IIT Madras launches Olympiad quota, ScOpE; JEE Advanced not required

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has introduced ‘Science Olympiad Excellence’ (ScOpE) quota for students who have demonstrated excellence in national and international science Olympiads. The JEE Advanced qualification is not required under IIT Madras Olympiad quota admission. Registration process under IIT Madras Olympiad quota will begin on June 3.

The IIT Madras ScOpE admission will offer two supernumerary seats per UG programme, with one seat reserved for women candidates. The selection of candidates will be based on the ScOpE Rank List (SRL), which will consider the candidate's performance in the respective Olympiads. This initiative is similar to the existing IIT Madras sports and cultural quotas. Last year, IIT Madras admitted five students to its undergraduate engineering program under the sports quota.

IIT Madras Olympiad Quota: Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for IIT Madras Olympiad admission quota, candidates are required to be Indian nationals or OCI, PIO cardholders (issued before March 4, 2021). Additionally, candidates are required to have participated in the last four years in any of the following:

• International Mathematical Olympiad Training Camps (IMOTC) organized by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE)

• Orientation-cum-Selection Camps (OCSCs) for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology organized by HBCSE

• International Olympiad for Informatics Training Camp (IOITC) organized by the Indian Association for Research in Computer Science (IARCS).

The eligibility criteria for IIT Madras admission under Olympiad quota will remain the same as JEE (Advanced), including Class 12 qualification, age limit, and non-admission to IITs in previous years.

IIT Madras Admission: Separate portal for ScOpE

The IIT Madras admission process under ScOpE will not be conducted through the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) portal. Instead, a separate portal maintained by IIT Madras will handle applications for ScOpE admission. Candidates interested in applying for other IIT programmes apply through the JoSAA portal. The IIT Madras ScOpE portal is jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/scope. IIT Kanpur has also announced Olympiad-based admissions for its BTech and BS programmes from the academic year 2025-26.

IIT Madras Olympiad Quota: Programmes and seat distribution

In total, 34 seats have been allocated across 17 undergraduate programmes under IIT Madras Olympiad admission quota.

V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, emphasised that the new initiative aims to provide a platform for students who have excelled in science Olympiads. “To those who've proven their brilliance on the international stage of science Olympiads, we don't just offer admission; we offer a sanctuary where their insatiable curiosity will find its most fertile ground amongst the blissful IITM flora and fauna,” he said.