Why is IISER Pune preferred more than IISER K without considering subjects as an option?

At present, there are a few reasons why people see IISER Pune as a better choice than IISER Kolkata, and some of these reasons might always make it seem more appealing. Right now, one big issue at IISER Kolkata is that the campus isn't fully finished, which makes life a bit tricky for students. When I visited IISER Pune a couple of years back, I saw that the hostels and classrooms were not affected by ongoing construction. This means students there aren't dealing with dust all the time. Meanwhile, at IISER Kolkata, construction is happening everywhere, slowing down the campus completion and annoying students, except maybe some couples who might find it less bothersome. The former director and deans at IISER Kolkata made life tough for students by bogging down fun activities with too much red tape, which led to less interest in participating. Hopefully, with a new director, things might improve.

On the downside, IISER Kolkata is in a rural area and has a tough climate, which are permanent issues. These factors can't really change, but honestly, after the first year, students tend to stop worrying about them. Sure, there's some complaining about the heat every now and then, but mostly, nobody really bothers with it.

Sure, happy to help with this.

A2A. The education system in India often feels like a rat race, and many students at IISERs have experienced this firsthand. They've probably had limited chances to explore what "real science" is all about before joining.

People often choose IISER Pune over IISER Kolkata mainly due to its infrastructure and location.

For infrastructure, both IISER-P and IISER-K started in the same year, but IISER-P finished its permanent campus much earlier. This gave IISER-P a bit of an edge from 2012 to 2014. During this time, IISERs were becoming more popular, and IISER-P had already settled into its new campus, whereas IISER-K was still moving gradually. This early advantage often placed IISER-P at the top of most people's minds, creating a kind of informal ranking among the IISERs, with Pune often taking the lead. However, as of 2018, both campuses are pretty similar in infrastructure, based on my recent visits.

Regarding location, IISER Pune is either in or very close to the city, which makes it quite convenient. On the other hand, IISER-K is located farther from the city, which can be seen as inconvenient for some. Despite this, being away from the city also has its benefits.

It's worth noting that in the 2018 NIRF rankings, IISER Kolkata was ranked 25th overall and first among all IISERs.