MILE Lab

How do I get a prospectus and application form?

You can either (1)Write to the Deputy Registrar Academic, Admissions Unit, IISc, Bangalore 560012 or (2) buy it from a nearby Canara Bank branch.

I have an M. Tech. degree. Am I eligible directly for interview or do I need to appear for any entrance test?

Anyone with a consistently good academic record right from school will be eligible to apply. There is no requirement of any entrance test for applicants with a ME or MTech in ECE/CS/EE.

I am a BE (ECE or CS) candidate and I have not appeared for GATE. Am I still eligible for admission to MS (research)?

No. You must have a valid GATE score which is above our department’s cutoff level, to be called for an interview for admission to the MS program. However, you may apply to the direct PhD Program, if you have maintained 75% or above throughout your education. Please note that the MS program is referred to as MSc (Engg) in IISc.

I want to apply to more than one department. Do I need to get separate application forms and is there a cap on the number of departments I can apply to?

You can apply to up to 3 different departments for research admission through a single application form.

I am a BSc/MSc (CS, Mathematics, Electronics) graduate. Am I eligible to apply for MS programs by research?

BSc graduates are not eligible. MSc graduates with a GATE score above the EE department’s cutoff level, may be considered for MSc (Engg).

I want to apply for admission under the external research program (ERP). Do I need to appear for the entrance test?

You do not need to write any entrance test for the external research program.

What is the duration of a Ph.D program in Engineering?

Generally, a minimum of three years.

What are the criteria for applying to the Direct Ph. D. program?

BE graduates with excellent and consistent academic record (above 75%) right from X standard can apply for direct Ph D program, even if they do not have a GATE score. They may be called for a rigorous technical interview based on screening of the applications by the faculty of the department. People who perform exceptionally well in the interview will be offered admission directly to the Ph D program.

Which is the last date for submission of application forms?

Generally, third week of March. Check IISc admissions website.

Can a BE graduate apply to both ME and MS programs?

Yes. However, one needs to apply on two different application forms.

What is the basic knowledge required for the research interview?

A research aspirant must have complete understanding of linear algebra, probability and random processes and digital signal/image processing. Applicants with M Tech qualification will also be interviewed on some advanced topics related to their expressed field of research interest.

What is the nature of study during the first year of the research program?

During the research training program (RTP), a student needs to study and credit research related courses and also undertake an indepth study of relevant research literature.

How do I get a prospectus and application form?

You can either (1)Write to the Deputy Registrar Academic, Admissions Unit, IISc, Bangalore 560012 or (2) buy it from a nearby Canara Bank branch.

I have an M. Tech. degree. Am I eligible directly for interview or do I need to appear for any entrance test?

Anyone with a consistently good academic record right from school will be eligible to apply. There is no requirement of any entrance test for applicants with a ME or MTech in ECE/CS/EE.

I am a BE (ECE or CS) candidate and I have not appeared for GATE. Am I still eligible for admission to MS (research)?

No. You must have a valid GATE score which is above our department’s cutoff level, to be called for an interview for admission to the MS program. However, you may apply to the direct PhD Program, if you have maintained 75% or above throughout your education. Please note that the MS program is referred to as MSc (Engg) in IISc.

I want to apply to more than one department. Do I need to get separate application forms and is there a cap on the number of departments I can apply to?

You can apply to up to 3 different departments for research admission through a single application form.

I am a BSc/MSc (CS, Mathematics, Electronics) graduate. Am I eligible to apply for MS programs by research?

BSc graduates are not eligible. MSc graduates with a GATE score above the EE department’s cutoff level, may be considered for MSc (Engg).

I want to apply for admission under the external research program (ERP). Do I need to appear for the entrance test?

You do not need to write any entrance test for the external research program.

What is the duration of a Ph.D program in Engineering?

Generally, a minimum of three years.

What are the criteria for applying to the Direct Ph. D. program?

BE graduates with excellent and consistent academic record (above 75%) right from X standard can apply for direct Ph D program, even if they do not have a GATE score. They may be called for a rigorous technical interview based on screening of the applications by the faculty of the department. People who perform exceptionally well in the interview will be offered admission directly to the Ph D program.

Which is the last date for submission of application forms?

Generally, third week of March. Check IISc admissions website.

Can a BE graduate apply to both ME and MS programs?

Yes. However, one needs to apply on two different application forms.

What is the basic knowledge required for the research interview?

A research aspirant must have complete understanding of linear algebra, probability and random processes and digital signal/image processing. Applicants with M Tech qualification will also be interviewed on some advanced topics related to their expressed field of research interest.

What is the nature of study during the first year of the research program?

During the research training program (RTP), a student needs to study and credit research related courses and also undertake an indepth study of relevant research literature.

When do we choose the ME project guide?

At the time of completion of the first semester.

Which project topics are chosen by students in MILE Lab?

Usually, these projects will be related to the ongoing research work of the Ph D scholars in the lab or the current funded projects. Schedule by email a time to meet the professor for discussions to select the topic.

What is the background required for an ME project student?

Good knowledge of signal/image processing, pattern recognition, optimization, Matlab and C or C++ (optional) programming languages.

What is teaching assistantship?

A teaching assistantship is provided by professor for a particular subject to help the professor in handling the assignments, projects and tests.

Do you hire project/research staff?

