In a first for Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) nationwide, IIT Madras has implemented seat reservations for sportspersons in its academic programs. This year, five national-level athletes have been admitted under this initiative.

Starting last year, IIT Madras introduced seat reservations for students who have participated in or won international competitions, as well as those with outstanding achievements at the national level. Two seats are allocated per department, one for men and one for women, under the general category.

Athletes Admitted in 2024

Under this year’s special admissions process for athletes:

Arohi Bhave, a national-level handball player from Maharashtra, has been admitted to the BS program in Medical Sciences and Engineering.

Aryaman Mandal, a water polo and swimming athlete from West Bengal, and Nandini Jain, a squash player from Delhi, have been admitted to the B.Tech program in Computer Science and Engineering.

Prabhav Gupta, a table tennis player from Delhi, and Vangala Vedavachchan Reddy, a lawn tennis player from Andhra Pradesh, have been admitted to the B.Tech program in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

This initiative aims to support and nurture athletes by providing them access to premier education alongside their sporting careers. It also underscores IIT Madras’ commitment to promoting a holistic approach to education and talent development.