Moments from IIT KGP 70th convocation.
Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), T.V. Narendran, lauded the institute’s foray into medical education and said it is the first IIT in the country to do so, at his address at the institute’s 70th convocation on December 30.
Mr Narendran, who serves as the Chief executive officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Tata Steel Limited, also highlighted that IIT-KGP is set to expand its scope of health education with a medical college under the name of Dr B.C. Roy Multi-Specialist Research Centre.
“IIT Kharagpur has become the first IIT in India to broaden its educational scope by offering both MBBS and postgraduate medical programs, along with healthcare services, through strategic partnerships with AIIMS Kalyani and AIIMS Delhi,” he said.
“In addition, the institute is poised to take another giant leap by establishing a Medical College under the visionary name of the Dr. B.C. Roy Multi-Specialist Research Centre, alongside the expansion of allied health education,” he added.
IIT-KGP Director Virendra Kumar Tewari said to improve the connectivity of the upcoming medical institution and multispeciality hospital, a 1.55 km long, 5.50m wide bituminous road was also constructed this year.
“At the same time, a multi-storey (G+7) facility is being constructed to accommodate 56 staff…. The total plinth area of the proposed facility is about 4925 sqm with 56 parking places for the occupants costing ₹ 22.50 Cr,” Mr Tewari announced at the convocation.
It is worth noting that in December this year, following directions of the Union Ministry of Education, the IIT-KGP administration ordered the relocation of staff and infrastructure from Dr. B.C. Roy Technology Hospital (BCRTH) on campus to the new 400-bed Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Superspeciality Hospital (SPMSH) on the outskirts of campus in Balarampur, leading to widespread protests among students and faculty.
In the convocation on Monday, IIT-KGP awarded 3,456 degrees, including 480 PhDs, 3 Dual Doctoral degrees, and 700 B.Tech (Hons.) degrees, among others.
The President’s Gold Medal, the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal, 13 Distinguished Alumnus Awards, 7 Life Fellow Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award were also awarded during the 70th convocation ceremony, to honour individual contributions to science, humanities, etc.
The CEO of Pinnacle Infotech, Bimal Patwari, has been awarded the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award of IIT Kharagpur for 2024.
Mr Narendran and Mr Tewari were among the many dignitaries present at the 70th convocation of IIT-KGP. Renowned academics like Pradeep K Khosla, Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego, and Bhushan Patwardhan, National Research Professor, Ayush, and distinguished professor of Savitribai Phule Pune University were also present at the convocation.
According to Mr Narendran, IIT-KGP boasts 21 academic departments, 11 schools, and 25 centres, including 12 Centres of Excellence and 2 Academies in a sprawling 2,200 acre-campus. Presently, the institute has 17000 students, 770 faculty members, 930 staff members and over 1240 projects.
Published – December 31, 2024 12:39 pm IST