Established in 1909, IISc is India’s leading institution of advanced education and research in the sciences and in engineering. From its beginnings, IISc has laid equal emphasis on fundamental investigations and the solution of practical problems in such a setting. IISc’s reputation and preeminence ensures that it attracts the best of young faculty members trained in the best laboratories around the world. Our faculty, numbering around 500, carries out research across 42 departments in most areas of the basic and applied sciences, publishing vigorously in premier journals. The Institute’s commitment to excellence is not restricted to the high calibre of its faculty. With some of the best students in the country seeking entry into IISc, the Institute ensures that the students who are admitted are exposed to a strong research training programme and pursue cutting edge research. The Institute has a student population of around 4,200, of which there are about 2,750 doctoral students, roughly 950 master’s students, and about 500 students in a four-year, research oriented undergraduate programme in the sciences. The doctoral students are carefully selected based on their performance in national examinations, in addition to personal interviews. All the degree programmes emphasise the Institute’s stated objective of conducting original investigations. The Institute also has a Centre for Continuing Education which offers several courses to those from outside IISc. These courses are designed keeping in mind the requirements of non-traditional students like high school teachers, researchers and engineers. IISc has a vibrant and diverse campus spread over 440 acres of greenery in the city of Bengaluru, formerly Bangalore, India’s hub of high-technology companies (in aerospace, electronics, and information technology), educational and research institutions, and numerous start-ups. With the help of a recently-established office called DIGITS, we are now in the process of creating a best-in-class IT and networking system.