What is your review of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune?

I think IISER Pune is an awesome spot for research, and it offers an amazing undergrad education too.

I'm in my fifth year of the BS-MS program at IISER Pune, so here's my take on the place from a student's perspective. I'll break down the facilities and rate them out of 10 since that's a straightforward way to review. Remember, these are my personal views and experiences, not a comparison with other institutions.

Infrastructure: 9/10 (average of the following ratings)

Hostels: 9/10
The rooms are spacious and comfortable, with quality furniture and plenty of space.

Internet: 10/10
The internet speed is impressive, sometimes only limited by the LAN speed, which is around 10.5 Mbps.

Classrooms and Teaching Infrastructure: 9.5/10
This includes well-designed classrooms with good projection and sound systems, and air conditioning.

Labs: 10/10
I can't think of any reason to give the labs less than a perfect score.

Library: 8/10
While some folks think the library's a bit small, the online resources make up for it. We have access to online journals, e-books, and subscriptions to publishers like Springer, which is really beneficial.

Sports: 7.5/10
There's a great cricket field with underground drainage, but the football field gets some complaints. A new sports center is on the way, and we'll see what that adds once it's done. We also have basketball and volleyball courts with floodlights, plus a gym.

Teaching Overall: 8.5/10
We have some outstanding teachers. Some are new and need time to adjust, but there's a feedback system for students to suggest improvements. This has led to significant improvements in some courses.

Coursework and Structure: 9.5/10
I think the BS-MS course structure is almost perfect. The first two years are for exploring interests with courses like Humanities, Rational Inquiry, Ethics, and interdisciplinary ones like Basic Python, Introduction to Proofs, and Earth and Climate Science. In the third and fourth years, you can choose courses across various disciplines, promoting an interdisciplinary approach. You can even do a graded research project with a faculty member.

Student Activities: 8/10
There are loads of activities like dance, drama, movie club, Disha, music, art, literature, and more. The extra-curricular scene is vibrant, with talented people all around.

Finance: 9/10
Every BS-MS student receives an Inspire fellowship of 5000 INR per month, which helps with expenses. The fees are low, capped at around 15000 INR per semester. This financial setup promotes equality and independence among students, reducing the financial burden on parents.

That's my review of IISER Pune. Feel free to share any additional thoughts. Thanks for asking!