciences/ Optical Engineering. There are 24 seats. A mere BTech is not enough in these subjects.

Selection
The applicants should have passed plus two with at least 75% marks. The marks of Maths, Physics and Chemistry would be converted using a unique formula to prepare the rank list. Candidates of scheduled categories and persons with disabilities need 65% marks.

Besides, the applicants should have scored 4% marks separately for Maths, Physics and Chemistry each and a total score of 16% in the Joint Entrance Exam 2022. Meanwhile, backward communities and economically weaker sections need to score 3.6% and 14.4% respectively. Candidates of scheduled categories and persons with disabilities require 2% and 8% marks respectively.

The selection will not be via the Joint Seat Allocation Authority that handles the admission to the Indian Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Technology. Reservation is available as per the guidelines of the central government. However, there are no NRI reservation or management quota seats. Indian citizens can apply.

Even though Overseas Citizens of India and Persons of Indian Origin can apply, they are not eligible for reservation benefits. Besides, they wouldn’t be considered for placements at the Indian Space Research Organisation or the department of space, after graduating.

There is a registration fee of Rs 600. Applicants from backward and scheduled communities, economically weaker sections, persons with disabilities and women candidates of all categories need to pay Rs 300.

The rank list would be published at 5 pm on 19 September. Meanwhile, the branch preference could be submitted by 5 pm on 20 September. The seat allotment/ acceptance is from 21 September to 27 October. The candidates who got selected should join the institute on 31 October.

Other details
The students should stay inside the campus. There is a semester fee of Rs 92,000 including the hostel fees. Meanwhile, fee relaxation is available for eligible candidates. Five candidates who have been included in the first one thousand ranks of JEE – Advanced would be exempted from paying the fee in the first year. This would continue if they are able to keep up an average grade point of 9/10 each year.

Meanwhile, other students who score 9/10 average grade point in a semester need to pay half of the tuition fee in the next semester. Only 10% of students in each program would get this fee exemption.

Those who score at least 7/10 in the prefinal classes and graduate with a grade point average of 7.5/10 would be placed in the posts of scientist/ engineer at ISRO or the space department as per the availability of vacancies. However, those who do not get placements can look for other jobs. There is a placement cell in campus. Moreover, the students who pass with high marks in BTech in the aerospace and electronics streams would get a fellowship to do a 9-month long Master’s course at the California Institute of Technology.