After Modi’s Mann Ki Baat mention, IISc’s little-known music school comes under focus

For decades, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been synonymous with rigorous research, demanding academics, and intense focus.

What few knew, however, is that alongside equations and laboratories, a quiet music school has been nurturing melody within the campus.

The unexpected spotlight on this musical space came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned it in his Mann Ki Baat address, highlighting how science students learn music to sharpen focus and mental clarity. The Federal Karnataka entered this lesser-seen corner of IISc to understand more about this unique blend of science and art.

Inside the campus, in a modest room that doubles as a home, the Geetanjali Music School has quietly been teaching music for nearly 25 years — without publicity or much fanfare.

Music school roots

The school is run by a music teacher, whose lessons unfold not in a formal auditorium but in a lived-in space where raga and rhythm are practised with patience and passion.

“When our PM mentioned about our music school, we felt very happy and also surprised. Because our school is still a small place, so we felt very happy that we got noticed,” Geetha Anand says, reflecting on the sudden attention since Mann Ki Baat.

Also read: Indian Institute of Science 's 'Open Day' to be held on March 1

Here, those who come are not only students of sound but seekers of balance. IISc scientists, software professionals, homemakers, and campus staff sit side by side. Some arrive after long hours of research, others after demanding workdays. In this space, music becomes a pause from pressure — a way to steady the mind.

Music meets focus

For scientists, music is not just a hobby. Many describe it as a discipline that sharpens concentration amid complex problem-solving. Homemakers speak of calm. Students speak of improved focus. Different lives, different motivations, one shared practice.

Anand teaches both online and offline, adapting tradition to modern routines. Since the Mann Ki Baat mention, enquiries have begun arriving from outside the campus. What was once quietly contained within IISc now attracts outside interest, yet the essence of the school remains unchanged.

Also read: IISc among 4 Indian institutes in world reputation rankings 2025 list

“I just tell my students, go on stage, sing for yourself, sing happily. That’s all. Not with an aim that I should be the best… In Geetanjali, there’s no ego, no politics. Only music and happiness,” she says.

Melody and science

As research continues across the campus, music continues here — not in competition with science, but quietly supporting it. IISc, long associated with discipline of the mind, now carries another meaning: that concentration can be cultivated not only through formulas, but through melody.

In a place where discovery and innovation are daily pursuits, the harmony of a raga may be just as vital as the precision of a theorem. Could this quiet confluence of music and science become a model for learning everywhere?

The content above has been transcribed from video using a fine-tuned AI model. To ensure accuracy, quality, and editorial integrity, we employ a Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) process. While AI assists in creating the initial draft, our experienced editorial team carefully reviews, edits, and refines the content before publication. At The Federal, we combine the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human editors to deliver reliable and insightful journalism.