IIT Madras is working towards providing educational opportunities for students from backward classes.
What’s it about? With the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the 10% quota for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions, IIT Madras has initiated Anaivarukkum IITM (IIT Madras for all). It recently granted admission to 87 students from corporation schools in the BS programme under the initiative.
- The university provides income-based scholarships of up to 75% for students pursuing a BS degree. Those who qualified in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing Development Corporation (TAHDCO) get full financial support.
- The course is designed with multiple entries and exit points for flexibility to earn a degree, diploma, or certificate. Those who graduate with a BS degree are eligible for GATE to pursue MTech.
Necessity: IIT Madras director Professor V Kamakoti said there needs to be a mechanism to uplift students from EWS. He spoke of his experience being from a rural background and the limited opportunity for quality education.