Engineering aspirants can now secure admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) without JEE Advanced scores, thanks to a new admission pathway for students with outstanding performance in national and international Olympiads.
Launching from the academic year 2025-26, the 'Science Olympiad Excellence' (ScOpE) category will create 34 supernumerary seats across 17 undergraduate programs, with two seats per program including one reserved for female students.
ScOpE follows IIT Madras' established admission routes for Sports and Fine Arts Excellence, offering opportunities to students excelling in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Informatics, and Biology Olympiads. While applicants must meet the same age and Class 12 qualification requirements as JEE Advanced, they must not have previously been admitted to any IIT.
IIT Madras Admissions and Selection Process
- Applications Open: 3 June 2025
- Selection Basis: Performance in recognized Olympiads, with rankings determined through the ScOpE Rank List (SRL)
- Application Portal: jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/scope
The ScOpE admission process will operate independently of the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) and will follow a separate procedure on the IITM-ScOpE portal.
Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, highlighted the institution's vision: "The world’s grandest puzzles aren’t solved by memorizing textbooks but by those who dare to dismantle them, piece by piece. With this vision, IIT Madras embarks on yet another new journey by offering admission to its coveted undergraduate programs for candidates with demonstrated excellence in science Olympiads".
The 34 supernumerary seats will span programs such as Computer Science and Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics, and Medical Science and Engineering. This initiative aims to foster innovation and support students whose exceptional talent has been proven on the global stage.
Aspiring Olympiad achievers are encouraged to apply and seize this unique opportunity to join one of India's leading engineering institutions, where their curiosity and brilliance can thrive.
