A day after a terror attack on the campus rocked the science and research community, the mood at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, where more than 2000 active researchers work in almost all frontier areas of science and technology, is sombre.

The initial reaction of campus dwellers was 'we never thought such a thing will ever happen here'.

IISc Director Prof P Balaram said security will be scaled up.

"It is very unfortunate. We will step up security," he said.

Some of the senior IISc professors, including the director, visited the Ramaiah Hospital, where retired IIT-Delhi professor Puri's body was kept in the mortuary, and paid their last respects before it was flown to Delhi for cremation.

The sprawling campus attracts some of the best brains, and is one of India's top science institutes.

Private security guards, who clearly appear to be ill equipped to tackle any large-scale assault, man it.

Things may change. On Thursday, the institute, started in 1909 through the pioneering vision of J N Tata, was virtually sealed off and none of the visitors, including media personnel, were allowed in.

Though there is an undercurrent of anguish with the way scientists were targeted, things are returning to normal on the working front, and it appeared to be business as usual, at least on the surface.