Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi
@kvlakshman
Now, it is possible to earn a bachelor’s degree in data sciences and Application from the highly prestigious IIT Madras, without going through the intense and extremely competitive IIT-JEE and the like. And what is more, even students with Arts and Commerce background in Plus two can enrol for this new four-year BS Degree program on offer from IIT Madras, starting September.
And anyone, not necessarily students, those who are working, can enrol in this programme as there is no upper age limit.
This new degree program is the result of the continuous modernisation and upgradation of technical education being carried out at IIT Madras, which has focused on make the course inclusive and brought it within the reach to every student residing in any part of India.
The latest unique program is carefully designed to offer students multiple entry and exit options where the learner can earn a certificate, diploma, or degree. This program offers flexibility to learners and empowers them to choose what they want to accomplish through the program. IIT Madras has invited applications for the course before August 19 for the special program starting in September.
Students who are currently in Class XII can also apply. Admitted students will start the program after successfully completing their Class XII. What is more important, and interesting is that student from any stream – Arts or Commerce – can also enrol and there is no age limit as well. Anyone who has studied English and Mathematics in Class X is eligible to apply. As the classes are conducted online, there is also no geographic limit.
At present, more than 13,000 students are enrolled in the program, with the maximum number of students from Tamil Nadu, followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. In-person exams are conducted at 116 examination centres across 111 cities in India. The examination centres have also been opened in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Sri Lanka.
Those interested can apply through the IIT Madras website — https://onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in.
Announcing the program, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras is happy to offer this well-designed, contemporary BS in Data Science and Applications degree, which provides access to IIT quality education in an inclusive manner to learners across the country. Data Science is one of the emerging topics. This is a highly employment-oriented program in a domain where the demand is high for skilled resources.”
Data Science will teach students to manage data, visualise patterns to gain managerial insights, model uncertainties, and build models that assist in producing forecasts to make effective business decisions. Through extensive hands-on training and experiential learning, the students are also well trained to meet the industry standards. IIT Madras also facilitates internships and placements for the students who have completed the diploma level of the program.
Elaborating on the reasons behind this new initiative, Prof Andrew Thangaraj, Professor In-Charge, BS in Data Science and Applications, IIT Madras, said, “As Data Science is a multidisciplinary domain, this BS degree from IIT Madras is open for students from all backgrounds. Students who are pursuing commerce or humanities can also earn a degree from IIT Madras. As content delivery is online and the in-person exams are conducted on Sundays, this degree can also be pursued while attending an on-campus degree or while working full-time.”
This first-of-its-kind program makes it possible for students to study from IIT Madras without attempting the intensely competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). This directly benefits the students from rural areas and poor backgrounds for whom attending JEE coaching classes would be a significant hurdle. The program also offers up to 100% scholarships for deserving students in financial need.
Further, Dr Vignesh Muthuvijayan, Professor In-Charge, BS in Data Science and Applications, IIT Madras, said, “Admission to the BS program does not require qualifying JEE. Unlike any other entrance exam, the qualifying process for this program is very inclusive. The state-of-the-art pedagogy enables IIT Madras to admit all qualified candidates without any restriction on the numbers. With generous scholarships, IIT Madras has created one of the most inclusive models in the country.”
IIT Madras BS program will become a platform to create skilled and employable professionals in a data-driven world. The IIT Madras team is confident that this inclusive and affordable education model will extend IITs’ reach by orders of magnitude and address the pressing need of the learners to get access to high-quality education.
(Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi is a senior journalist tracking social, economic, and political issues and takes a keen interest in sports as well. He has worked with prominent news organisations.)
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