# IIT Madras opens School Connect applications for October 2026 batch 2026-09-16T00:51:36+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet IIT Madras has opened applications for the October 2026 cohort of its School Connect program, now expanded to include Class IX students for the first time alongside Classes X, XI and XII. The deadline to apply is 30 September 2026, and courses begin 5 October 2026. The program offers 17 discipline-based courses, including Data Science and AI, Aerospace, Cybersecurity, and Molecular Engineering, delivered online over eight weeks by faculty from IIT Madras and other institutes. Courses are available in English and Hindi, with seven more regional languages under development. School Connect has partnered with over 4,900 schools, including more than 60 outside India, and has benefited over 1.75 lakh students. IIT Madras' Centre for Outreach and Digital Education now aims to expand the program to 25,000 schools across the country. Students completing the course receive an official e-certificate from IIT Madras CODE. ## Indian Opinion Analysis IIT Madras' School Connect is a rare example of a top technical institute intervening at the school level, an area usually left to private ed-tech firms or state boards. By adding Class IX, the institute signals that career clarity is expected to start a full year before the stream-choice pressure of Class XI. The real measure of success will be whether the targeted expansion to 25,000 schools is achieved, the program's current reach of 4,900 schools suggests a five-fold increase is ambitious. For context, India has over 1.5 million schools, so even the target represents about 1.6% penetration. The next deadline to watch is 30 September 2026, after which enrolment numbers will indicate if the class IX expansion and regional language push are gaining traction. ## Coverage - iitm.ac.in Tags: Andrew Thangaraj, IIT Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Madras Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/iit-madras-opens-school-connect-applications-for-october-2026-batch/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/iit-madras-opens-school-connect-applications-for-october-2026-batch/#story-in-brief