Full scholarship for students who wish to pursue BS in Data Science & Applications at IIT Madras

The Cargill Scholarship will enable over 100 students from this low income background to fulfil their dream of pursuing higher education at IIT Madras. Selection will be based on the eligibility criteria for the merit-cum-means scholarship.

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

The students will be selected based on the eligibility criteria for the merit-cum-means scholarship. About 7,500 new students enrol in the programme every year, of which between 25 per cent and 30 per cent fall in the category of annual family income of less than INR 5 lakh. 

The Cargill Scholarship will enable over 100 students from this low income background to fulfil their dream of pursuing higher education at IIT Madras. 

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

More than 22,000 learners 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. 

Thanking Cargill for their support, Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (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 of bank loans or various government scholarship schemes. This scholarship will play a significant role in easing the financial burden on the student’s family.” 

Multiple entry and exit options 

The IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications is a unique program designed to offer students multiple entry and exit options where the learner can enter and exit with a certificate, diploma or degree. There are four levels in the IIT Madras degree programme and to get the BS Degree in Data Science and Applications from IIT Madras, a student has to successfully complete all four levels. 

The programme provides flexibility for learners and empowers the students to choose what they want to accomplish through this programme. Unlike the highly competitive Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE), in which very few candidates qualify, this programme is more open and has an inclusive qualifier process which provides learners across the country access to IIT quality education. This is a great programme for students from low-income families who possibly might have discontinued or taken breaks due to economic reasons. 

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