Verizon India and IIT Madras Announce a Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for BSc Programming and Data Science Students

• Furthering the cause of education, Verizon India has launched a Merit-cum-Means Scholarship called ‘V PROPEL’ in association with IIT Madras 
• Verizon India supports IIT Madras’ first-of-its-kind BSc degree in Programming and Data Science with preference given to meritorious women and students with disabilities 
  CHENNAI, 18^th March, 2021: Verizon India, an Information Technology driven Global Capability Centre (GCC) is collaborating with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT Madras) to launch  ‘V PROPEL‘ (V Provide Right Opportunity to Power Enabled Learning), a Merit-cum-Means Scholarship program for meritorious students who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue BSc in Programming and Data Science. V PROPEL aims to support meritorious students whose annual family income is less than INR 1 lakh. Through this scholarship program, select students will receive financial assistance for four academic terms. 
  Launched in 2020 by IIT Madras, this is a first-of-its-kind BSc in Programming and Data Science. It aims to eliminate barriers of age, discipline or geographic location and provide access to a world-class curriculum to aspirants in programming and data science. This will provide an opportunity for learners to pursue an undergraduate degree / diploma from IIT Madras regardless of age, location or academic background. In addition, the scholarship will give preference to meritorious women students and students with disabilities.    
  Verizon India is the first corporate to partner with IIT Madras to support this novel initiative with an objective to aid the learning journey of students from economically disadvantaged families. This unique virtual learning programme will be offered in three different stages - Foundation Level, Diploma Level and Degree Level. For more details about the BSc in Programming and Data Science from IIT Madras, please visit: https://onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in. 
  Highlighting the importance of the initiative, Mr. Vijayaraman Subramanian, Managing Director, Verizon India, said, “We are thrilled to be associated with IIT Madras for our third project and are very happy to be able to make a difference in the lives of these young aspirants coming from the underserved communities through V PROPEL. Building on our purpose and commitment to the communities around us, it is our endeavour to move the world forward for everyone by expanding digital access and preparing people for the jobs of the future. With this initiative in collaboration with a premier institute like IIT- Madras, we aim to provide a platform for students to build a career in Programming and Data Science which is a future-focussed domain and equip them with the knowledge and skills to become successful data scientists and data engineers of tomorrow.” 
  Highlighting the unique aspects of this initiative, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations), IIT Madras, said, “Verizon India has been a long-time supporter of our efforts in helping deserving students on their education journey. We are delighted to partner with them again to support financially distressed students in the BSc program in Programming and Data Science.”      
  Further, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula said, “According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data Science is one of the fastest growing sectors that is predicted to create 11.5 million jobs by 2026. The World Economic Forum predicts that by 2022, data analysts and scientists will be the most emerging job roles, globally. Hence, we chose a specialization in programming and data science.”            
  Verizon India and IIT Madras will be hosting a webinar on 25^th March 2021 bringing together students and young aspirants who wish to explore this scholarship program. Link to the webinar will be made available on https://onlinedegree.iitm.ac.in. 
  About Verizon India 
  Verizon is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a global leader in next generation communications technology, including 5G and the Internet of Things. Verizon India (Verizon Data Services India) is an extension of the global Verizon teams working on varied systems, applications and initiatives to help deliver the digital experiences that are vital to customers' lives and businesses' success. As an innovation-hub, Verizon India plays a critical role in both the development of new technologies and the day-to-day operation of Verizon’s business. Established in June 2001, Verizon India has a ~6000 -strong, diverse talent pool that operates out of Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 
  ABOUT IIT MADRAS 
  Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’ The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres. The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations. IITM is a residential institute with more than 580 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell. 
  IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ Category for the second consecutive year in India Ranking 2020 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for five consecutive years – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019 and 2020. ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of the Ministry of Education. 

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