The four-year online Bachelor of Science programme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence offered by IIT-Guwahati is witnessing strong enrolment growth, with its flexible exit options emerging as a key driver. In an interview to PTI the institute’s director, Prof Devendra Jalihal, said, “Launched in 2023 as a four-year programme with flexible exit options from the second year onwards, the online course had 700 students in its first batch, 1,000 in the second and 1,400 in the third. At this pace, enrolment is expected to reach 5,000 in the next five years.”
The flexible structure, implemented under the Multiple Entry and Exit System (MEES) for undergraduate programs, implemented across Indian higher education institutions under the guidelines of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, allows students to leave the programme after specified stages with recognised qualifications, making it accessible to learners who may not be able to commit to four full years.
Introduced as part of the IIT Guwahati’s efforts to widen participation in AI and Data Science education, the system has drawn increasing interest from students across the country. Even as demand for the online programme grows, IIT-Guwahati continues to push classroom-level adoption of AI in the region.
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Prof Jalihal said the institute has played a central role in supporting the Assam government’s decision to introduce Artificial Intelligence as a subject in Class 11. “AI has been introduced as a subject in Class 11 in Assam government schools. Since it is new, teachers required training. The first batch of 126 teachers from across the state was trained here this year,” he said.
The training was conducted at the Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (MFSDS&AI) at IIT-Guwahati, which also offers formal academic programmes in the discipline. In addition to training teachers, the institute has assisted the state in preparing learning material.
Two IIT-Guwahati faculty members, Prof Shymanta M Hazarika of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Assistant Prof Debanga Raj Neog of MFSDS&AI, along with Sadiq Hussain of Dibrugarh University, have co-authored the AI textbooks for schools.
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“The Class 11 textbook has already been released, and the Class 12 book will be out soon,” Neog said. The subject is currently offered as an elective, with plans to translate the textbooks from English into local languages, including Bodo.
IIT-Guwahati’s training programmes have already extended beyond Assam. Prof Jalihal noted that teachers from Bhutan were trained in Data Science and AI at the institute two years ago, with another batch expected next year.
“The teachers’ training programme will be expanded to other northeastern states as well. We have already had discussions with the Tripura education minister,” he said.
Despite the institute’s expanding outreach, Prof Jalihal observed that very few students from the Northeast had enrolled in the online Data Science and AI course. To address this, IIT-Guwahati approached Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu to nominate students for a mentoring initiative. “We wanted students from villages, small towns and government schools. About 250 students from 28 districts were sent to us. They spent a month at the institute and received guidance,” he said.
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Following the mentoring programme, 80 students qualified for the online course through a test, and 72 have received admission offers, all with full fee waivers. Prof Jalihal said IIT-Guwahati remains committed to expanding opportunities in Data Science and AI as these technologies begin to shape everyday life across sectors.
