Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram
8°40′56″N 77°08′12″E / 8.682258°N 77.136531°E
| Type | Public university |
|---|---|
| Established | 2008[1] |
Officer in charge | Robinson George (Registrar) |
| Dean | Joy Mitra Rajeev N Kini Hema Somanathan K. George Thomas R. S. Swathi[2] |
| Director | Jarugu Narasimha Moorthy (2019–)[3] Eluvathingal Devassy Jemmis (Founding Director)[4] |
Academic staff | 100[5] |
| Students | 1,080[5] |
| Undergraduates | 828[5] |
| 252[5] | |
| Location | , , 695551 , India |
| Campus | 200 acres[1] |
| Language | English |
| Website | iisertvm |
![]() | |
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER Thiruvananthapuram or IISER-TVM) is an autonomous public university established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, to bridge the gap between research and basic sciences' education at the undergraduate level.The campus is located in Vithura, Kerala, India, 40 kms from Thiruvananthapuram. The institute is one of the seven IISERs All IISERs are declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Parliament of India in 2012 through the NIT Amendment Act.[6]
IISER Thiruvananthapuram awards Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (BS-MS) dual-degrees, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. IISER TVM is to offer five new BS-MS programmes (i2 Sciences) and new two-year M.Sc programmes in 2021.[7][8]
History


Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) were established in 2006 through a proclamation of the Ministry of Education, Government of India to promote quality collegiate education and research in basic sciences. Each IISER is a degree-granting autonomous institution with a prime focus to integrate science education and research. IISERs receive generous funding from the Government of India.
Soon after MHRD's announcement in 2006, two of these institutes were established at Pune and Kolkata in 2006. This was followed by another institute at Mohali in 2007, and two more at Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram in 2008.[9] More recently, two more IISERs were established at Tirupati and Berhampur in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Campus


IISER TVM campus is located in the foothills of the Western Ghats and spans about 200 acres in Vithura, approximately 40 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The campus hosts academic buildings, research facilities, student hostels, and residential areas for faculty and staff.
The institute has extensive sports infrastructure including a multi-sport indoor stadium, a tennis court, two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, four badminton courts, cricket practice nets, and a football ground. Many outdoor facilities, including the football and basketball courts, are equipped with floodlights. Dedicated areas are provided for kabaddi and kho-kho as well.
Indoor recreational and sports amenities include table tennis, chess, carrom, and a fully equipped gymnasium. The campus features two dining halls (Central Dining Halls, CDH( 1 and 2)) that cater to students, research scholars, and faculty. Additional amenities include a central library, health centre, bank and ATM facilities, cafeterias, student activity spaces, and regular shuttle transport within the campus. The natural surroundings of the Western Ghats provide opportunities for nature walks and outdoor student activities.
Organization and administration
Governance
The institute is administered by a board of governors with Madhavan Nair Rajeevan as chairperson, S. Murty Srinivasula as deputy director, a 13-member Senate, and the director, Prof. Jarugu Narasimha Moorthy.[10][11] The deans are M. P. Rajan (Academics), Ramesh Chandra Nath (Students Affairs), Hema Somanathan (Research and Development) and Anil Shaji (Planning and Development).[2] Previously, the board of governors was chaired by Tessy Thomas.
