President Ramnath Kovind | File photo
SANGAREDDY: “Please dream big and aim high. Please take risks. The time to do it is now,” President Ram Nath Kovind exhorted a gathering of future technology leaders at the seventh convocation of Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad here on Sunday.
“As second-generation IITians”, he said, “it is important that you borrow as well as learn from the models of the past. Conditions now are different from those in the 1950s and 1960s. India has changed a lot. Technology and the very discipline of engineering have evolved. Aspirations are no longer limited to the heavy industrial base that was created six decades ago. Rather, IIT-Hyderabad has to remain relevant to the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ that will write the script of the 21st century.”
convocation ceremony at
IIT -
As many as 566 students graduated in various disciplines from the institute on Sunday and took a mass oath. The President handed over gold medals to four students for excellence in academia. Ibrahim Dala, who graduated in computer science and engineering, received the President of India Gold Medal.
Kovind, during his 10-minute-long address, said that Hyderabad had a long tradition of scientific discovery and application.
“I am told that there are as many as 19 research facilities and laboratories in Hyderabad. I have not even mentioned the private sector. Hyderabad-based companies are engaged in research in cutting-edge technologies, manufacturing of bio-pharmaceuticals and vaccines, and in the field of Information technology,” he said, adding that several CSIR, DST, DBT, DAE, DRDO and ISRO institutes and centres were based in the city.
“Individually these institutes are doing excellent work but the question is ‘Is their adequate cross-pollination?” he asked. “The true major objective of IIT-H cannot be restricted to grade point averages, campus placements or a number of research publications but please break out of silos. I would go to the extent of urging greater engagement with institutes like Indian School of Business and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research.” Kovind said.
Governor ESL Narasimhan, deputy chief minister Md Mahmood Ali, irrigation minister, T Harish Rao and several other dignitaries were present.
Girls outnumbered in STEM
The growing concern over fewer number of girls taking up science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses reflected in the convocation ceremony as a minority of 131 girls graduated against 435 boys. However, there is a considerable increase in the total number of graduates compared to last year. In 2017, 389 boys and 84 girls graduated. Currently, there are about 2,550 students studying at the institution and 20 per cent of them are women. This year, PhD students stole the limelight as 58 students, a considerable number, took the doctoral degree.
One of city’s pearls
IIT-Hyderabad was founded in 2008. It is one of 23 IITs
IITs are governed under the legislation of Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.
The sanctioned research grant for IIT-H is `350 crore.
This year, it has started new courses in Artificial Intelligence and Humanities.
Prof UB Desai is the director of the institute and BVR Mohan Reddy the board of governors.
All the students graduating this year wore handloom robes
