Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology - [IIST]

About College

The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology [IIST] is a space institute, functions as an autonomous body under the Department of Space, Government of India, and is sponsored by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It was inaugurated in 2007 by G. Madhavan Nair, the then chairman of ISRO.

• It is the first in Asia and the first in the world to offer the complete range of programs in space science and technology

• It is located at Valiamala and is just 18 km from the Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station.

• The Chancellor of the University is none other than the Missile Man, the former President of our country Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

• IIST got recognition from the UGC as ‘Deemed University’ (Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956) in 2008.

• IIST has signed MoU with USRA (Universities Space Research Association) of USA and California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for exchange of students and faculty.

• The students passed out from IIST are recruited as scientists and engineers in the Department of Space facilities and Indian Space Research Organization centers all over India.

Academic Overview: IISC Offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in space science and technology. Some post-doctoral fellowship (PDF) programs are also offered. Except for these regular courses IIST also provides part-time postgraduate and doctoral programs for ISRO/DoS employees.

IIST Departments: The departments are providing the best of facilities and also impart excellent education. Each of the departments is proving with the best of education and learning. The list of the departments is as follows:

• Department of Physics
• Department of Avionics
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Humanities
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Aerospace Engineering
• Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

Cut-off Marks for admissions in Undergraduate Programs- In JEE-(Advanced), the maximum mark for each subject is 120 and the aggregate is 360. Accordingly, the minimum (cut-off) marks for each subject and the aggregate, which should be secured for eligibility to apply for B.Tech admission in IIST is tabulated below-

Extracurricular: Students of IIST take active parts in various extracurricular activities. There are many clubs made by students that organize different events

• Student projects- VYOM is the Sounding Rocket designed by the B.Tech students of IIST. Vyom had its maiden flight on the 11th of May, 2012 when it took to the sky from TERLS (Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station) and the mission was a total success. It is the first student-made sounding rocket in Asia and the Vyom Mk II is planned for launch in 2014.
• Students Clubs- Students clubs setup at IIST are the following- 

1. We, the Stargazers- This is an astronomy club that exposes students to the wonders of space.

2. QC (Quiz Club)- This club conducts weekly quiz sessions where members challenge each other on a variety of topics like art, literature, sports, science and technology, films, politics, etc.

3. Physics Club- This club is a gathering ground for students who like to question the challenges of science.

4. Vox Materia (Material Science Club)-This club works Under the Department of Chemistry and focuses on student projects on the fabrication and development of advanced materials.

Facilities: IIST is not only a premier institute in academics but it also provides a wide range of requisite facilities for the students that make the institute far better than others. Some of these are the following-

Festivals: The following student festivals are organized at IIST every year-

• Conscientia- It is the Annual Science and Technology Festival of IIST. Conscientia offers various challenging events in different fields of engineering and science. The 2010 edition was inaugurated by Chancellor, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
• Dhanak- It is the Annual Cultural Festival of IIST.  It spans all facets of cultural activity, including dramatics, fine arts, literature, quizzing, music, dance, film-making, and photography.

Awards:

• MP Birla Memorial Award 2009″
• Bhu Ratna Award
• Mohamed Abdu Rahiman Sahib National Award
• Padma Vibhushan (2009)
• Padma Bhushan (1998)

Fee Structure (Scholarship): The complete cost of education in IIST for all the students are funded through an Assistantship package offered by the Department of Space. The Assistantship package per student, per semester, is as follows-