IIT-KGP director Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, chief guest Prof Man Mohon Sharma with Pavni R V, recipient of the Director’s gold medal for 2016-17. (Source: Express Photo/Partha Paul)
Innovation was the key word at IIT Kharagpur’s 63rd annual convocation Sunday and speakers highlighted the importance of research and doctoral programmes that, they said, were critical to India’s growth and prosperity. Chief guest Man Mohan Sharma, chemical scientist and former director of University Department of Chemical Technology, said the country will have to give a thrust “to innovations which turn ideas into profitable ventures”. He said post-graduate and doctoral studies were critical for this and cited the example of the US that has benefited from “doctoral programmes and students from all over the world and India” who have a prominent presence.
“We should assiduously try to get doctoral students… from different parts of the world, and particularly from neighbouring countries. These doctoral students become our future ambassadors which the political system cannot easily realise,” Sharma said. He set a target for IITs to increase PhD intake by 2025. “We believe the prosperity of a nation critically hinges on the number of PhDs per million population. There is now a commitment that by 2020 the intake for PhDs in the five older IITs and IIT Guwahati will be 10,000. This will be a landmark achievement. However, we should finally endeavour, say, by 2025, that the output of PhDs is one per faculty member per year.”
IIT Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti said the institute had embarked upon Vishwajeet — a five-year programme to increase doctoral and post-doctoral research. “The institute envisages to develop six world-class technology centres of excellence on transportation technologies, digital convergence technologies, affordable next-generation health care technologies, geosciences innovation for the future of the Earth, advanced manufacturing technologies and innovation infrastructure design,” he said.
The convocation was held on August 5 and 6. The institute gave degrees to over 2,500 students of BTech, BArch, five-year integrated MSc and 144 two-year MSc. On August 6, degrees were awarded to 268 PhDs, among others. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a video message that the institute must give a thrust to innovation. “Those who are into research, I value them the most because India lacks in innovation. And we must at a very fast rate start innovating,” he said.
IIT Kharagpur also honoured 14 alumni with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Among the awardees were chief editor of The Indian Express Raj Kamal Jha, director of Indian Statistical Institute Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, chairman and MD of Goa Shipyard Ltd Shekhar Mital, West Bengal police chief Surajit Kar Purkayastha, founder and CEO of Mapmygenome India Anuradha Acharya and others. Jha said: “Thank you very much, the board of governors, the director and the deans for affirming that an IIT education is not just about shining the light, it is also about jumping into the dark. I share this award with my colleagues at The Indian Express.”
