IIT Gandhinagar starts PG courses, direct admission to students affected by coronavirus

The IIT Gandhinagar has announced a one-year postgraduate diploma programme for its graduating students whose higher education or employment plans have been hampered due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar, has announced a one-year postgraduate diploma programme for its graduating students whose higher education or employment plans have been hampered due to coronavirus outbreak in the country.

The postgraduate diploma will be offered in various streams–Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Earth System Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, will also enable students to seek lateral entry in M.Tech programmes.

Talking about the course, Sudhir K Jain, Director, IIT Gandhinagar, said: "The postgraduate diploma and the research and leadership fellowships have been designed to engage some of our brightest students whose post-graduation plans for higher education and employment may get disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic."

"These opportunities will help them to continue their education or undertake exciting research or develop career-enhancing leadership skills until they can move on once this crisis passes. The diploma will feature intensive course-work similar to the M.Tech program but with no thesis or research requirements. The course will also help students who are graduating and are interested in exploring, but are not fully committed to a master’s program,” he added.

IIT Gandhinagar will run the course even after the coronavirus crisis is over. However, this is a one-time facility offered to students this year to get direct admission.

Other than this, the institute is also planning to offer two Fellowships – IIT Gandhinagar Junior Fellowship in Leadership and Sabarmati Bridge Fellowship. These fellowships will help students to undertake unconventional professional and exciting research opportunities and pursue their passions, the Director said.