The integrated BS-MS 8’ Physics program offered at IIT Madras is a dual degree in reality. The program is a great success because it is under the umbrella of IIT Madras' excellent Physics department. This department is affiliated with CERN and LIGO and has approachable professors and a friendly ambiance for study.

One has to clear JEE to become eligible for this program. The cutoff keeps changing and this program has a small batch size of around 10-15 students. The small batch size is because the program has been newly launched and is still yet to be made known. 

The peer group has geniuses from every culture and academic background. IMT might be a rank holder in Karnataka CET while the other may be a 98% in class 12th. There are dynamic discussions among the students and it’s more than one can ask for.

Additional features include INSPIRE scholarship of around INR 60000/- year. You even get the golden opportunity to attend the KVPY Vijyoshi camp.

Ultimately, this program is a dream come true for Physics lovers and is a better option than Engineering for them.

Yes, you can prefer IISER Pune over IITs like Madras, Kanpur, or Kharagpur. Although this choice is not that significant. If you are interested in research, your bachelor’s and master’s degree are just baby steps. The difference between IISERs and IITs is the student crowd. Since IISER is more research-oriented, you will get to meet people who are genuinely interested in research. Before choosing any of these institutes, it’s better if you talk to the current students and get to know the faculty and facilities of these institutes.

There are many reasons I recommend students opt for IISER Pune, especially because of the unique approach it has towards education like no other institution. 

IISER Pune unlike any other Institute doesn't let you choose your major up until the 4th semester. After studying a number of courses spread across various fields during the initial 1.5 years, you get to choose your major until you have to study 5 different subjects. Now this might be a major setback for some, but trust me, it’s one of the best decisions IISER Pune has ever made. The fact that you don’t select your major initially, gives you more than enough time to explore your area of interest rather than making a hasty decision. Many times students who seem interested in Physics, go for its major and later realize that it’s not their cup of tea. You cannot truly know if you are interested in a particular field until you try your hands at it. IISER also gives you enough freedom to choose what you want to study from an ocean of courses. 

IIT Kanpur and most other engineering colleges, provide education through a core curriculum that is more engineering oriented. It lacks the disciplinary element of IISER. You have to choose a major at IIT Kanpur irrespective of the fact if you are sure about your inclination or not. Whereas in IISER you can keep doing interdisciplinary courses till the end.

So basically, I am not claiming IISER is better than IIT Kanpur. All I am saying is that the approach it has adopted is new and should be considered especially by those who aren’t sure of their passion yet.