1st ever in the world! Modi government launches this IIT degree programme - Are you eligible? Find out

In yet another milestone in terms of education and job-oriented degree courses, Modi government has launched the world’s first-ever Online B.Sc. Degree in Programming and Data Science. The programme has been prepared and offered by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), which is ranked No.1 in India Rankings 2020 by NIRF. This programme is open to anyone who has passed Class XII, with English and Maths at the Class X level, and enrolled in any on-campus UG course.

Noteworthy, Data Science is one of the fastest growing sectors that is predicted to create 11.5 million jobs by 2026. Online education is a trend being rapidly embraced for high quality education on a large scale.

"Faculty from IIT Madras are addressing the need of this sector using online education processes and present an inclusive and affordable education model that will extend IIT’s reach by orders of magnitude," Ministry of Human Resource Development said in a statement.

WATCH VIDEO: Launch of Online BSc degree /Diploma in Programming and Data Science from IIT Madras

The Union Minister of HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' on Tuesday virtually launched the programme in the presence of  Minister of State for HRD, Sanjay Dhotre. Dr. Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman, IIT, Madras, Board of Governors, Director and the faculty of the IIT, Madras,Chairman, AICTE, Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Additional Secretary, MHRD, Rakesh Ranjan and other Senior officials of the Ministry were also present during the launch.

While addressing the participants, Pokhriyal congratulated the team of IIT Madras for the launch of the world's first-ever online B.Sc. degree program in Data Science and Programming. The Minister informed that the current batch of students who are completing their Class XII in 2020 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme. Pokhriyal added that this unique offering removes all barriers of age, discipline or geographic location and provides access to a world-class curriculum in data science which is in huge demand for skilled professionals.