IIT-M to admit two students in UG programs with excellence in Science Olympiads

chennai: the indian institute of technology madras (iit madras) has introduced a new admission category, science olympiad excellence (scope), for students with outstanding performance in national and international olympiads. this initiative, set to begin from the 2025-26 academic year, will be independent of the jee (advanced) framework.each undergraduate program will have two supernumerary seats under this scheme, with one seat reserved for female candidates. eligibility criteria will remain in line with jee (advanced), including age and class 12 qualifications. candidates who have already been admitted to an iit in previous years will not be eligible.admissions will be based on a scope rank list (srl), which will evaluate achievements in five olympiads—physics, chemistry, mathematics, informatics, and biology. applications for the first batch will open on june 3, 2025, via a dedicated portal (https://jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/scope), separate from the josaa system.iit madras director prof. v. kamakoti said, “this initiative aims to nurture young minds who excel in solving complex scientific problems, offering them an environment to innovate and explore.”to qualify, candidates must be indian nationals or oci/pio cardholders (issued before march 4, 2021) and have participated in specific olympiad training camps in the last four years.iit madras will offer scope seats across 17 undergraduate programs, including aerospace engineering, computer science, and medical science and engineering. detailed admission guidelines are available on the institute's website.