IIT Madras for All returns: 3,179 Chennai school students get a no-JEE route to IIT
By TUF News Desk · Published 29 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
For 3,179 school students in Chennai, the road to an IIT degree does not run through JEE. The Greater Chennai Corporation has relaunched its programme with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras for students of Classes 11 and 12 in corporation schools, and a two-day orientation that began on Wednesday is the first step.
The programme is called IIT Madras for All, known in Tamil as Anaivarukkum IITM. Its purpose is plain: introduce corporation school students to the Bachelor of Science degrees at IIT Madras, which admit students through a qualifying test instead of JEE scores, and then train them to clear that test.
What the orientation covers
The orientation runs over two days and takes students through the courses on offer, how admission works, and what careers each programme can lead to. According to the corporation, it reaches 3,179 students from 35 corporation schools.
Four programmes feature in the orientation: Data Science and Applications, Electronic Systems, Aeronautics and Space Technology, and Management and Data Science. Students hear about each one before they have to choose a direction.
K. Karpagam, Joint Commissioner (Education) with the Greater Chennai Corporation, told The New Indian Express: “Through this programme, we aim to guide the students and train them to clear the qualifying test.” She added that many students showed interest after the orientation held on Wednesday.
A programme that had gone quiet
The programme ran three to four years ago but was not followed up, Karpagam said. That gap is part of why the relaunch matters for this batch of students: the route existed on paper, but corporation school students were not being walked through it.
The wider programme itself goes back further. IIT Madras introduced it in 2022 to make its degrees reachable for students held back by economic conditions and limited digital access. The first batch of 87 students from government and corporation schools took up the BS degree in Data Science and Applications.
Why the no-JEE route matters
For students in corporation schools, JEE coaching is often out of reach in cost, distance, or both. The qualifying test route changes the entry point. Students still have to pass a test, but they prepare for it with the corporation and the institute behind them rather than on their own.
Cost is the other barrier the programme tries to lower. IIT Madras says its BS degrees carry income-based scholarships of up to 75 percent. Students weighing costs can also read our guide to scholarships for Indian university students before they apply.
The degrees themselves are flexible. The Data Science and Applications degree, introduced in 2021, runs for four years and lets students exit earlier with a certificate or diploma. Details are published on the official IIT Madras for All page and the official BS degree portal.
What students should do next
Students in the orientation should treat the qualifying test as the real target. The sessions explain the courses and the admission steps, but the test is what converts interest into a seat, so keeping track of the training schedule the corporation announces next is the practical next step.
For students still choosing between universities, our guide on how to choose a university in India covers fees, location, and course fit in the same order most families actually weigh them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the IIT Madras for All programme?
It is an IIT Madras initiative, run with the Greater Chennai Corporation for corporation school students, that prepares Classes 11 and 12 students for the institute’s Bachelor of Science degrees, which admit through a qualifying test rather than JEE scores.
Who is covered by the relaunched programme in Chennai?
Students of Classes 11 and 12 in Greater Chennai Corporation schools. The two-day orientation covers 3,179 students from 35 corporation schools.
Which IIT Madras programmes does the orientation introduce?
Data Science and Applications, Electronic Systems, Aeronautics and Space Technology, and Management and Data Science, along with their admission procedures and career options.
Do IIT Madras BS degrees need JEE scores?
No. Admission to these degrees runs through a qualifying test, and the corporation programme trains students to clear it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the IIT Madras for All programme?
It is an IIT Madras initiative, run with the Greater Chennai Corporation for corporation school students, that prepares Classes 11 and 12 students for the institute's Bachelor of Science degrees, which admit through a qualifying test rather than JEE scores.
Who is covered by the relaunched programme in Chennai?
Students of Classes 11 and 12 in Greater Chennai Corporation schools. The two-day orientation covers 3,179 students from 35 corporation schools.
Which IIT Madras programmes does the orientation introduce?
Data Science and Applications, Electronic Systems, Aeronautics and Space Technology, and Management and Data Science, along with their admission procedures and career options.
Do IIT Madras BS degrees need JEE scores?
No. Admission to these degrees runs through a qualifying test, and the corporation programme trains students to clear it.
Sources: The New Indian Express, IIT Madras, The Hindu