Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur will offer a 4-year Bachelor of Science (BS) in artificial intelligence (AI) in Bengali from the 2026 academic session after the institute’s Senate approves it, said Director Suman Chakraborty during a press meet on Tuesday at the outset of the Renaissance 2.0 programme at IIT Kharagpur Research Park.
Organised under the aegis of the institute's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, in collaboration with The Boston Pledge on its Silver Jubilee, the programme set the stage for a renewed civilisational dialogue and reimagining education for the 21st century.
“We are introducing a BS programme in AI from this academic season in Bengali, considering Bengali-speaking youngsters and giving importance to NEP 2020. It will be placed at the Senate for approval. It will be an inclusive online course. Entrance to this course will not be through JEE Main or Advanced like BTech; it will follow a model similar to IIT Madras’s BS programme. This will be the first BS programme launched by IIT Kharagpur. The intake capacity and other eligibility criteria will be discussed at the Senate. However, we hope to take as many students as can be managed in an online class,” said Chakraborty. Earlier, he shared that the main idea was that language should not be a barrier to technology learning.
A student will get a BS degree (equivalent to BTech and BSc) at the end of the 4-year online course, with provisions for campus placement. “It won’t be a problem to teach in Bengali, but some technical parts will be taught in English,” said a teacher, adding, “The content in BS programmes will be delivered online, whereas the exams are conducted in person at the institute. This allows students to learn from anywhere, irrespective of geographical location. The in-person exams ensure academic rigour and will fairly assess the quality of training.”
Drawing inspiration from the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago, Renaissance 2.0 is anchored in 4 transformative plenary dialogues designed to reimagine the foundational pillars of civilisation: reimagining education to awaken the whole human being; rethinking economic constructs beyond capitalism and socialism; guiding technological evolution through a framework of ‘Science with Soul’; and reawakening the spiritual vector to advance the vision of One Humanity.
Chakraborty said, “We reached a stage where we must undergo a major transformation in the education system we followed. One is teaching and learning; the other is preparing students to be future citizens who will build the country and the world. We want to create a framework for a ‘Renaissance in Education’ by integrating these subjects, coinciding with 75 years of IIT. We gathered experts, Nobel laureates, and economists to discuss this. We are looking at economic changes and development through a modern lens to initiate a collective change. We may not solve all problems, but we can highlight them to find a path forward, such as how to design a curriculum that goes beyond just academics to build the mindset of students, addressing issues like frustration and mental health. We will share the outcome from the discussions with the union education department and see if they can be integrated with NEP 2020.”
The inaugural session was attended by Sukanta Majumdar, Union minister of State for Education, alongside dignitaries Partha S. Ghosh, Chairman, The Boston Pledge, USA; Madhusudan Chakraborty, former director, IIT Bhubaneswar; Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group; Asoke Deysarkar, President, IIT Alumni Foundation US; Subrata Chattopadhyay, Emeritus Professor and Chair, Renaissance 2.0; and Padma Bhushan Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty. MSID:: 128754613 413 |