New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras honored 1,842 NPTEL Stars from South India at a celebration event held on its campus on July 10, 2026. initiatives.The January-April 2026 semester recorded 36.8 lakh enrollments on the NPTEL-SWAYAM platform, while 10,763 students across the country were recognized with the NPTEL Star. Of them, 8,011 students received this opportunity for the first time. South Zone accounted for 1,842 of the identified students.Recognition of formal educationThe NPTEL star is awarded to students who complete and pass multiple NPTEL courses per semester. Depending on the number of approved courses, students receive honors in categories including Believer, Discipline Star, Super Star and Mega Star.The January-April 2026 semester offered 973 online courses in engineering, science, management, humanities and various disciplines. Around 12.6 lakh students also registered for the mock exams which were held in more than 200 cities.
IIT Madras honors 1,842 NPTEL stars from South India for its world-class education.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Studies), IIT Madras, said, “The true success of NPTEL is not only measured by the millions of people enrolled, but by the lives it has changed. From the beginning, NPTEL has wanted to make IIT education accessible to everyone, and today is the world’s largest MOOCiti. NPTEL’s talent is available wherever opportunities are available.“Students share their experiencesThe event showcased several students whose academic and professional journeys were made through NPTEL.Among them was Gokulapriya C, three-time NPTEL Superstar and NPTEL Pre-Doctoral Fellow, who completed 23 courses before NPTEL accepted the PhD program in Marketing at IIT Roorkee.She said, “I want every woman who wants to re-enter the workforce after getting married to hear this: with certainty, we can achieve anything at any time.”B. Satyaramamanohar A, Head of Department and NPTEL SPOC at Bhimavaram Institute of Engineering and Technology, has completed 49 NPTEL courses and received 19 Star recognition. He said, “There are many online courses available, but NPTEL stands out from the rest, because it is well organized, with good quality videos and activities.”Fellowship and GATE tests The program also highlighted the NPTEL Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, which enables advanced students to work with the IIT team on research projects while receiving financial support.Another option that was highlighted was the NPTEL-GATE portal, which provides free resources including live tutorials, mock tests and previous year papers. According to IIT Madras, several GATE toppers, including Biotechnology AIR 1 Arnab Paul, used the platform for preparation.