Set up in 1988, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is a scientific society of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, carrying out Research and Development (R&D) in IT, electronics and associated areas. Different thematic areas of C-DAC's research include high performance computing, grid and cloud computing, multilingual computing, professional electronics, software technologies, cyber security, health informatics, ubiquitous computing, and education & training.

As an institution for high-end R&D, C-DAC has been at the forefront of the IT revolution in the country, constantly building capacities in emerging technologies, and innovating and leveraging its expertise, calibre and skill sets to develop and deploy IT products and solutions for diverse sectors. It has resulted in the emergence of a high-quality intellectual resource base at C-DAC in the form of expert teams with specialised knowledge of various facets of advanced computing.

With such a rich resource base at its command, C-DAC set up the Advanced Computing Training School (ACTS) in 1993 to meet the ever-increasing skilled manpower requirements of the Information Communication Technologies (ICT) industry as well as supplement its intellectual resource base for cutting-edge research and development. Over the years C-DAC has designed and delivered various postgraduate and undergraduate degree and diploma programmes. In addition, C-DAC imparts ICT training to state and national governments and agencies, strategic sectors, corporate and industries, foreign countries and international students, based on specific requirements.

Presently C-DAC is offering Post Graduate Diploma courses through its centres located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Patna, Pune, Silchar and Thiruvananthapuram. PG Diploma courses are also offered by C-DAC’s Authorised Training Centres in Bhubaneswar, Indore, Jaipur, Karad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, New Delhi, Patna and Pune. Each year, thousands of students are trained at these centres, enhancing their knowledge-base and equipping them with the latest methodologies in advanced computing so as to make their mark in the ICT industry. So far more than 3 lakh students have passed out from C-DAC. Many of them are successful employees of multi-national and premier Indian ICT companies today, and many more have become booming entrepreneurs.

C-DAC has made strong presence globally by providing visibility and brand name for India through establishing state-of-the-art IT Training Centres and projects in many developing countries like Ghana, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Tanzania, Belarus, Armenia, Lesotho, Seychelles, Syria, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Peru, Palestine, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Panama, Commonwealth of Dominica, Egypt, Morocco, Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Cook Islands, Namibia, Sao Tome & Principe, Jordan, Argentina & Solomon Islands, in close association with Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India. C-DAC has also conducted specialised training for students from more than 100 countries.

ü    C-DAC has been awarded as the 'Most Popular Training Institute in India' at the Electronics For You Awards.

ü       C-DAC received ‘Manthan 2019 Award’ for outstanding contribution in the        Skill Ecosystem - Training Category by the Telecom Sector Skill Council.

C-DAC's Post Graduate Diploma courses are full-time courses of 900 hours (approx 30 calendar weeks). The list of PG Diploma courses being offered in September 2021 along with their eligibility criteria and fees is given in Table 1. Details of these courses are given in Section 17 of this Admission Booklet.

All PG Diploma classes of September 2021 batch will be held in ONLINE mode. Students are required to have laptops/PCs with high-speed uninterrupted internet connection, webcam and microphone to effectively participate in the course from their homes or personal places. It is not advisable to join the online classes from mobile phones.

Graduate in Engineering (10+2+4 or 10+3+3 years) in IT / Computer Science / Electronics / Telecommunications / Electrical / Instrumentation.

OR

In addition to the common eligibility criteria given above, candidates with the course-specific qualifications mentioned in Table 1 are ALSO ELIGIBLE for the particular courses. Minimum percentage of marks required in the qualifying examination is also stated in Table 1. The minimum percentage of marks will be considered as per the norms of the university from where the candidate has graduated.

Table 1: C-DAC's PG Diploma courses and their eligibility criteria.

Laptop/PC configuration, and hardware, software and network specifications required for the online classes are given in Section 18 of this Admission Booklet.

There is no age restriction for admission to C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses. Candidates who have appeared for the final examination of their qualifying degree in 2021 will also be considered for admission to the above courses. By qualifying in C-DAC's admission tests of August 2021, such university result-awaiting candidates can apply for provisional admission in September 2021 batch, subject to the condition that:

(a)   All parts of their qualifying degree examination shall be completed by the date of joining the course, and

(b)   Proof of having passed the qualifying degree with at least the required minimum marks shall be submitted at C-DAC by 31 January 2022.

·      Well established courses with excellent placement records.

·      30-week (approx) full-time courses with 900 hours' theory + lab + project.

·      6 hours per day theory + lab sessions on 6 days a week in most centres.

