IIT Madras BSc degrees first batch of students receive provisional diploma certificates

A total of 101 students, including 17 students with family incomes less than ₹1 lakh per annum, received their provisional diploma certificates & participated in various events held at IIT Madras during ‘Paradox 2022’ from 20th to 22nd May 2022

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras BSc degree programme’s first batch of 101 students received their provisional diploma certificate on Saturday (21st May 2022). Along with this event, the BSc students also organised their first-ever cultural and technical fest called ‘Paradox 2022’, which was held at the campus from 20th to 22nd May 2022.

Over 2,000 students from all parts of the country attended the festivities. Many students pursuing this programme from foreign countries also took part in the event. Students pursuing the IIT Madras BSc degree hail from diverse geographies, different age groups and varied socioeconomic backgrounds. Out of the 101 students from the first batch, nearly 15 per cent are working professionals. While nine students are under 20 years old, three students are aged above 40. The students from the first batch hail from across the country including far-flung states like Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

The IIT Madras BSc Degree in Programming and Data Sciences is the first-of-its-kind programme that makes it possible for students to study at IIT Madras without writing the hypercompetitive Joint Entrance Examination. This carefully designed programme allows multiple entries and exits. Learners can get a certificate after completion of foundation-level courses, two diplomas after the completion of second-level courses, and a BSc degree after completion of the final-level courses.

Addressing the Ceremony, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “In my interaction with the BSc students, I understood that the students are enjoying this program. We are happy that we are able to enable their dream to study from an IIT. This programme is now becoming the benchmark for any online effort from IIT Madras, especially where the Institute is looking at scale trying to bring a large number of students, educating them and making IIT Madras education accessible to all.”

The BSc degree 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. Emphasising the success of the programme, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, former Director, IIT Madras, who is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, said, “The BSc program, which offers high quality learning experience, is going to become a very important part of higher education in the country. The Institute's aim is to give the highest quality education to the learners and I am sure that the learners of the course will definitely increase in the upcoming years.”

Prof. Nilesh Vasa, Dean (Students), IIT Madras, and Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras, also spoke during this event. Highlighting the significance of the course, Prof. Andrew Thangaraj, Professor In- Charge, BSc in Programming and Data Science, IIT Madras, said, “Data Science is a thriving business with a high demand for qualified resources. We are in the process of creating a pool of trained resources from India to meet the global requirements in this domain.”

‘Paradox 2022’, sponsored by Tiger Analytics, Tech Mahindra, Aditya Birla and Market.xyz had a potpourri of events including professional talks, sports activities, hackathons, cultural events, and workshops. All these events were conducted to help the students showcase their talents. Another key element of the fest was on 22nd May 2022, when top executives of major industries like IBM, Walmart Global Tech India, TCS, Infosys, Latentview Analytics, and Capgemini, participated in panel discussions and interacted with the students.

Speaking about the benefits of this event to the students, Dr. Vignesh Muthuvijayan, Professor In-Charge, BSc in Programming and Data Science, IIT Madras, said, “As part of this Degree Programme, the first-ever yearly event 'Paradox' has been introduced and coordinated entirely by students. The fest also has industry professionals speaking to the students about internship and placement opportunities in Programming and Data Science. This allows students to understand the industry expectations. I'm glad that so many students took the effort to attend the fest and benefit from it.”

Speaking about the experience of pursuing the course, Mr. Krishna, a working professional based out of Abu Dhabi, said, “The students of BSc degree programme are quite diverse as they are from different professional backgrounds and hail from several countries from across the globe. Attending the fest with my fellow learners at IIT Madras campus was an amazing experience.”

Speaking about ‘Paradox 2022’, Proteeti Banerjee, a student hailing from Kolkata, said, “The most exciting part of the event was to meet faculty members and course instructors. I also had a chance to explore the IIT Madras campus and participate in various events.”