An IIT-M release said the 8,154 students included 1,922 female and 6,232 male candidates from across India from various age groups and educational backgrounds. Of these, 1,593 learners were from Arts, Science and Commerce background, while 3,450 were from engineering background.

A total of 30,276 candidates had applied for the first qualifier process and were given access to the first month online classes of the programme. A content support team, specifically selected for this purpose, conducted nearly 400 hours of live sessions, to support the learning process.

“IIT-Madras is happy to welcome the first batch of students to the Foundation Level of B Sc Degree programme and will be doing everything possible to give a great learning experience to the students,” said IIT-M Director Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

The courses are delivered through a state-of-the-art online portal and students are given the opportunity to participate in live sessions to clarify their doubts. The exams are conducted in-person so that the academic rigor of the programme is maintained, the statement added.