·      Continuous lab and internal assessments during the course.

·      Centralised course-end theory exams across all centres.

·      Courses designed and developed in consultation with the domain experts in C-DAC, academia and ICT industry.

·      Expert faculty from C-DAC and ICT industry with widespread domain knowledge.

·      Tutorials, hands-on and projects relevant to the standards of the ICT industry.

·      Special training on aptitude, effective communication and interview skills.

·      Extensive placement orientation and region-wise common campus placements.

Across India, C-DAC is offering Post Graduate Diploma courses through its centres located in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Noida, Patna, Pune, Silchar, and Thiruvananthapuram. Post Graduate Diploma courses are also offered by C-DAC’s Authorised Training Centres (ATC) in Bhubaneswar, Indore, Jaipur, Karad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, New Delhi, Patna, and Pune. The address and contact details of these training centres can be found at http://cdac.in/index.aspx?id=cdaccenters and also in Section 19 of this Admission Booklet. Table 4 shows the courses offered and the seat capacity at various training centres of C-DAC in the September 2021 batch.

Table 4: PG Diploma seat capacity at C-DAC’s training centres.

Admissions to all PG Diploma courses of September 2021 batch are done through C-DAC's Common Admission Test (C-CAT) that will be conducted in computerised mode physically at C-DAC’s test centres on August 7 and August 8, 2021. Candidates have to apply for C-CAT online at www.cdac.in or acts.cdac.in. Candidates who clear the August 2021 C-CAT will only be considered for admission to C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses of September 2021 batch on the basis of their C-CAT ranks and centre/course preferences.

7.1 C-CAT Test Papers

C-CAT has three sections (Section A, Section B, Section C) of one hour duration each. As shown in Table 5, depending on the category of courses selected by the candidate, he/she will have to either appear for just one test paper (Section A) or two test papers (Section A and Section B) or all the three test papers (Section A, Section B and Section C). The medium of C-CAT is English.

Every section in C-CAT will have 50 objective-type questions. Each question will have four choices as possible answers of which only one will be correct. There will be +3 (plus three) marks for each correct answer, -1 (minus one) for each wrong answer, and 0 (zero) marks for each un-attempted question. The maximum mark a candidate can obtain in any one section of C-CAT is 150.

Table 5: Categories of PG Diploma courses and the corresponding test paper(s) in C-CAT.

7.2 C-CAT Syllabus

Table 6a: Indicative syllabus of the different sections of test papers in C-CAT.

The list of reference books for the various topics of C-CAT is given in Table 6b. Candidates are, however, advised to read more books than the ones specified in this table.

Table 6b: Reference books for the various topics in C-CAT.

7.3 C-CAT Schedule

C-CAT for admission to the September 2021 batch of PG Diploma courses will be held in computerised mode physically at C-DAC’s test centres on August 7 and August 8, 2021. The tentative schedule for different test papers of C-CAT is given in Table 7. The exact schedule of C-CAT will be communicated to the candidates through the Admit Card.

Table 7: Tentative schedule of August 2021 C-CAT.

7.4 C-CAT Cities

C-CAT will be conducted in computerised mode in various cities across India. The list of cities where C-CAT will be conducted in August 2021 is given in Table 8. Candidates need to give 3 choices of cities while filling the online C-CAT application form. Refer to Section 14(b) of this Admission Booklet regarding C-CAT city preferences and allocation. All C-DAC test centres will adhere to the safety precautions issued by the government.

The C-CAT city once selected in the online application form cannot be changed unless approved in writing by C-DAC, subject to availability of seats on the requested city. All such signed letters of requests with proof of valid reasons should be received at actssupport@cdac.in before the last date of C-CAT application.

Table 8: Cities where C-CAT will be conducted in August 2021*.

*   C-DAC at its discretion may cancel any of the above C-CAT cities due to less number of candidates or any emergency situation arising out of pandemic/calamities or any other relevant reasons. Refer to Section 14(b) regarding C-CAT city preferences and allocation.

Candidates can download their admit cards from C-DAC’s website during the dates mentioned under Important Dates. The venue, date and time of C-CAT will be communicated to the candidates on the admit cards. Instructions for appearing C-CAT will also be given on the admit card. Candidates must appear for C-CAT on the date and time at the venue specified on the admit card. The examination fee will not be refunded to candidates who are absent or coming late for C-CAT.

No candidate will be permitted to appear for C-CAT without a valid admit card. The admit card along with a photo identity proof must be presented to the C-CAT officials/invigilators for verification at the time of the test.