Yes, if there is a requirement for the research projects. However, this is meant only for bright graduates, who are committed to learn and contribute. Please apply only if you can commit to be with us for at least a year.

Are the project and research staff paid monthly salaries?

Yes. All the research projects in MILE Lab are funded by Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Government of India or private industries. So, the selected project staff get consolidated salaries at the levels permitted by IISc based on their qualification and expertise.

What is the necessary qualification that you look for?

For Master’s graduates: ME/MTech in ECE/CS with consistently good academic record (>75% in SSLC, PUC, BE and ME), preferably with work experience or academic projects related to MILE Lab’s current projects. For BE graduates: BE/BTech in ECE/CS with consistently good academic record as above and good programming knowledge in C, C++ and/or Java.
Preference will be given to those who are interested to pursue research in our lab leading to an MS or PhD degree. We may also consider BSc and BCom graduates for the post of Project Trainee for speech/image data collection, annotation and/or testing work, if they have basic familiarity with computers and very good knowledge and interest in Tamil and/or Kannada.

Can I publish papers in conferences and journals?

Yes. In fact, the lab encourages all research pursuits.

What is the nature of work expected?

Depending on your background, experience, interest and the speed with which you learn, you may be asked to explore new algorithms and read research papers.

How do I apply for a project/research position?

Send your resume to mile.iisc@gmail.com

What is the selection procedure for project/research positions?

Based on your academic credentials and actual experience, you may be called for a written test for programming skills and DSP/DIP, followed by an interview.

How will I know about my selection?

If you are being considered for a position, we shall contact you through email or phone for a written test and/or interview.

Do you give training for project staff?

No formal training will be provided for project staff. However, the required reference material will be made available. You are also expected to learn from your interactions with the ME, MS and Ph D students in the lab.

What are the ongoing projects in the lab?

Please visit our Projects pages.

Do I need to travel on account of the project?

Occasionally it will be needed to meet our collaborators, to demonstrate our work to the funding agency and/or the review committee and to attend technical confernces.

What are the working hours of the lab?

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (IST). However, you are welcome to work beyond these hours, and will be asked to, when there is a need.

Can I get accommodation within the institute?

No, you will have to arrange for your own accommodation outside the campus.

I have a question, which is not covered anywhere in the FAQ. What do I do ?

Write to mile.iisc@gmail.com

Do you offer final year projects for BE/M Tech students from other colleges?

Yes, occasionally. Only to exceptionally bright, creative and enthusiastic students.

Which year students do you generally consider?

Final year BE/BTech or ME/MTech students. However, committed and passionate third year BE students are encouraged to approach us, so that the interaction may lead to their final year project.

What are the branches and technical backgrounds do you generally look for?

Electronics and Communication, Computer Science, Information Science and Telecommunication students, with consistently above 75% marks min. and knowledge of DSP/DIP, Matlab, C or C++. Preference will be given to people, who are interested to pursue research in our lab leading to MS or PhD degree.

What is the nature of projects offered in MILE lab?

Selected students work with our research or ME students and/or research staff on some aspects of ongoing research work. The broad areas we focus on are: medical signal and image processing, camera captured document image analysis, pattern recognition, speech processing, and natural language processing.

How do I apply for a final year project?

Mail your resume to mile.iisc@gmail.com If you are being considered as a possible candidate, you will be contacted for a written test or an interview.

What is expected of our project?

Every final year project is meant to advance one of our current research and development projects. Recommendation letters will be considered only if there is a significant contribution to our work out of a student project.s

Who is eligible to apply for a summer internship?

We are looking for third and final year BE/BTech students of ECE or CS branch with good academic records and background in programming and signal/image processing. Selected students work with our ME and PhD students in the current research areas of MILE Lab.

What is the duration of a summer internship?

The duration is a minimum of two months.

Are there official programs through which I can apply for a summer internship?

We consider students selected for KVPY/JNC/IAS/IISc UGC summer programs for an internship in MILE Lab. See the requirements for these individual fellowships in the respective websites at the right times of the year.

• Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana Programme by DST, Govt of India
• JNC Summer Research Fellowship Programme
• Science Academies’ Summer Research Fellowship Programme
• UGC Summer Internships at Electrical Engineering, IISc

Can I apply directly to the lab?

Mail your resume to mile.iisc@gmail.com. If you are being considered as a possible candidate, you will be contacted for a written test or an interview.

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Currently, applicants to external registration program will be considered only for PhD admission. However, both BE/BTech graduates and ME/MTech/MS graduates are considered for direct admission to the PhD program. So, if you are considering a PhD, you can apply for admission under external registration program, irrespective of whether you are an engineering graduate or post-graduate.

There are two fundamental requirements - one from the institute administration side and the other is my own. The institute requirement is that at the time of application, you must have two years' experience as a regular employee of the current organisation from which you are applying. My own requirement is that I want the potential external registrant to work informally with MILE lab at least one day every weekend for a year, so that we see her/his commitment to research and readiness and actual availability of quality time for the academic pursuit. This is based on my past experience with several external registrant candidates, who could not actually put in time later because of their work pressure, or did not show as much interest as in the beginning.

However, working with us earlier does not guarantee admission to IISc. The admission will be purely based on the candidate's performance in the technical interview and no consideration will be given either to past research accomplishments of the candidate or past work experience in any research labs in IISc.