Departments
| Division | Departments, Centers, and Units |
|---|---|
| School of Biology[12][13][14] |
|
| School of Chemistry[15] | |
| School of Mathematics[16] |
|
| School of Physics[17] |
Academics
Academic programs
- Dual-degree Bachelor of Science & Master of Science (BS-MS): The 5-year dual degree BS-MS program is the flagship program of all IISERs. The first two years of this program involves coursework in all subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Humanities and Interdisciplinary courses). For the next two years, the students choose courses in a 'Major' and a 'Minor' subject as per their research interests. The final year is solely spent on a research project in their Major subject.[18] Admissions to the BS-MS program is highly competitive, with only the following students eligible to apply:
- Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) Basic Science Stream: Students who possess KVPY scholarships (in SA / SX / SB streams) in the current admission year
- Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced): Students who secure a place in the common rank list of Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) for admission to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)
- State and Central Boards (IISER Aptitude Test): Students who secure a specified cut-off percentage (published each year) in their Higher Secondary (Class 12) Board Exams may be considered for admission after clearing IISER Aptitude Test. This is currently done in co-ordination with the other IISERs through a Joint Admission Program.[19]
- Doctoral of Philosophy (Ph.D.): Admission to the doctoral program is after a master's degree in science. Besides the students of the dual-degree BS-MS program, postgraduate students with a master's degree in science from other universitiesor institutes can also be admitted to the doctoral program. The program will involve mandatory course work, a qualifying examination, thesis research under the guidance of a faculty member, an open seminar and a dissertation defense examination, leading to the award of a Ph.D. degree. The quantum of course work will vary depending on the background of the student. Besides individual research, students will be involved in several professional activities such as seminars, workshops, presentations and review meetings. All doctoral students will assist faculty members in teaching during the course of the doctoral program.
- Integrated Doctor of Philosophy (Int. Ph.D.): Admission to this program is after a B.Sc. degree in any of the basic sciences subjects. Students of this program start by attending classes with third year students of dual degree BS-MS program. After completing the specified graduate coursework and clearing a comprehensive exam, the students begin their Ph.D. research under the guidance of faculty members.[20] The duration of this program ranges from 6 to 7 years, depending on the required coursework and nature of research.
Rankings
| University and College rankings | |
|---|---|
| General – India | |
| NIRF (Overall) (2024)[21] | 151-200 |
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram was ranked in the 151-200 band in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework in overall ranking in 2024.[22]
Nature Index ranked IISERs as a whole at 4th in the World's 'Top 30 academic institutions under 30' in high-quality research output.[23] It also ranked IISERs at 37th in its overall list of World's Top 200 rising academic institutions.[24]
Nature Index
According to the Nature Index institutional profile,[25] IISER Thiruvananthapuram is among India’s leading research institutes in the natural sciences.
Subject-wise rank in India (Nature Index 2024–2025):
| Subject area | Rank in India |
|---|---|
| Biological sciences | 10 |
| Chemistry | 12 |
| Earth & environmental sciences | 38 |
| Health sciences | 91 |
| Physical sciences | 19 |
Research output (1 September 2024 – 31 August 2025):
| Subject area | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Biological sciences | 6 | 3.06 |
| Chemistry | 46 | 35.58 |
| Earth & environmental sciences | 3 | 0.17 |
| Health sciences | 1 | 0.08 |
| Physical sciences | 18 | 9.34 |
Five-year Nature Index Share:
- 2020 — 17
- 2021 — 19
- 2022 — 31
- 2023 — 28
- 2024 — 31
Student life
Hostels
- IISER Thiruvananthapuram provides separate residential facilities for male students in Anamudi A Block, Anamudi D Block, Agasthya, Eravimala, Mukurti, and Ponmudi (B Wing).[26]
- Female students are accommodated in Anamudi B Block, Anamudi C Block, Anamudi E Block, Ponmudi (A Wing), Pushpagiri, and Sispara.[27]
Ishya
Ishya is the annual cultural festival of IISER Thiruvananthapuram, established in 2010. The festival is typically held in March, coinciding with the advent of spring. Organized entirely by the student community, it features a wide range of events fostering artistic and cultural expression.[28]
- The literary and oratory events include JAM (Just A Minute), Mushaira (poetry symposium), Bon Mot, and creative writing competitions in English, Hindi, and Malayalam, alongside the "Put Funda" open quiz.[29]
- Performing arts competitions feature Drama, Monodrama, Mime, Dance Battle, Recreation Dance, the "Rawaaz" fashion show, and the "Mudra" inter-collegiate dance contest.[30]
- Musical events include "Aawaz" (solo vocals), "Unplugged", and "Tarang", while Fine Arts categories cover Painting, Pencil Drawing, Live Sketching, Calligraphy, and Mehendi.[31]
