IISc Bangalore is more than 110 years old and it is the first choice of most students for Science, Engineering, and Technology-related courses. Seven IISER were established recently with the goal of providing quality education in pure science. IISERs were established with the expectations that they would reach global standards in the field of basic sciences and offer intensive research like IISc. 

IISERs offer courses such as BS-MS, integrated Ph.D., and Ph.D. to students. Although IISERs were established recently, they have good faculties and research facilities. Getting admission at IISc is more challenging compared to IISERs. 

If you are considering pursuing science education in India, you might have come across two premier institutions - the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER). Here are some key differences between these institutions that you should know about:

Funding:

• IISERs are funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), while NISER is funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Curriculum:

• In IISERs, you will study all the subjects for two years before specializing in your area of interest for the remaining two years of your undergraduate program. In contrast, NISER has a one-year foundation program before students can specialize in their chosen field.
• Both systems have their corresponding advantages and disadvantages, and you may prefer one system over the other based on your interests and goals.

Admission:

• To get into NISER, you need to appear for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST), which is exclusively for admission to NISER.
• To get into IISERs, you can apply through multiple channels. You can qualify through Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), or state/central board exam marks. There are certain cut-offs that you can find out about on their respective websites.

While both IISERs and NISER are premier institutions for science education in India, they differ in their funding, curriculum, and admission processes. It is important to consider your interests and goals while making a decision about which institution to choose.

For pure science, IISc is the obvious choice among these. It is the best in India, in terms of research interface, faculties, and alumni base. 

If you are particularly interested in Physics, you should definitely choose IISc. It has an excellent Physics department. IISc Bangalore, Department of Physics has a Theoretical Cosmology group. The research interest of the group mostly involves early universe cosmology topics. For pure science courses, the preference order for these institutes is - IISc>>IISER>NISER. 

IISER Kolkata is the best IISER for Physics. It is especially good for Astrophysics. The ongoing research in the area is top-notch. There are labs such as CESSI (Center of Excellence in Space Sciences, India) inside the campus, spearheading research in Astrophysics and Astronomy area. 

The faculties are well experienced and put more emphasis on building the fundamental concepts on priority.