Chennai: IIT Madras has launched the 'Fine Arts and Culture Excellence' (FACE) admission scheme for its undergraduate programs, becoming the first IIT to recognize cultural achievements for admissions.

Starting from the 2025-26 academic year, two supernumerary seats per program will be allotted in all B.Tech. and B.S. courses, one exclusively for female candidates and the other gender-neutral.

The initiative aims to reward students with notable achievements in fine arts and cultural activities. Eligible candidates must be Indian Nationals or OCI/PIO candidates treated as Indian Nationals during JEE Advanced 2025 registration, qualify in JEE Advanced, and meet Class XII academic criteria.

Applications will be processed via a dedicated IITM-FACE portal (https://jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/face), separate from the JoSAA admissions process.

A FACE Rank List (FRL) will be prepared based on a candidate's cultural excellence, evaluated through awards, scholarships, or recognitions. Seats will be allocated in multiple rounds based on FRL, with candidates given options to accept or reject seats.

IIT Madras Director, Prof. V. Kamakoti, stated, “This initiative acknowledges students' cultural excellence, providing them an opportunity to join our prestigious programs.” For now, IIT Madras is the only IIT offering FACE admissions.