Overview
- At IIT Madras’s July 2026 convocation, 45-year-old Jigisha Tailor and her 21-year-old son Aditya Kapadia were invited on stage together to collect a diploma for her and a BS degree for him.
- Jigisha returned to study after leaving a 16-year teaching career in 2019 and enrolled in the online programme in late 2022 at her son’s encouragement.
- Aditya began the IIT Madras online BS in Data Science and Applications in 2021 during the Covid-era shift to online learning and finished the degree in 2024.
- The programme’s flexible model — one or two courses per semester for part-time learners, live doubt-clearing sessions, online proctored exams and peer WhatsApp groups — helped Jigisha balance studies with household duties.
- Aditya secured a full-time data science role at Syngenta after an internship and Jigisha has paused job hunting to support her younger son while considering a return to teaching, a trajectory that shows how recognized online degrees can enable midcareer upskilling and family‑friendly pacing.