India's first Space University

India's first space university is all set to take wings next month seeking to groom tailor-made experts to fuel the country's satellite and rocket programmes.The Institute, which offers technically tuned courses in space science and technology, has already attracted some of India's bright minds encouraging India's space agency.It would initially operate from the campus of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, a lead centre of ISRO, which will create a full-fledged infrastructure for IIST on a picturesque site in Ponmudi near the Kerala state capital in about two years.ISRO sources said around 150 students were expected to be enrolled in aeronautical and avionics engineering and integrated MSc in space sciences in the first academic year. Bangalore-headquartered ISRO gets 70,000-plus applications annually from students of other institutions, from which it's able to short-list around 1,500 by way of written tests.ISRO has totally subsidised the education and the students passing out of the IIST are required to serve the space agency for five years. If not, they would have to pay the bond amount.