The Venue
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali is one of the five institutes established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The basic mandate of the IISERs is to carry out research in frontier areas of science and to provide quality science education at the undergraduate and at the postgraduate level.
The institute has close to 75 faculty members, around 550 students in the BS-MS programme and around 200 PhD and Integrated PhD students. Research and teaching in biological sciences, chemical sciences, earth and environmental science, humanities and social sciences, mathematical sciences and physical sciences is being carried out at the institute.
The IISER Mohali campus is in Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Mohali which is being developed as the Knowledge City. Next to IISER is the Indian School of Business, which is also a part of the Knowledge City. Most participants will be staying in the Visitor's Hostel and other Hostels on IISER Mohali Campus.
Panjab University is in Sector 14 and 25 of Chandigarh. It is one of the oldest universities in India. Some participants for the Annual Conference will be staying at Panjab University.
The primary venue for the meeting will be the Lecture Hall Complex in the IISER Mohali Campus.
The Tri-City
Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula form what is locally known as the 'Tri-city'. Chandigarh was the first planned city of independent India, neatly divided into numbered sectors. The sector scheme of Chandigarh extends into Mohali (subsequently named Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar). Click here to view a map of Chandigarh.
Autorickshaws, Taxis, Radio Taxis and City buses provide transportation within the Tri-City for those who do not operate their own vehicle. Usually, traffic moves smoothly due to the well-organised road system. For example, the 14 kilometer distance from Chandigarh Airport to the IISER Mohali campus is often covered in half an hour or less.
Other than the nation-wide radio taxi services which have their own online reservations, one can also call them at the following numbers for radio taxis: 0172 4141414, 4242424 and for radio autos: 0172 4242424 and 4343434.
Chandigarh has one (smallish) airport which is served by numerous airlines which have flights to Delhi, Mumbai and other locations. Taxis are available at the airport. In particular, Mega Cabs has a booth (the left-most one) just before the exit at the airport. Most of the drivers know how to reach "IISER Mohali (Sector 81)".
The major railway station is Chandigarh railway station. There is another railway station in Mohali which is only a few kilometers from the IISER campus; however, it is not served by as many trains.
There are also Inter-State Bus Terminii in Sector 17 and Sector 43 in Chandigarh which are served by buses from nearby cities and towns. Buses from New Delhi usually arrive in Sector 17.
Autorickshaws are generally available at the Railway Stations and the Bus Terminii.
It is also possible to travel by road from New Delhi to Chandigarh by bus or taxi. Haryana Roadways operates a bus service from Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi Airport, New Delhi which has recliner seats; the fare is about Rs. 700/-. This and other buses can also be obtained from the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in New Delhi. Taxis from New Delhi to Chandigarh (point-to-point) typically cost about Rs. 2500/- to Rs. 3000/- for a full taxi.
Weather in the Tri-city in May will be (like most of India) quite hot. Mohali is typically a degree hotter than Chandigarh.
Tourism
- More information about Chandigarh is available at this link
- Chandigarh is a major tourist hub. Click here for tourism information.
- The capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla is three hours drive from Chandigarh. Another quaint place in the hills is Kasauli which is an hour and a half's drive from Chandigarh.
Hotels
There are a number of reasonably priced hotels in the Tri-City. Previous visitors have found the following list useful:
- Sarao Hotels <http://saraohotels.com/photo-gallery/>
- Hotel Majestic <http://www.hotelthemajestic.com/>
- Hotel Sunshine <http://www.hotelsunshine.in/>