About the School
The SKA-India Training Program School is a premier event designed to develop foundational skills in radio astronomy for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students. This two-week-long school will feature lectures, hands-on sessions, and exposure to cutting-edge tools and techniques relevant to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project (SKAO), SKA India.
Participants will gain insights into radio instrumentation, observational techniques, data analysis techniques, AI/ML applications in astronomy, and more related to the Square Kilometre Array: The future of radio astronomy.
The registration is now closed. The selected participants will be informed by 1st week of April 2026 via email.
Topics covered
- Square Kilometer Array: The next-gen instrument for radio astronomy
- Electronics and devices for radio telescopes
- High-throughput real-time Signal processing
- High-performance computing and Big-data
- AL/ML Applications in Radio Astronomy
- Fundamental Concepts: Radiation Mechanisms and Radio Telescopes
- Fundamental Science cases: Pulsars, Cosmology, Galactic and Extragalactic Studies
- Observational and Data Analysis Techniques
- Hands-on: Building a radio telescope
Important Dates
- Start of Registration: 18th Feb 2026
- Last Date of Registration: 8th March 2026
- School Dates: 29th June to 10th July 2026
Organizing Committee
Pankaj Jain (IITK)
Rohit Sharma (IITK)
Mugundhan V. (IITK)
Mohit Bhardwaj (IITK)
Abhirup Datta (IITI)
Narendra Nath Patra (IITI)
Prasanta Kumar Das (BITS-Pilani-Goa)
Surajit Paul (MAHE)
Neeraj Gupta (IUCAA)
Jagadheep D. Pandian (IIST)
Who can apply
Third year students pursuing BTech/B.E in Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, or equivalent discipline. First year students pursuing M.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, or equivalent discipline. First year students pursuing Master of Science in Physics, Electronics, or any equivalent discipline.
Registration
Interested students can register for the school starting 18th Feb 2026.
The registration link is now closed !!
Recommendation letter* needs to be send on skaits2026@gmail.com by the same form deadline
8th March 2026
Note: The recommendation email subject must mention the full name of the applicant.
*Applications without recommendation letter will not be considered.
For any queries, please contact skaits2026@gmail.com.
Register Now
FAQs
I am a first year PhD student. Can I apply? No. This school is meant for younger students who are early in their carrier.
Can I get support for the school? Yes. Support for lodging and food to the participants will be provided.
Is there any registration fee? No. There is no registrarion fee.
How many students will be selected? The total number of participants is expected to be around 50.
What are the selection criteria? Candidates will be selected based on their academic records, supported by a recommendation letter.
Partner Institutes
The SKA-India Training Program School 2026 is being organized in collaboration with several esteemed partner institutes.
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)
Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IITI)
Indian Institute of Technology Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram (IIST)
Inter University Centre for Anstronomy and Astrophysics, Pune (IUCAA)
Birla Institute of Technology Pillani, Goa Campus (BITS Goa)
Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal (MAHE)
Travel Logistics
A.) Arrival by air:
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (LKO), Lucknow is the nearest international airport and located about 90 Km. from IIT Kanpur. It has direct flight connection to all major cities of India. Upon arrival, You can hire prepaid taxis at the airport (Ola outstation is also available). The typical cost will be around Rs.2500 for sedan-type taxis (around Rs. 1600 for Ola outstation). It takes about two and a half hours to drive from the Lucknow airport to the IITK campus.
Kanpur also has an airport (KNU) with limited flights. Kanpur airport is about 25 km from IIT Kanpur, and it takes about 1 hour to reach campus. The charges are about Rs. 1200-1500. Ola/Uber cab service is also available in Kanpur.
Delhi is the adjoining major airport (DEL) which has flights to all Indian cities along with important foreign destinations. Delhi airport is located about 450 km from the city of Kanpur. Flights from Delhi to Kanpur are also available. There is also frequent train connection between Delhi and Kanpur.
B.) Arrival by train:
Kanpur Central Railway station (CNB) is one of the busiest railway stations in the country. It is located on the Delhi-Kolkata train route and all major trains between these cities usually pass through and stop at Kanpur. One can easily get regular trains to Kanpur from other major cities of the country.
- IIT Kanpur is located about 16 km from the Kanpur Central Railway Station.
- It is possible to either take the Kanpur Metro (fare: ₹40 per person), which takes approximately 25 minutes to travel from Kanpur Central to IIT Kanpur, or hire a taxi (about ₹500) or an auto rickshaw (about ₹250) to reach the IITK campus from the station. By road, the journey from Kanpur Central Railway Station to IIT Kanpur takes about 40 minutes.
- Details of taxi services and Kanpur Metro are provided below.
Taxi operator:
- There are some taxi operators who provide services on the approved rate of IIT Kanpur.
The rates are as follows:
- Lucknow airport to IIT Kanpur (sedan type cars): Rs. 2500 (including toll tax and parking).
- Kanpur railway station to IIT Kanpur: Rs. 650 (including parking)
- Ola/ Uber-type taxi operators are available in Kanpur.
Kanpur Metro:
Metro services by Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (UPMRC) are operational between Kanpur Central and IIT Kanpur from 06:00 AM to 10:00 PM (IST) daily.
- Frequency: Every 15 minutes from Kanpur Central Metro (Underground) Station
- Location: The station is situated at the Entry/Exit point of Platform No. 9, Kanpur Central Railway Station
For further details, kindly visit the UPMRC Official Site
Arrival in IIT Kanpur campus:
- One should reach at the ‘main gate’ of IIT Kanpur. At the entrance to the campus, you need to stop at the security checkpoint, which is managed by campus security.
- Let them know that you are here to visit Space, Planetary & Astronomical Sciences & Engineering (SPASE) and they will allow you. Department of SPASE is located at the 6th floor of ESB-2 building. It is about 1.5 Km from the main entrance gate of IIT Kanpur.