IIT Madras Data Science Programme:- Timeline and Cast

Timeline of IIT Madras BS in Data Science & Applications Programme This timeline outlines the significant events and policy changes within the IIT Madras BS in Data Science & Applications programme, based on the provided student handbook excerpts.

Recurring Events (Occur multiple times per year/term):

Term Start: The programme operates on a three-term academic calendar: January-April, May-August, and September-December. Course Delivery: Course content is delivered online throughout each term. Weekly Assignments: Students are required to complete weekly assignments for enrolled courses. Quizzes: Two quizzes are conducted per term for each course. At least one must be attended to be eligible for the final exam. For students taking the Qualifier exam in the first attempt within a term, the qualifier score can be treated as the Quiz 1 score. In-Person Exams: Monthly quizzes and final semester exams must be attended in-person at designated centres. Qualifier Exam (Regular Entry): Conducted at the end of 4 weeks and again at the end of 8 weeks in every term for eligible candidates based on assignment scores. Direct Admission to Diploma (DAD) Qualifier Exam: Conducted three times a year on the same date as the end-term examinations. Registration Window Closes: Adding courses is not allowed after this point in a term. Dropping a Course: Permitted within the first 4 weeks of a term start date. Fees are partially refunded to the student wallet. Final End Term Exam: A 1.5-hour in-person exam for each course conducted at the end of a term. Accounts for 50% of the Total Course Score. Make Up Exams: Offered in the subsequent term for courses with an “I” (Incomplete) grade. Repeat Courses: Students can repeat courses for improvement or if they received certain failing or incomplete grades. Credit Transfer for NPTEL Courses: Can be applied for in the BSc/BS levels after completing NPTEL courses using the official IITM email. Process involves registering for the NPTEL exam, paying fees, and submitting an undertaking. Senate Meetings: Conducted three or four times a year for approval before generating original certificates. Certificate Delivery: Provisional and Original certificates are delivered after specific cut-off dates depending on the term of completion. Specific Events and Policy Implementation:

September 2021 Term (and before): Projects were included within theory courses for some students completing diplomas. For these students, only standalone projects (if any) completed at the diploma level will be counted towards the 7.0 CGPA eligibility criterion for entering the degree level. January 2024:Credit Transfer from courses conducted on the IITM campus comes into effect. BDM project evaluation changes to allow web scraping and analysis of data, with a maximum grade of D in this specific scenario. Changes in project grading (MAD1, MAD2, MLP) are in effect. Students who entered the Foundation or Diploma level in this term or before are not subject to the new completion checkpoints for these levels (applicable from May 2024). Students who qualified for JEE Advanced 2022 can directly join the Foundation level in this term (validity for JEE Advanced 2022 qualification started in Sep 2023). May 2024:Eligibility criteria for entering the BSc level based on a minimum CGPA of 6.0 in diplomas and 7.0 in diploma projects comes into effect for all students entering the degree level from this term. New completion checkpoints for students admitted to the Foundation level are applicable from this term. Students will be removed from the programme if they do not complete a minimum number of courses within specified terms. New checkpoints for students admitted to the Diploma level are applicable from this term. Students will be put on academic probation or removed from the programme if they do not complete a minimum number of courses and projects within specified terms. The Credit Clearing Capability (CCC) in the Foundation level becomes a recommendation rather than being strictly enforced for all students in the Foundation level (including those who entered before May 2024). Students who qualified for JEE Advanced 2023 can directly join the Foundation level in this term (validity for JEE Advanced 2023 qualification started in Sep 2023). September 2024 Term: New cities are added for exam centres. Students who qualified for JEE Advanced 2023 can directly join the Foundation level in this term. January 2025 Term: Students who qualified for JEE Advanced 2023 can directly join the Foundation level in this term (the final term of validity for JEE Advanced 2023 qualification). Programme Structure Milestones:

Foundation Level Completion: Requires successfully completing 8 courses (32 credits). Makes a learner eligible to enter the Diploma level. Diploma Level Completion: Requires successfully completing 6 courses (23 credits) and 2 project courses (4 credits) for each diploma (Programming and/or Data Science). Total of 54 credits for both. Successful completion makes a learner eligible for admission to the degree level (if other criteria are met). The maximum duration for completing the Diploma level is extended to 12 terms (applicable to all learners from the first batch who started in Sep 2021). BSc Degree Level Completion: Requires completing 114 credits as per the norms. Students who complete this level and quit the programme receive Alumnus status. BS Degree Level Completion: Requires completing 142 credits as per the norms. Includes the option of an Apprenticeship (4 or 12 credits) and mandatory credits from the HS/MG stream. Students who complete this level and quit the programme receive Alumnus status. Minor in Economics and Finance Completion: Can be earned only with the BS degree by completing 2 mandatory courses and one elective course. Learner Life Cycle Stages:

On the rolls/Active: When a learner is registered for one or more courses in a term. On Academic Probation: When a learner skips up to 2 consecutive terms without taking courses, or for students admitted to the Diploma level from May 2024 who don’t meet the checkpoint criteria in the first 3 terms. Struck off the rolls: If a learner on Academic Probation for 2 consecutive terms does not register in the next term. Requires re-admission fee and payment of pending RKA fees (with penalty) to reactivate registration. Removed from the programme if struck off twice. Quit the programme: Learner explicitly chooses to leave the programme. No reactivation for continuing is possible. Alumnus: Learners who complete the BSc or BS level and quit the programme. FL certified, DS certified, DP certified, Both diplomas certified: Status for learners completing Foundation or Diploma level(s) and quitting, without achieving Alumnus status. Prize Eligibility Milestones:

Completing Foundation + 2 Diplomas (86 credits): Eligible for Certificate of Merit (CGPA 9.00-9.50), Certificate of Academic Distinction (CGPA > 9.50), and Certificate of Academic Excellence (Highest CGPA). Graduating with BS Degree (142 credits): Eligible for Certificate of Merit (CGPA 9.00-9.50), Certificate of Academic Distinction (CGPA > 9.50), and Certificate of Academic Excellence (Highest CGPA). Completing Diplomas through Direct Admission: Eligible for prizes only in the highest CGPA category. Cast of Characters Based on the provided text, the principal entities and roles mentioned are:

IIT Madras BS Degree Office: The administrative body responsible for the Data Science & Applications programme. Located at the ICSR Building, IIT Madras, Chennai. IIT Madras: The institution offering the BS in Data Science and Applications programme. Its faculty teaches courses in the programme. Students/Learners/Candidates/Applicants: Individuals participating in or applying to the programme. They progress through different levels and statuses within the programme. Faculty of IIT Madras/Other Reputed Institutes: Educators who teach the courses in the programme. Experts from the Industry: Professionals who contribute to teaching courses in the programme. Admin team: Responsible for administrative tasks, including scheduling system compatibility tests. Exam vendor: The external entity responsible for booking slots for in-person quizzes and final exams in designated cities. BDM team: The group responsible for outlining the steps involved in the changed BDM project evaluation process. Steering committee: Decides the actual number of students awarded the Certificate of Academic Excellence. Companies: Potential partners for Apprenticeships offered at the BS level, with the option to provide pre-placement offers. Brief Bios (based on roles and responsibilities in the document):

IIT Madras BS Degree Office: Acts as the central administrative hub for the programme, providing support, managing policies, and overseeing regulations and procedures. IIT Madras: The overarching educational institution that has designed and launched the online BS programme, providing the academic framework, faculty expertise, and degree certification. Students/Learners/Candidates/Applicants: The participants in the programme, ranging from those applying for the Qualifier exam to those pursuing the BS degree. They navigate the programme’s structure, course requirements, and policies. Faculty of IIT Madras/Other Reputed Institutes & Experts from the Industry: The instructional staff who deliver the course content, bringing academic and practical knowledge to the learners. Admin team: Handles practical and logistical aspects of the programme’s operation, ensuring necessary technical checks are performed. Exam vendor: A third-party service provider facilitating the in-person examination process across different locations. BDM team: A specialised group within the programme administration responsible for defining and managing the evaluation process for the Business Data Management project. Steering committee: A decision-making body responsible for determining the number of top-performing students who receive the highest academic honour. Companies: External organisations that collaborate with the programme to provide real-world work experience opportunities through apprenticeships for BS-level students. NotebookLM can be inaccurate; please double-check its responses.