In accordance with the elements of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has launched “IIT Madras for All,” the BS degree (data science and applications), and the Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) programmes today.

Through these programmes, IIT Madras will offer a wide range of educational possibilities with a variety of access and exit points. Students would have the option to switch between fields and even pursue technical studies while specialising in the humanities. IIT Madras is listed as a Central Higher Education Institution on the Academic Bank of Credits Portal (ABC Portal), and 491 of its students have enrolled there.

Important aspects of IIT Madras’ implementation of NEP

‘IIT Madras for All’, the BS Degree in Data Science and Inter-Disciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD), the Rural Interaction Centre, the Rural Technology Centre, and centres that foster student innovation like CFI are some of the important components of IIT Madras’ NEP implementation. IIT Madras has created Rural Interaction Centres (RICs) in communities to give rural students access to high-quality education using technology. These facilities offer live online science, English and maths classes taught in the native tongue using smart TVs and internet connectivity. The RICs currently have students from 100 villages in Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh, and 89 villages in Tamil Nadu.

Centre for Rural Technology

IIT Madras has created Rural Technology Centres in Tamil Nadu in partnership with ASHA to teach computer science to students in rural government schools. The facilities will train kids in classes nine through twelve in computational thinking and digital literacy. Nirmaan and the Centre for Innovation (CFI) IIT Madras has built the Centre for Innovation (CFI) and Nirmaan pre-incubator in keeping with the NEP’s emphasis on encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. CFI gives students the tools, setting, and direction they need to investigate novel concepts. On the other hand, Nirmaan gives potential business owners a sandbox environment to create workable business concepts while also providing mentorship, workshops, seed money, and access to sector experts.

Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Applications

The data science and applications degree curriculum at IIT Madras has four levels of study. A student can leave at any level but must complete all four. The institute states that students can obtain a foundation certificate from IITM’s Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), a diploma from IIT Madras, a BSc degree in programming and data science, or a BS Degree in data science and applications, depending on the courses they complete and the credits they earn.

Programme for Interdisciplinary Dual Degrees (IDDD)

Students may pursue both bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) programme at IIT Madras. There are now 14 topics covered by these five-year curricula at IIT Madras, including data science, robotics, and cyber-physical systems.