<span style="color: #222222;">Technology is changing the educational landscape. It breaks almost all barriers, bringing quality education at the doorsteps of people. Though it cannot replace mainstream classroom education, it serves as an alternative platform to study even cutting edge technologies. The online B.Sc. Data Science course being offered by the Madras IIT is an example. The institute's director Dr V Kamakoti says there are a huge number of takers for the novel course, from the length and breadth of the country.</span><br />''<br />''It is being said that technology is an enabler. In developing skills and educating the masses, it has provided an efficient platform. The Covid lockdown period has ably demonstrated its power to educate the masses. But, is online education in emerging fields, that too from prestigious institutions, possible? Yes, says the Madras IIT. It has launched an online B.Sc. degree course, in Data Science.<br />''<br />''The online course has attracted thousands of students from across the country, says its Director Dr V Kamakoti. He told reporters recently, more than 1500 students from Tamil Nadu alone have enrolled for the online course, and they have got responses from the entire country. He said the online education mode in such emerging fields effectively breaks the barriers for the poor students and democratizes quality education. He further said, to support students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, IIT Madras is providing scholarships and fee waivers for the course.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">This first-of-its-kind programme makes it possible for students to study in IIT, Madras without writing the JEE.</span><br />