The IIT Madras BSc Degree Programme, which is currently pursued by more than 1,500 students from Tamil Nadu, has achieved a monumental feat in the State. This programme, which aims to create a level-playing field for India’s youth, has removed barriers to education and made quality IIT Madras education accessible to all. Students pursuing the course hail from diverse geographies, ranging from major cities like Chennai and Coimbatore to small towns and villages of Tamil Nadu. The degree is also pursued by students from different age groups and varied socioeconomic backgrounds.
To support students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, IIT Madras is also providing scholarships and fee waivers. Among the 1,500+ students from Tamil Nadu, more than 180 students are getting 100 per cent scholarships and more than 120 students are receiving at least 50 per cent fee waiver.
Addressing the press conference to highlight the impact of the programme in Tamil Nadu, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras started this unique BSc programme to provide access to IIT quality education to the learners across the country. Data Science is a growing field and the demand for skilled resources in the market is very high. IIT Madras has a rich history of providing high-quality education and this program is designed to underline the fact that IIT is within the reach of everyone.”
This first-of-its-kind programme makes it possible for students to study at IIT Madras without writing the hypercompetitive JEE. This directly benefits the students from rural areas and economically disadvantaged backgrounds for whom attending JEE coaching classes would be a significant hurdle.
Saravana Priya, a student from the Cuddalore district, who does not have a background in Computer Science, is currently pursuing her foundation level in the IITM BSc programme. Speaking on how the programme was beneficial, she said, “I've always wanted to learn Data Science and Programming, so when I heard about this programme, I went online and read about it. Due to the fees, I couldn't join in the beginning. When I learned about the scholarships offered by IITM to students from low-income families, it gave me an opportunity to pursue this course. I thank IITM for this initiative that helped me to pursue my dreams.” More than 200 students, who have completed their Class XII from government and government-aided schools, are currently pursuing the degree programme.
Prof Kamakoti had a meeting with Thiru MK Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in January 2022 to discuss the ways to take this programme to a larger number of students from government and government-aided schools. To achieve this goal, the faculty of the IIT Madras BSc Degree will be providing free training to government and government-aided school students for the qualifier process. As the first step, the faculty have met around 35 government school heads in Chennai and are planning to start the training in July. Tamil transcripts of the video lectures are also made available to overcome any potential language barrier.
IIT Madras BSc programme 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. This will also address the pressing need of the learners to get access to high-quality education.
