CHENNAI, 29 th May 2023: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) conducted the 2 nd
edition of the Diploma and Degree Distribution for the students of 4-year BS in Data Science
and Applications program on Saturday (27th May 2023) in the presence of Mr. Venkat
Viswanathan, CEO, Latentview Analytics, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, faculty, and
students.
Launched in 2020, this Program has evolved as one of the top non-campus degree
programs in India with more than 16,500 students currently enrolled. The BS program has
now completed seven academic terms. With 18 students completing the credit requirements of
the BSc degree in less than 2.5 years, the program has achieved a major milestone. These
students are now progressing to the BS level.
During the event, Provisional Certificates were distributed to 275 students, who have completed
the foundation and two diplomas, and 531 students, who have completed the foundation level
and one diploma. The students who completed the foundation and two diplomas are now
entering the degree level of the program.
The BS students were from diverse backgrounds in terms of demographics, geography,
and careers. One of the students includes an IAS Officer!
Speaking about the importance of the BS Program, Mr. Prateek Bayal, an IAS Officer
belonging to the 2019 batch Karnataka Cadre, said, “I am currently working as Deputy
Commissioner, Land Acquisition and Development Rights, Bangalore City Corporation. As an
administrator, I see BS in Data Science as a great learning opportunity. I am presently doing
Foundation level courses and I am already seeing the positive impact of the knowledge I have
gained from the courses in my professional career.”
Mr. Prateek Bayal added, “What I liked the most about this BS program is the flexibility it offers
to learn and complete courses at their own pace. The quality content, regular assignments, and
quizzes make learning more easy and enjoyable. In my view, for a working professional 2-3
courses can be easily managed in term and I generally take out time during weekends and in
the evenings for learning. The mantra for completing the course successfully is 'steady'
learning.”

In addition, 43 students who were directly admitted to the Diplomas also received their
certificates. Out of the 867 students, 164 students, who came from families with annual income
less than ₹5 lakhs, were provided financial support from IIT Madras. Amongst these students,
150 students were fully funded through CSR support.

For the first time, IIT Madras has also introduced recognition of the academic achievements of
the students in this Program. Students with the highest CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point
Average), students with CGPA greater than 9.5, and students with CGPA between 9 and 9.5
received Certificates of Academic Excellence, Academic Distinction, and Merit, respectively.
A total of 41 students received the certificate for these academic achievements. As a
testament to the diversity in this Program, the age of the award winners ranged from 20
to 55.
Addressing the Ceremony, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “The BS Degree
has changed the complete landscape of education in our country and we are very proud of it.
According to a study, in the next few years, India will need 5,00,000 well-trained data scientists
to address some of the country’s most important needs and jobs. For the 20,000+ students who
had enrolled into the BS (Data Science) Program, we have given a very interesting opportunity.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added, “We have reached many students, especially girl students, coming
from families with an annual income of less than Rs. 5 lakhs per year. We have more than 500
students from Government Schools who have joined this program. I place my immense thanks
to donors who have been supporting the student scholarships.”
Launched in 2020, the BS program has received as many as 90,134 applications as of date, out
of which 22,905 have qualified to join the program. The program has a retention rate of 82
percent among those who have started the program. The program provides an opportunity for
anyone, irrespective of age or background, to learn Data Science and applications, with Class
12 or equivalent being the only eligibility criteria.
Congratulating the students who received the degrees, Mr. Venkat Viswanathan, CEO,
Latentview Analytics, said, “There is some anxiety in terms of all the advances in computing,
with a certain type of technologies get talked about a lot more in a short time but a few years
down the line, no one talks about them... The overall trend in terms of data being a competitive
asset for businesses and businesses have to learn and build the data infrastructure, the
organizational strength and capability and build the skills needed to harvest the data and
convert them into insights, that is not going to go away. That is an ongoing trend that will always
be there.” 
Mr. Venkat Viswanathan, an IIT Madras Alum, added, “From a global perspective, we need
about two million people who are well-trained in Data Science. The Good News is from a talent
perspective, India is still in a pole position. Each of you (BS Degree Students) is not only well-
geared to serve the needs of our economy but will have the opportunity to assist businesses the
world over who have the same challenges in terms of adopting data science and being able to
address it...” 
This program does not require a JEE score to join. Admission to the program is possible
through an in-built qualifier process where the candidates have to successfully complete the
qualifier exam based on four weeks of content provided by IIT Madras. All those who obtain the
minimum required score in the qualifier exam can continue with the program as there is no limit
on the number of seats in the program.
Highlighting the unique aspects of this course, Prof. Andrew Thangaraj, Professor In-
Charge, BS in Data Science and Applications, IIT Madras, said, “The program also provides
placement assistance to eligible students. The Industry Interaction Cell (IIC) serves as the
internship and placement cell for the BS Program where the objective is to prepare students

with industry-specific skills and appropriate training, enabling them to leverage the best
employment opportunities available in various industries.” 
Further, Prof. Vignesh Muthuvijayan, Professor In-Charge, BS in Data Science and
Applications, IIT Madras, added, “This program has ensured equitable access to high-quality
education to those who aspire for it by not only opening learning opportunities to all but also by
keeping the fee affordable. Scholarships are provided to students belonging to SC/ST/PwD
categories and those with family incomes of less than Rs. 5 Lakh per annum, ensuring
inclusivity.” 
While the course content is delivered in online mode, quizzes and examinations are in person to
ensure the academic rigor and quality of the program. The in-person proctored examinations
are conducted in more than 150 cities across the country and abroad as well. Students of the
program receive excellent support from IIT Madras during the program.
STUDENTS FEEDBACK
Ayushi Sharad Gang, An IIT Madras BS Degree Student, said, “What I like most about the
program is the comprehensive video lectures that are easy to understand and the assignments
designed to test your application and knowledge of concepts which help reinforce our
understanding of the material. I also appreciate the flexibility in course selection which allows
me to choose the courses that are relevant to my interests and career goals. Additionally, the
program emphasizes applied learning which means we get to apply the concepts we learn to
real-world situations making the learning experience more practical and engaging.”
Prashant Sharma, A Chief Data Scientist at Sohan Lal Commodity Management Pvt. Ltd),
said, “The most important thing I like about the program is the rigor and the emphasis put on
the practical aspect of almost everything that we learn here. I enjoyed the projects the most.
The key takeaway of this program is the skill development in the programming, data science,
and business analysis aspect. These three make a very good combination. This program has
helped my career in various ways. It helped me to participate and contribute to the solution
design phase because of a better understanding of how the different technology aspects
integrate. Also because of better understanding of what it takes to develop a solution, I can plan
and schedule my projects better.”

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