- The festival's "Pro-Shows" have featured performances by notable artists and bands including Masala Coffee, Agam, Gowry lekshmi, Anand Bhaskar Collective, When Chai Met Toast, and DJ Shaan, etc.[32]
Notable achievements
- The Gravitational Wave Group at the School of Physics (part of the Indian Initiative in Gravitational-wave Observations (IndIGO) comprising scientists from nine institutions working under the LIGO) Scientific Collaboration (LSC), IISER TVM also contributed to historic discovery of gravitational waves.[33][34]
- IISER TVM students builds an affordable radio telescope.[35][36]
Conferences and workshops
- Indian Strings Meeting (ISM), 2018[37]
- Chromosome Stability 2016 [38]
- All India Cell Biology Conference [39]
- Cryo Electron Microscopy and 3D Image Processing of Macromolecular Assemblies and Cellular Tomography (CEM3DIP)[40]
- Workshop on High Performance Scientific Computing[41]
- International Symposium on Clusters, Cluster-Assemblies and Nanomaterials (ISCAN)[42]
- Indo-UK Workshop on Stochastic Partial Differential Equations and Applications[43]
- 8th Asian Photochemistry Conference 2014 [44]
- GW@ASI2014: Satellite workshop on Gravitational Wave Astronomy at the ASI Meeting [45]
See also
- List of autonomous higher education institutes in India
- List of universities in India
- IRINS profile
- IISER Admission
- ISER Comprehensive overview
References
- ^ a b "Institute". Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Deans - IISER - TVM". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Director". IISER - TVM. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
- ^ "Ex-Faculty members - IISER - TVM". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d "NIRF 2022" (PDF). IISER Thiruvananthapuram. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
- ^ "NIT Amendment Act 2012" (PDF).
- ^ "Welcome | IISER TVM". www.iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
- ^ IISER TVM i2Science. "i2Science Brochure".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "IISER starts functioning from Vithura campus". Thehindu.com. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Board of Governors - IISER - TVM". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Senate - IISER - TVM". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "School of Biology". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Faculty Members, Biology". Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- ^ "IRINS profile".
- ^ "School of Chemistry". Iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "School of Mathematics". Iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "School of Physics". Physics.iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ G Mahadevan, The Hindu dated 8 August 2008 (Retrieved on 18 February 2009)
- ^ "Joint IISER admission portal". Iiseradmission.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "IISER ADMISSION 2018". Iiseradmission.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 (Overall)". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education. 12 August 2024.
- ^ "NIRF 2024 Overall ranking".
- ^ "Nature Index 2018 Rising Stars | Supplements | Nature Index". www.natureindex.com. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Nature Index 2018 Rising Stars | Supplements | Nature Index". www.natureindex.com. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM)". 10 December 2025.
- ^ "Hostels - IISER Thiruvananthapuram". IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Hostels - IISER Thiruvananthapuram". IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Ishya - Annual Cultural Fest". Ishya IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Ishya - Annual Cultural Fest". Ishya IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Ishya - Annual Cultural Fest". Ishya IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Ishya - Annual Cultural Fest". Ishya IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Ishya - Annual Cultural Fest". Ishya IISER TVM. Retrieved 17 November 2025.
- ^ "Gravitational Discovery - IISER TVM teams plays great role". Thehindu.com. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Gravitational waves -IISER TVM". Newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Affordable radio telescope". Newindianexpress.com. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "IISER team develops affordable radio telescope". Deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ thepchennai (7 October 2018). "Indian Strings Meeting 2018". THE Physics Community of Chennai. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ "Chromosome stability 2016 - conference". Conference.iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "All India Cell Biology Conference". Conference.iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "cem3dip workshop". Workshop.iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Workshop on High Performance Scientific Computing". Iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "ISCAN". Conference.iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "Indo-UK Workshop on Stochastic Partial Differential Equations and Applications". Spde.iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "8th Asian Photochemistry Conference 2014". Conference.iisertvm.ac.in. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- ^ "GW@ASIA2014". Conference.iisertvm.ac.in. Retrieved 1 August 2018.[permanent dead link]
