Famous Visitors to IISc

Since its inception, IISc has hosted several distinguished scientists as well as politicians, diplomats and celebrities from around the world. For most of the Institute’s existence, it has maintained a ‘Visitor’s Book’, in which signatures and words of encouragement are collected. To mark IISc’s 110th anniversary, here is a small selection of signatures from IISc’s […]

IISc’s First Promoters

The photos here are part of a series marking IISc’s 110th anniversary. JN Tata (left), his sons, Dorabji (centre, seated) and Ratanji (right, standing), and RD Tata – JRD Tata’s father. JN Tata was an industrialist who wanted to create an institute of higher learning in India, and began working towards this in 1889. He […]

Mysore and the Making of a Modern Science Institution

The State of Mysore played a crucial role in helping establish IISc and influenced its research in the years that followed “Mysore is the best administered state in the world,” John Sankey, the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain and a human rights activist, is said to have declared during the first Round Table Conference in […]

“I Have Much Pleasure in Declaring Open the New Wind Tunnel”

On 3 February 1959, the open-circuit wind tunnel at IISc was inaugurated by the Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. Embedded in the old Aerospace Engineering building, this wind tunnel has been responsible for testing several aircraft, including the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas, and is functional to this day. In his speech, given in the […]