For students living in Tier-2 and Tier-3 town colleges, IITs provide opportunities. Five IITs will offer diplomas, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees starting in the upcoming academic year in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation.
For students attending colleges in Tier-2 or Tier-3 towns, attending an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is typically seen as an aspirational goal. Now, five IITs (Kanpur, Patna, Guwahati, Mandi, and Ropar) are going to challenge this idea. In collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the aforementioned IITs, students enrolled in Tier-2 or Tier-3 town colleges will also be eligible to receive an IIT tag for the 2024–2025 academic year by choosing a minor specialization, diploma, bachelor's, or master's degree.
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NSDC CEO Ved Mani Tiwari told The Hindu that this opportunity will be available to students. "IITs have opened their doors to students who would like to pursue a certificate or diploma program from IITs or who are currently enrolled in an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and would like to pursue a short-term skilling program through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas schemes. All the skilling programs will be facilitated via the Skill India Digital platform," stated Mr Tiwari.
Credit-Based Learning
The classes will be offered on a credit-based schedule; completing 10–18 credits is required for an IIT minor specialization. "There will be a mention of minor specialization from IIT, even though the core degree will be awarded by the instituting university to which the college is affiliated," he added. An IIT would require a total of 160 credits in a four-year undergraduate program to award a Bachelor of Science degree. "It is proposed to deliver an 18-credit skill component through Skill India Digital (SID) via a strategic delivery partner, out of a total of 160 credits," Mr Tiwari continued. Additionally, the student must complete 62 credits to receive an executive MTech. Of those credits, 12 are skill components that will be offered through NSDC's strategic delivery partner on the SID portal. For example, the three organizations—IIT-Patna, NSDC, and Teamlease—have worked together to develop a three-year Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) degree program. The 155-credit program will be divided into nine credits (three credits per year) that will be obtained through skill-based programs provided in partnership with Teamlease and NSDC and 146 academic credits that will be awarded by IIT-Patna.
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NEP-Aligned Programs
All programs have been created with multiple entry and exit options following the National Education Policy (NEP). "A foundational certificate in the first year, a diploma in the second, a bachelor's degree in the third, and an honours degree in the fourth year are the options available to any student enrolled in the four-year online UG program," Mr Tiwari stated. According to him, students enrolled in a 12-month PG Diploma program can continue their studies to earn a master's degree from the IIT after completing the PG Diploma, which applies to the two-year executive MTech program.
Flexibility and Quality Assurance
Furthermore, candidates can decide against enrolling in the MTech program in favour of the 12-month PG Diploma. After their first semester toward their PG diploma, students may opt out and receive a PG certification. "There is no cap on the admission intake; admission must occur through an online entrance examination, as these courses will be offered in an online mode," Mr Tiwari stated.
Source: The Hindu
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