IIT Madras announces full scholarship for over 100 BS Data Science, Applications students

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) in partnership with Cargill, a US-global food and agriculture corporation, has announced a full scholarship for students who wish to pursue BS in Data Science Applications at IIT-M.

The programme was recently awarded the Silver medal by QS-Wharton Reimagine Education Awards for best online programme. IIT Madras launched BS in Data Science Applications in June 2020 and has completed six academic terms and is stepping into its third year.

“About 7,500 new students enter the program every year, of which between 25% and 30% fall in the category of annual family income of less than Rs 5 lakh,” the institute said.

Over 100 students from a low income background will be selected for the Cargill scholarship. These students will be selected based on the eligibility criteria for the Merit-cum-Means Scholarship.

More than 22,000 students have qualified for the programme so far and about 17,000 are actively studying. While 195 students are at the degree level, more than 4,500 are at the diploma level, IIT Madras said in a statement.

The IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications offers students with multiple entry and exit options where they can enter and exit with a certificate, diploma or degree.

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Students who complete all the four levels in the IIT Madras degree programme will get the BS Degree in Data Science and Applications from IIT Madras.

“Unlike the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE), in which very few candidates qualify, this program is more open and has an inclusive qualifier process which provides learners across the country access to IIT quality education,” it added.

Thanking Cargill, Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, said: “One out of four students undergoing the BS course hails from an underprivileged background. The Cargill Scholarship will provide such deserving and meritorious students across India, an opportunity to pursue their dream education from a prestigious institution like IIT Madras. Many of these students hail from families of first-generation college graduates, daily-wage earners, farmers, etc. and are already availing bank loans or various government scholarship schemes. This scholarship will play a significant role in easing the financial burden on the student’s family.”