No candidate will be permitted to appear for CCAT without a valid admit card. The admit card along with a photo identity proof must be presented to the CCAT officials/invigilators for verification at the time of the test.

Candidates can download their admit cards from C-DAC’s website during the dates mentioned under Important Dates. The date and time of C-CAT will be communicated to the candidates on the admit cards. Instructions for appearing C-CAT from the candidate homes will also be given on the admit card. Candidates must appear for C-CAT on the date and time specified on the admit card. The examination fee will not be refunded to candidates who are absent or joining late for C-CAT.

C-CAT fee structure is given in Table 9. Candidates may note that the C-CAT fee once paid is not refundable.

Table 9: Category-wise C-CAT fee (inclusive of GST).

After filling the online C-CAT application form, the examination fee must be paid online. It can be paid using credit/debit cards through the payment gateway that will be opened upon clicking the 'Online' option of the 'Make Payment' step on the main menu of the application. Candidates are advised to follow the instructions/steps given on the payment gateway, and also print/save the transaction details for their records.

On receiving the examination fee at C-DAC, the ‘Make Payment’ step on the main menu of the online application will be tick-marked, and the status of payment will be updated on the ‘Status Check’ menu. The pdf application form obtained by clicking the ‘View/Print Application Form’ on the main menu will now have the transaction details of the payment made. Candidates facing any issues during online payment may contact C-DAC ACTS Pune through phone (020-25503143) or email (actssupport@cdac.in).

Candidates will be provided ranks based on their performances in Section A, Sections A+B, Sections A+B+C of C-CAT. If a candidate appears for multiple sections and qualifies in them, he/she will be provided multiple ranks. For example, if a candidate appears for Sections A and B by choosing Category II in the application form, he/she will be provided two ranks: (i) based on the performance in Section A, and (ii) based on the performance in Sections A+B.

Candidates with the lowest 10% performances in any of the sections (A or B or C) of C-CAT will not be qualified for ranking in that particular section and its higher sections. Even after the removal of the lowest 10% performers as stated above, if there exist candidates in any section with zero or less than zero marks, then these candidates will also not be qualified for ranking.

All qualified candidates will be awarded Category I ranks based on their performance in Section A. Qualified candidates who have selected Category II in the C-CAT application form will be awarded Category I and II ranks based on their performances in Sections A and A+B. Qualified candidates who have selected Category III will obtain Category I, II and III ranks based on their performances in Sections A, A+B and A+B+C.

Tie-Breaker Rule: If two or more candidates have acquired the same marks in Section A or Sections A+B or Sections A+B+C, then the candidate having more marks in Section A will be given the higher rank. If these candidates have the same marks in Section A also, then the candidate having higher value in the ratio of ‘number of correct answers / number of attempted questions’ in the specific section required only for that category of courses will be given the higher rank. Candidates who have the same value of this ratio, and having the same total as well as Section-A marks will be given the same C-CAT rank.

Admissions to C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses at various training centres will be offered in the order of ranks obtained in C-CAT and based on the preferences of courses and centres given by the candidates during online counselling. Only those candidates who are in the C-CAT rank-list will be considered for admissions to C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses.

Rank-lists of August 2021 C-CAT are only applicable for admission to the September 2021 batch of C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses. Candidates should note that mere appearance in C-CAT or being in any of the rank-lists neither guarantees nor provides any automatic entitlement to admission. Qualified candidates will have to apply for admission as per the prescribed procedure.

C-DAC’s PG Diploma admission process has two counselling sessions and three rounds of seat allocations. Counselling means online filling of preferences of courses and training centres by the candidates.

·      There are two rounds of seat allocations based on the first counselling. This means that using the course-centre preferences given by the candidates during the first choice filling, two rounds of seat allocations (Round 1 and Round 2) will be done. Further details of the first counselling and first/second rounds of seat allocations are given in Sections 16(f-j) of this Admission Booklet.

Depending on their C-CAT ranks, candidates will be allocated seats strictly based on the order of preferences of courses and centres given by them during the counselling. If some candidates' ranks are not good enough to get them their top preferences in the first round of seat allocations, they may be offered their lower preferred courses/centres depending on their ranks. Such candidates may be allocated their higher-preferred course/centre in the second round of seat allocation, depending on their ranks. However, if candidates get their first preference in the first round of seat allocation itself, then that will be their final allocated seat and there will be no change for them in the second round of seat allocations. The seats allocated in the second round are final and there will be no further change in them.

