India’s top scientists work at TIFR’s School of Mathematics, School of Natural Sciences, School of Technology and Computer Science. C N R Rao, the Prime Minister’s chief scientific advisor, is on TIFR’s council of management, along with scientists like Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar.

Rao recently told this paper: “A difficult situation has been precipitated without a proper discussion with people who know about education’’. Some TIFR’s PhD students had joined anti-quota protests in Mumbai, but the faculty says it’s going to ‘‘wait and watch.’’

TIFR’s 2006 PhD candidates

• 6,105 attempt written test
• 30 selected in physics
• 6 selected in chemistry
• 5 selected in computer science
• 4 selected in mathematics
• 13 selected in biology