Annaivarakum IITM – ‘IIT Madras for All’

Annaivarakum IITM – ‘IIT Madras for All’ is the brain child of the Institute’s Director, to take IIT Madras to a larger population and make IITM quality education accessible to a more extensive section of students. Under this initiative, the Institute has launched a number of programmes.

Off-Campus BS Degrees – Taking its expertise and several years of experience in offering online education through NPTEL (https://nptel.ac.in/), IIT Madras took a step ahead and launched the world’s world’s first online BSc Degree program in Programming and Data Science (https://study.iitm.ac.in/ds/) in 2020. The program allows for options to exit earlier in the foundation, diploma or BSc degree level, thus making it truly flexible.

Encouraged by the success of this program, IIT Madras launched the second, Four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Electronic Systems (https://study.iitm.ac.in/es/). The program allows one to learn from anywhere, as per convenience. Option is available to choose the number of courses per semester and the BS degree will be awarded once 142 credits are earned.

Anaivarukkum IIT Madras is a transformative initiative aimed at providing equal opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to pursue higher education in fields such as Data Science and Electronic Systems at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM). Since its inception in July 2022, Anaivarukkum IIT Madras has made significant strides in motivating and nurturing the talents of aspiring students.

Key Initiatives

• Social Initiatives Effort: Anaivarukkum IITM launched a comprehensive social initiatives effort, reaching out to 58 Government and Corporation schools. Through meticulous selection and training processes, a cohort of 180+ students was prepared for the BS qualifier courses. This involved 12 weeks of intensive in-person training sessions conducted at IITM on Sundays.
• Outreach and Selection: A total of 4400+ students underwent a preliminary test on basic mathematics and logic, with 198 students selected for further training. Among them, 61 students successfully qualified for admission to the BS Degree program at IITM.
• Impact Across Partnerships:
  • From Model Schools, 51 out of 51 students successfully qualified for admission.
  • Through TAHDCO, 14 out of 170 students qualified.
  • Collaboration with NGOs like Agaram Foundation resulted in 2 students qualifying for admission out of 8 who appeared for the qualifier exam.

Current Status and Future Prospects

• Total Qualifiers: Through collective efforts, 128 students have successfully qualified for the BS Degree program at IITM.
• Active Participation: Presently, 98 students are actively engaged in the program, with 74 of them receiving full fee support.
• Academic Achievements: Notably, 4 students have cleared the foundation level with a CGPA of over 7.5, with one student achieving the highest CGPA of 8.75. Additionally, it is anticipated that 8 more students will complete the foundation level and progress to the diploma level.

Conclusion

Anaivarukkum IIT Madras has had a profound impact on democratizing access to quality education, particularly in the fields of Data Science and Electronic Systems. Through strategic partnerships, rigorous training programs, and unwavering support, Anaivarukkum IITM continues to empower students from all walks of life, paving the way for a brighter and more inclusive future.

This initiative stands as a testament to the power of collaborative efforts in unlocking the potential of every aspiring student and fostering excellence in education.