Union Education and Skill Development Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan launched the four-year online Bachelor of Science (BS) in Electronic Systems of IIT Madras.

The key objective of the program is to meet the significant and growing demand for skilled graduates in the electronics and embedded manufacturing sector in India. The program also features multiple exits and the students can get a Foundational Level Certificate, Diploma or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. The program aligns with the India Semiconductor Mission to make India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design.

This is the second online BS program from IIT Madras following BS Degree in Data Science and Applications, which has more than 17,000 students studying currently.

Addressing the launch event, Pradhan said that the launch of an online course for a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Systems by IIT Madras is a great initiative that will enhance accessibility to quality higher education and provide enormous opportunities to our Yuva Shakti to keep pace with 21st-century knowledge, skills and jobs.

He congratulated IIT Madras for this course in line with all the recommendations of National Education Policy 2020: quality, affordability, equity, employability, and multiple entry exit.

He expressed his confidence that more institutions will come up with such programmes for realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vikasit Bharat’.
The Minister further said that in this era of innovation and research when we are coming up with initiatives like Digital University, this new-age course will give further impetus to enhancing the reach of quality and affordable education to the last mile as well as boosting employability.

“In addition to the certificate, diploma, and degree level programme for the online BS course launched today, he also suggested IIT Madras family design a most basic module for all those who aspire to equip themselves with relevant skills of the digital and electronics ecosystem. India should not only remain a consumer of technology but also build its own manpower,” he said.

“This online course by IIT Madras will serve the dual purpose of improving the competencies of our existing workforce and preparing the workforce of the future,” he added.
To accomplish the mission of making IIT education more accessible to all, the fee for the BS in Electronic Systems programme has been kept affordable with additional scholarships being provided to students belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories and those with family incomes of less than Rs. 5 Lakh Per Annum, ensuring inclusivity.

“Students graduating from this program can find job opportunities in industries such as Automotive, Semiconductor, and Defence, among others, for positions like- Electronic System Designer, Embedded System Developer, Electronic Hardware Specialist, System Testing Engineer Electronics Research Engineer. The Graduates can also pursue higher studies in their area of interest,” he said.

Pradhan said that students who are in Class XII in 2023 can apply and secure admission and join the program after they successfully clear Class XII. Students pursuing any other academic program currently (as permitted under current UGC regulations) or working professionals can also apply and upskill themselves in this area.

The program comprises a mix of theory and laboratory courses that will be taught by IIT Madras faculty and experts in the industry. As part of the courses, students will be provided with recorded video lectures, reading materials, weekly assessments, tutorials and interactive doubt-clearing sessions, all of which can be done online. The laboratory courses require the students to be mandatorily present in person at IIT Madras for about two weeks every semester.