IISc is top institute for research in physics

Ahead of all in number of PhDs awarded, enrolled for

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has emerged as the country’s forerunner in Physics research with the highest number of PhDs in the discipline awarded and enrolled for.

The research in condensed matter physics at IISc is rated the best in the country.
Scientists from the Institute have been active in their theoretical contributions to the discovery of the Higgs Boson.

Prof Chandan Dasgupta told Deccan Herald, “We are ahead of all the IITs in the number of PhD students who pass out every year from the Physics department as well as in enrolment. The quality of faculty and students is among the best in the country. The specialisations are cutting-edge and scholarship is sharp. My impression is that we have maintained consistency over time.”

In the footsteps of the Physics legend and Nobel Laureate Sir C V Raman who set up the department in 1933, the focus is on strong basics and concepts of physics theory. This is why the work here in condensed matter physics is highly reputed. This focus on concepts is also the reason behind IISc’s strength in high energy physics, with the department making theoretical contributions to the discovery of the Higgs Boson at CERN, Geneva, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory.

The discovery of the Higgs Boson explained mass, one of the fundamental aspects of existence. IISc scientists have been visiting the CERN lab frequently, as part of many theory groups. Prof Rohini Godbole is one of the prominent academicians from IISc who represents India in these groups at CERN.

Dasgupta says experimentalists are also doing well, but can do far more if complex facilities for experiments are made available. This, he says, requires large scale funding. The plea is fair as the construction of the CERN laboratory for instance required nearly 10 billion US dollars. Indian institutions will need smaller versions of the CERN lab, and a big one that is to come up in Chitradurga district in the State. An additional experimental facility has been planned under the Niligiri mountains.

International profile

Senior faculty Prof Arnab Rai Choudhuri says the department must focus on improving its international profile. “In major surveys, IISc Physics should be a prominent name. Our faculty are part of reputed international teams, but the international institutional profile has to be better.” There is an expectation that IISc Physics should be ranked within the top 100 physics departments in the world.

The IISc Physics department churns out 15 to 20 doctorates every year, while the IITs –Madras, Mumbai and Delhi– award only five PhDs. As many as 150 students have enrolled for PhD in Physics at the Institute, far ahead of the IITs which have an average enrolment of 25 to 30 students.

Factfile

Current PhD enrolments in Physics

* IISc Physics - 150
* IITs’ Physics - 25-30

Number of PhDs awarded annually

* IISc - 15-20 per year
* IITs - 5-7 per year

Popular Physics domains

* Space sciences
* Particle physics
* High Energy Physics
* Condensed matter physics