IIT-Madras starts online degree, diploma courses in programming

NEWDELHI:HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Tuesday launched what his ministry called the “world’s first ever” online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science at the Indian Institute of Management (IIT), Madras.

The launch of the online programme comes at a time when the government is focusing on virtual learning modes due to restrictions imposed on classroom teaching on account of Covid-19 pandemic. The government has allowed the country’s best 100 institutes to start online courses.

Addressing the participants, Pokhriyal lauded IIT-Madras for the launch of the online BSc programme and said the batch of students which is completing their class 12 in 2020 is eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also enrol for the programme.

Pokhriyal said every year, 7 to 7.5 lakh Indian students go abroad in search of better education and this talent as well as revenue go outside the country. Institutions such as IIT-Madras have the vision and mission to help the nation move forward on its path to self-reliance by taking up such quality education and unique courses, the minister said.

The programme will be delivered on a state-of-the-art online portal and will attract learners from even remote parts of India where outreach of digital literacy is minimal and will help them stay ahead in their career journeys, Pokhriyal said.

This unique online course will be offered in three different stages -- Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the programme and receive a certificate, diploma or degree, respectively, from IITMadras. Based on the eligibility, interested candidates will have to fill a form and pay a fee of ₹3,000 for the qualifier exam. Learners will get access to four weeks of course content on four subjects (mathematics, English, statistics and computational thinking).

EXAMS FROM HOME THE FUTURE?

The National Testing Agency (NTA) is exploring the option of a developing a mechanism through which exams in future can be held from home with no scope for unfair practices, its chief Vineet Joshi said on Tuesday.

Joshi’s statement came during a web-discussion on the future of education, according to a statement issued in New Delhi.

Joshi said that the NTA was set up in 2018 and in two years it had conducted tests for over one crore candidates, including the NEET and JEE exams.

A senior NTA official, when contacted, confirmed that the agency was trying to develop the capacity to hold such exams.

“Recently a home-based exam was conducted for the Sports Authority of India by the NTA. However, there is no planning to hold bigger exams like JEE or NEET through such mode,” said the official.