Guwahati, The IIT Guwahati would launch a Bachelor's course in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence to open up several career options like data engineering, data analytics, data architecture, among others, officials said on Wednesday.

 

According to the IIT Guwahati, the first batch of 20 students would be admitted in the institution through the JEE Advanced-2021 counselling process and the institute looks forward to welcoming them along with all new batch of students to other undergraduate branches of the institute.

This new programme is designed to be holistic in nature and would train students in topics related to Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI), with emphasis on relevant courses from other disciplines of science and engineering such as Computer Science, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, an official statement said.

This programme would be offered by the newly-established Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, set up with generous support from the Mehta Family Foundation, Houston, Texas, US, with a track record of having supported several institutes in the fields of education and healthcare.

IIT Guwahati Director, Prof T.G. Sitharam said that this new B. Tech. programme on DSAI being offered by the institution would be very attractive to train next generation data scientists and technologists for future predictions in multiple domains of business, technology implementation, healthcare sector, disaster management, policy formulation and managing large data sets, irrespective of the field they work in their careers.

He said that the vast opportunities that this field offers would fulfil the demands of having sufficiently qualified graduates to serve the nation in the future in areas requiring expertise in AI and data analytics.

There is a growing demand for highly trained professionals in the fields of DSAI, Sitharam said, adding that this newly introduced B. Tech programme would emphasise on extending training in both theoretical as well as practical perspectives.

The programme is expected to prepare the students to involve in major challenges emerging as a result of the business and innovation moving towards a more data-driven setup, contributing towards the growth of a new innovation-oriented India, he added.