MILE Lab

How do I get a prospectus and application form?

You must write to the Deputy Registrar Academic, Admissions Unit, IISc, Bangalore 560012. Or, 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 having no GATE score. Am I eligible for admission to MS by research?

No. You MUST have a valid GATE score, above our department’s cutoff level, to be called for interview for admission to M S program. However, you may apply for Direct Ph D Program, if you have maintained 75% or above throughout. Please note that MS programme is internally called as MSc (Engg) in IISc.

I wish to apply for 2 departments. Shall I apply through a single application or should I have to get separate application forms?

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

I am a B.Sc/ M Sc (computer science, mathematics, electronics) graduate. Am I eligible to apply for M S programs by research?

No. B Sc graduates are not eligible. However, M Sc graduates, with a GATE score above EE deptÂ’s cutoff level, may be considered for M Sc (Engg).

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

No 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.

What is the duration of direct Ph D program?

Generally, a minimum of 3 to 4 years.

What is the duration of M Sc (Engg) program?

Generally, a minimum of 1.5 years.

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 must write to the Deputy Registrar Academic, Admissions Unit, IISc, Bangalore 560012. Or, 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 having no GATE score. Am I eligible for admission to MS by research?

No. You MUST have a valid GATE score, above our department’s cutoff level, to be called for interview for admission to M S program. However, you may apply for Direct Ph D Program, if you have maintained 75% or above throughout. Please note that MS programme is internally called as MSc (Engg) in IISc.

I wish to apply for 2 departments. Shall I apply through a single application or should I have to get separate application forms?

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

I am a B.Sc/ M Sc (computer science, mathematics, electronics) graduate. Am I eligible to apply for M S programs by research?

No. B Sc graduates are not eligible. However, M Sc graduates, with a GATE score above EE deptÂ’s cutoff level, may be considered for M Sc (Engg).

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

No 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.

What is the duration of direct Ph D program?

Generally, a minimum of 3 to 4 years.

What is the duration of M Sc (Engg) program?

Generally, a minimum of 1.5 years.

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 a project guide for ME project?

At the time of completion of the first semester.

What are the project topics to be 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 are the areas of research currently pursued in the lab?

Speech analysis, synthesis and language independent recognition, Document image analysis and recognition, Online handwriting recognition (OHR) for Tamil and Kannada, Analysis of colour images of retina.

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 requirement for the research projects. However, this is meant only for bright graduates, who are committed to learn and contribute; also, only those who can commit to be with us, at least for 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?

ME/M Tech in ECE/ CS with consistently good academic record (>75% in SSLC, PUC, BE and ME), preferably with experience or academic project related to the current research projects of MILE Lab. B.E. ECE/CS with consistently good academic record as above and good programming knowledge in C, C++ and/or java. Preference will be given to people, who are interested to pursue research in our lab leading to MS or Ph D degree. Occasionally, a good B.Sc or B.Com graduate or an average BE graduate with very good knowledge and interest in Tamil and/or Kannada and basic familiarity with computers might be considered for the post of Project Trainee for speech/image data collection, annotation and/or testing work.

Can I publish papers in conferences and journals ?What is the duration of M Sc (Engg) program?

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

Can I pursue higher education?

Yes. We would like you to.

Am I required to have a good knowledge of Indian languages?

Yes, the current projects are funded for language technology in Tamil and Kannada. So, knowledge of reading and writing in one of these languages, and being open to learn the other, are a MUST.

What are the skills expected from project assistants, project associates or research associates?

contribute; willingness to work in a team empowering and enabling one another and also as an individual contributor. Knowledge of DSP, DIP, speech processing or NLP, depending upon the research project.

What are the additional preferred skills?

Knowledge of STL and Eclipse IDE; experience related to our project areas.

What is the nature of work expected?

Coding the research programs into demonstrable applications with good user interface and converting our Matlab code to C/C++ or testing of our OCR, OHR and TTS engines. Depending on your background, experience, interest and the speed with which you learn, you may be asked to explore new algorithms.

How do I apply for a project/research position?

Send your resume to contact@mile.ee.iisc.ernet.in

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 home page and click 'Projects-Current'.

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?

Currently, additional hostels are being built by IISc. So, it may be available in the latter part of 2011.

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

Write to contact@mile.ee.iisc.ernet.in with subject: FAQ - New Question.

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 B.E students or M Tech from NIT’s. However, committed and passionate III 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 Ph D degree.

Do we have time limitation for completing the project?

Yes, you need to work for a minimum duration of 6 months. Your candidature will not be considered if you have less than six months to submit your project report.

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. Areas vary with time, and can be medical signal anf image processing, camera captured document image analysis, pattern recognition, speech processing, or natural language processing.

How do I apply for a final year project?

Post your resume to contact@mile.ee.iisc.ernet.in

Do you conduct an interview for selection?

Yes. If you are being considered for a possible student project, we shall contact you through email or phone for a written test in DSP, DIP and/or programming and/or an interview.

Do I require a reference to be considered for a student project in your lab?

Yes.

What is expected of our project?

Every final year project is meant to forward 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.

What is summer student internship?

Summer student internships are meant for third or fourth year BE/B Tech students with high academic achievements and background in programming and/or signal/image processing. Selected students work with our research or ME students on some aspects of ongoing research work.

Whom should I contact or how do I apply for internship?

Only III BE ECE/CS students selected for KVPY or JNC/IAS/INSA/NAS Summer fellowships or UGC summer internships offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering, IISc are considered for internship in MILE laboratory. MILE Lab does not directly select for or offer summer internships. See relevant websites suggested below for advertisements at the appropriate times.

• 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

What is the duration of internship?

The duration is a minimum of two months.

What kind of students do you consider for summer internship?

III BE/B Tech students of ECE or CS branch, already selected by KVPY/JNC/IAS/INSA/NAS/EE, IISc, who have shown interest in current research areas of MILE and with relevant technical background, are considered.

Do I require a reference to be selected for summer internship?

Yes. See the requirements for the above individual fellowships in the respective websites at the right times of the year.

Currently, applicants to external registration program will be considered only for Ph D admission. However, both BE graduates and ME/MTech/MS graduates are considered for direct admission to Ph D. So, if you are ready to consider Ph D, then 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, from my own individual side. 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.