·      Through the second counseling, candidates who have not got/confirmed admission are given one last chance to online fill their preferences of courses and training centres for the vacant seats that arise after the second round of admissions. The second counselling is scheduled after the payment of the first installment fee of the second round of seat allocation. The third round of seat allocation is based on the second counseling. The categories of candidates who are eligible to take part in the second counselling, and more details of the second counselling and third round of seat allocation, are given in Sections 16(k-l) of this Admission Booklet.

During both the counselling sessions, candidates will be permitted to give preferences for only those courses belonging to the category they had selected in the C-CAT application form. However, a candidate can give as many preferences of training centres and courses belonging to the applied C-CAT category.

Based on the C-CAT ranks, admissions to various courses at different training centres are offered in the order of preferences of courses and centres given by the candidate and the number of seats available for the courses at the particular centres. Therefore candidates must take utmost care while filling the order of preference of the courses and centres. Under any circumstance, a candidate will not be allocated another course/centre which was not given as a preference during the counselling stage.

12.1 Course Fee

The fee of all the PG Diploma courses offered by C-DAC is mentioned in Table 10. Government prescribed Goods & Services Tax (GST) rate shall be applicable at the time of payment of fee. The course fee includes expenses towards delivering online classes, conducting examinations, final mark-list and certificate, and placement assistance provided.

Table 10: September 2021 batch PG Diploma course fee.

The fee for all the PG Diploma courses is to be paid in two installments (details given below). Candidates may take note that no Demand Draft (DD) or cheque or cash will be accepted at any C-DAC training centre towards payment of any installment of course fees.

12.2 First Installment of Course Fee

The first installment course fee of Rs 10,000/- + GST on it as applicable at the time of payment (August/September 2021) is to be paid online as per the schedule given under Important Dates (Table 13). It can be paid using credit/debit cards through the payment gateway that will be opened upon clicking the 'Pay First Installment' button on the candidate's logged-in page on the C-DAC website. Candidates are advised to follow the guidelines given on the payment gateway, and also to print/keep the transaction details for their record.

On receiving the first installment fee at C-DAC, payment received message will be displayed when the candidate logs in on the C-DAC website and receipt of the first installment payment will be e-mailed to the candidate's registered email id. Candidates are advised to contact C-DAC Mumbai (022-27565308/26703251) regarding any issues they face during the payment of first installment of course fee.

12.3 Second (Final) Installment of Course Fee

The second installment fees of the various PG Diploma courses are given in Table 11. It is to be paid before 17 September 2021 through NEFT from any bank to the account of the C-DAC centre where the candidate is finally allocated for his/her PG Diploma course. For all authorised training centres of C-DAC, the payment is to be made to C-DAC Pune. GST will be applicable as prescribed by the government at the time of payment of fees.

Table 11: Second installment fees of the PG Diploma courses.

Candidates are advised to follow the steps given below for NEFT payment.

(a)      Click on "NEFT for 2^nd Installment" button that will be seen after logging in on the C-DAC website using candidate's Form No.

(b)      Print the NEFT form that will be opened. Details of the bank account to which the candidate has to transfer the second installment fee will be given on it.

(c)      If the candidate has personal net banking facility, he/she can make online transfer of the fees using the details given on the NEFT form.

(d)     If the candidate does not have personal net banking facility, submit the NEFT form at any bank having NEFT facility along with the fees amount.

(e)      Keep a record of the NEFT form with the UTR (unique transaction) number and other required details written on it. (Candidate has to submit it at the admitted centre while joining the course.)

(f)       After the NEFT payment, carefully enter the NEFT transaction (UTR) number, name of account holder (from whose account the money is transferred), city and IFSC of the bank (from where the money is transferred), and transaction date in the text boxes that will be appearing on candidate’s logged in page on the C-DAC website.

(g)      It may take up to 48 hours for the NEFT payment to be reflected on the Payment Status page.

On receiving and confirming the second installment at the allocated C-DAC centre, payment received message will be displayed when the candidate logs in on the C-DAC website. Candidates can download the receipt of the second installment payment and email it to their own registered email id. Candidates may contact their allocated centre regarding any issues they face during the payment of second installment fee as well as to know status of their payment.

Candidates must read and understand the rules pertaining to payment and refund of fees, before seeking admission to any course. No disputes regarding refunds will be entertained once the fees are paid.

