IIT Madras Introduces Culture Excellence Admission for B.Tech, B.S. Programs

Two Supernumerary Seats Per Program from 2025-26 to Reward Fine Arts and Culture Achievements

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched Fine Arts and Culture Excellence (FACE) Admission for its undergraduate programs. Starting from the academic year 2025-26, this initiative aims to reward and encourage students who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in fine arts and cultural activities.

As part of the FACE scheme, two supernumerary seats will be created in each B.Tech and B.S. program offered by IIT Madras. One of these seats will be reserved exclusively for female candidates, while the other will be open to all genders. This initiative will be open to Indian Nationals as well as Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) who have opted to be treated at par with Indian nationals during JEE (Advanced) 2025 registration.

IIT Madras: Objective and Eligibility

The FACE admission scheme is designed to identify and admit students who have excelled in fine arts and cultural fields while maintaining academic eligibility. Candidates must meet the following criteria:

JEE (Advanced) Qualification: Candidates must qualify JEE (Advanced) 2025 and have a valid rank in the Common Rank List (CRL) or a category-wise rank.

Academic Standards: The candidate must meet the Class XII academic eligibility criteria for IITs.

Recognition in Fine Arts and Culture: Applicants must have received awards, certifications, or recognitions in specific categories listed by IIT Madras (see table below).

Application and Selection Process

Candidates will apply through the IITM-FACE portal (https://jeeadv.iitm.ac.in/face). Applications will be evaluated based on cultural achievements, and a separate FACE Rank List (FRL) will be created. Seat allotment will follow multiple rounds, with successful candidates required to accept the seat and submit proof of withdrawal from JoSAA, if applicable.

The FACE admission process will not interfere with the regular JoSAA counseling system. Instead, it provides an additional pathway for students with cultural excellence to secure admission to IIT Madras.

Recognized Cultural Achievements

Sl. No.	Event Name	Category
1	Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar under Arts and Culture (Ministry of Women and Child Empowerment)	One-Time
2	National Bal Shree Honour in Creative Performance, Arts, and Painting (Ministry of Education)	One-Time
3	National Youth Award in Arts/Culture (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports)	One-Time
4	Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (Sangeet Natak Akademi)	One-Time
5	Active B-grade certification from All India Radio or Doordarshan (Prasar Bharati) in the last 6 years	Category A
6	Empaneled artists performing at Indian festivals abroad (last 6 years)	Category A
7	Scholarship to Young Artists (SYA) by Ministry of Culture	Category A
8	National Youth Festival Competition presentation under Arts/Culture to the Prime Minister	Category A
9	Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Award (CCRT) by Ministry of Culture	Category B

Speaking at a press briefing, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said, “This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering excellence across diverse fields. By creating these supernumerary seats, we aim to provide opportunities to students who have excelled in fine arts and culture while maintaining our rigorous academic standards.”

The FACE scheme reaffirms IIT Madras’s position as a leader in innovation, paving the way for other IITs to explore similar initiatives in the future. For 2025-26, IIT Madras will be the only IIT offering admissions under this scheme.