IIT Madras, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Bombay and Indore invite applications for alternative excellence-based UG admissions
Several Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have opened undergraduate (UG) admissions for the academic year 2025–26 through dedicated channels in Olympiad achievements, sports excellence, and fine arts and culture.
IIT Madras has launched three distinct admission pathways:
- Sports Excellence Admission (SEA): Open to candidates with exceptional sports credentials. Applications also allow candidates to select IIT Indore as one of their preferences through the same portal.
- Fine Arts and Culture Excellence (FACE): For students with notable achievements in fine arts and cultural domains.
- Science Olympiad Excellence Admissions (SCOPE): Exclusively for Olympiad achievers in science streams.
All three channels are accessible via the official IIT Madras undergraduate admissions portal.
IIT Kanpur will admit students through the Olympiad channel, providing a detailed guide and portal access via its official website.
IIT Gandhinagar has also announced admissions through the Olympiad route, with specific criteria and guidelines published on its site.
IIT Bombay will admit students into its BS Mathematics programme through the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) pathway. The admission details are available on the Department of Mathematics website.
IIT Indore will participate in the SEA channel alongside IIT Madras. While information is hosted on IIT Indore’s academic website, candidates must apply through the SEA portal managed by IIT Madras.
These initiatives aim to broaden entry points into premier engineering institutions and celebrate academic, athletic, and creative excellence beyond conventional entrance exams.
