After sports, IIT Madras to introduce fine arts and culture quota starting from 2025

NEW DELHI: In a groundbreaking initiative, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is set to introduce a new culture quota for students. The institute will become the first IIT in India to offer admissions under a new 'Fine Arts and Culture Excellence' quota, starting from the 2025 academic year. This move follows the introduction of the sports quota earlier this year and aims to recognize and admit students with exceptional talent in the fields of arts and culture.

A virtual press conference will be held to officially announce this new admission scheme, with professor V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, briefing the media on the details. The initiative seeks to provide an inclusive platform for students excelling in cultural disciplines such as music, dance, theater, and fine arts, enabling them to join the institution alongside those from traditional academic backgrounds.

In the sports quota announced last year, IITM admitted five students to its undergraduate engineering programme. Initially, the institute had earmarked two seats in each BTech branch for sports quota admissions. In order to secure seats under the new quota, aspirants still need to qualify the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced. The admission process is conducted by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

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IIT Madras offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in engineering, science, humanities, and management. The campus is spread across 2,500 acres and equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, research laboratories, sports facilities, and hostels.

As of the latest NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) rankings in 2024, IIT Madras has secured the 1st position in the Engineering category, maintaining its status as the top engineering institution in India for the sixth consecutive year.