The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was founded in 1909 as a result of the joint efforts of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Government of India, and the Maharaja of Mysore. In 1886, Jamsetji Tata conceived of a university of science that will work for the benefit of India, and in 1898 created an endowment for establishing such an institution. The Government of India then took up the effort, and, in consultation with scientists in England and in India, decided to locate the Institute in Bangalore, where the Maharaja of Mysore, Shri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, donated 372 acres of land. The Institute was formally vested in 1909, the foundation stone was laid in 1911, and the first batch of students started their studies in the same year.

Over the 105 years since its establishment, IISc has become the premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education in India. Beginning with 2 departments and 21 students in 1911, today IISc has 39 departments, units, or centres, 3500 students, and about 500 academic and scientific staff, supported by 600 administrative personnel. Out of this population of students, about 2200 are in various PhD programs, almost 900 are enrolled for various Masters degrees, whereas about 400 are registered in the newly established, research oriented, four-year Bachelor of Science (Research) programme, of which the first batch will graduate in 2015.

In the recent years, with new centres such as CiSTUP (The Centre of Infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation, and Urban Planning), the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, the Centre for Earth Sciences, the Centre for NeuroScience, the Centre for Excellence in Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), and the Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems (RBCCPS), the Institute has vigorously promoted inter-disciplinary research. Indeed, CiSTUP, RBCCPS and a new Centre for Brain Research (funded by a large private endowment) are expected to conduct translational research in their respective areas, in order to better connect with industry and society.

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