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. 

The main agenda of IISERs and NISER is to promote research culture and motivate the students to conduct extensive research as a part of their curriculum. 

My friend was a student at NISER and she loved the research environment there. She claimed the physics faculties to be extremely proficient in their respective areas of research. In fact, the Head of the Department of Physics even bagged the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize. 

Specifically speaking, it has great scope in high energy physics and condensed matter physics. The lab facilities of the new campus are top-notch. Moreover, the UG course of the School of Physical Sciences at NISER is comprehensive and covers various areas of physics such as quantum mechanics, relativity, cosmology, etc. The best part is that you get the chance to attend 242 credit coursework in rider to fulfill your MSc integrated course.

IISERs and NISER are reputed institutes in the field of Science. If you want to choose among these institutes, do so based on your choice of course. NISER comes under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and has a wonderful Physics faculty. Among IISERs, IISER Kolkata is the best for Physics. IISER Pune is a good option if you are interested in Chemistry.IISER Mohali is pretty good at Algebraic Mathematics. 

The video below gives a comparative analysis of IISER and NISER for a better understanding

Overall, the better institute is a matter of personal preferences more than anything

Here are some pointers on NISER vs IISER.

• IISERs are founded by MHRD, whereas NISER is founded by DAE.
• Before you can specialize in your subject of choice, you will need to study all the subjects at IISER. It is only one year for NISER. Both systems have their corresponding pros and cons.
• At IISER, admissions are based on KVPY, JEE, State/Central board examination marks. NISER takes admission through NEST.

It is difficult to choose when the comparison is question is NISER vs IISER. Choosing one institute over another will not matter much if you stay dedicated to your studies after taking admission. NISER and IISERs offer decent academics and facilities for fundamental sciences. NISER has a great Physics department. If you are choosing an IISER, make sure it is an old one.