If a course at a particular training centre is cancelled by C-DAC due to any reasons, the course fee paid will be refunded to the candidates. However, these candidates may be offered admission to (i) the same course at another training centre preferred by them where seats are available as per their ranks; or (ii) another course preferred by them at the same centre or another centre of their choice, where seats are available as per their ranks. In such cases, the candidates have the option to choose the alternate centre/course before withdrawing the course fee paid.

During verification of the certificates at the time of registration, if any candidate is found to be non-eligible for the admitted course, the first installment fee of Rs 10,000/- + its GST will not be refunded. Provisionally admitted students who are unable to produce the proof of qualification for the admitted course by 31 January 2022 will not be eligible for any refund of fees paid.

Candidates desiring to withdraw their admission during any stage of the admission process (i.e. before the date of commencement of the course) may do so by online filling the withdrawal form that can be accessed using their login on the C-DAC website. After submitting the form online, candidates should print the withdrawal form, sign, scan and email it to actssupport@cdac.in before the last date of withdrawal. Candidates should write ‘Request for withdrawal from PG Diploma admission’ as the subject of the email. No e-mail requests for withdrawal without attaching the signed withdrawal forms will be entertained. Online withdrawal entries without emailing the signed withdrawal forms will not be considered for withdrawal or refund. 

Withdrawal of admission by a candidate/student will attract penalties as given in Table 12. After deducting the penalty amount, the balance of fees paid (if any) will be refunded to the candidates/students within two months of commencement of the course. In Cases 1, 2 & 3 of Table 12, the signed withdrawal forms should reach C-DAC ACTS Pune (actssupport@cdac.in) before 5 pm on the last date mentioned.

Students desiring to withdraw their admission after the commencement of the course (Cases 4 & 5 in Table 12) may do so by submitting the prescribed withdrawal forms (that are available at the training centre) at the admitted centre. No e-mail requests for withdrawal will be entertained.

Table 12: Penalty on withdrawal of admission

The full caution deposit of Rs 10,000 + GST will be refunded to the candidates who are not allocated any seat in the third round of seat allocation based on the second counselling. However, the caution deposit will not be refunded to the candidates to whom any seats are allocated through the third round.

(a)  Candidate/student agrees that the information provided by them during application/ admission/ course through forms, emails, or other means are correct. Candidate/ student allows C-DAC to use the information provided by them for its own purposes, to the extent allowed by applicable laws, and contact them for communication through notification on its websites, emails, or SMS.

(b) The cities, dates, etc. for C-CAT are indicative/tentative and may change as per evolving COVID-19 related orders of the government and local authorities. Candidate agrees that while their city preferences for C-CAT will be taken into consideration for allotting test centres, C-DAC may allot any city or centre for operational and practical reasons at its own discretion.

(c)   Candidate/student agrees to provide reasonable additional information including, but not limited to, identification, fingerprint, audio / video surveillance, etc. for conduction or proctoring of physical or online examination for admission or course progression.

(d) C-DAC reserves the right to modify or cancel any parts of the Admission Booklet, processes and results including, but not limited to, exams, mode of exams, question papers, announced dates, courses, syllabus, cities, centres, intake capacities, ranks, seat allocation, candidatures, admissions, etc. as it deems fit, partly or wholly, at any stage without assigning any reasons thereof.

(e) All decisions of C-DAC with regards to the admission booklet, processes and results shall be final and binding on all candidates/students.

(f)   Application to the courses by candidates and/or admission in any of the courses by students shall indicate their acceptance of all Terms & Conditions, Conduct Rules, Dos & Don'ts, etc. as may be prescribed by C-DAC from time to time. C-DAC shall have the right to impose appropriate disciplinary and other penalties for violation of prescribed terms and rules, including cancellation of candidature, admission, placements, and/or award of PG Diploma.

(g)    In case a candidate is found to be non-eligible during any stage of the admission process or course delivery, his/her admission will stand cancelled with immediate effect and he/she will be subjected to the penalty clauses stated in section 13.

(h)  Use of any unfair means, coercion, inducement, violent, indecent, disorderly, threatening, or offensive behaviour or language by way of gesture, voice, writing, symbols, etc. shall constitute ground for suspension/expulsion from C-CAT and/or course, or debarment from joining/attending C-DAC examination(s) and/or course(s) in future. Decision of C-DAC in this regard shall be final and binding.

(i)    All communication from candidates must be made only to the email addresses and phone numbers given in relevant sections of this Admission Booklet. Sending emails or phone calling or messaging directly to officials of C-DAC or ATCs is prohibited.

Table 13: Important dates related to admission to C-DAC’s PG Diploma courses of September 2021 batch through the C-CAT of August 2021.