Month: June 2022

IIT Kharagpur conducts Bharata Tirtha II – an International Conference on Indian Knowledge System

Under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge Systems (CoE-IKS), IIT Kharagpur organized an international conference on Indian Knowledge Systems – The Bharata Tirtha II from 14th to 18th June, 2022 in association with department of Physics, IIT Kharagpur and key knowledge partners including Indian History Awareness and Research (IHAR) Houston, USA, IHAR India, DHARA, Ode to Indian Knowledge System, the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education, Government of India. The conference which is a continuation of the programme Bharata Tirtha – I organized in November 2020 in association with Ministry of Education, was conducted in a hybrid mode in Gargi-Maitreyi Auditorium Complex of the Institute. The invocation ceremony witnessed the footfall of eminent speakers and experts including Mrs. Priyanka Chandra, Director, Ministry of Culture, Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur; and Prof Amit Patra, Deputy Director, IIT Kharagpur.

The following session conducted a debate on content and chronology of Indian history and a talk on Ayurveda – Revisiting traditional medical system in the light of modern science and technology on 15 July, 2022.  Dr. Subroto Gangopadhyay, IHAR, Houstan, USA, Dr. Vedveer Arya, DRDO & IHAR, Dr. Mradu Gupta and many other renowned connoisseurs shared their insights on Indian Knowledge Systems. A special team from Vishva-Bharati, Santiniketan encapsulated the audience with a session on Tagore. A video show on water resource planning in Indian context, globalization and urbanization with built and semi-built architecture along with Bangabhumite Ramayana –  Indology through South-East Asian perspective was hosted the next day. On 17th July, a special session regarding the history of civilization identity was led by Sri Sanjeev Sanyal, former Principal Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance; Prof Joy Sen, Chairman, IKS, IIT Kharagpur and Prof. Somesh Kumar, Mathematics, IIT Kharagpur. Sanskrit – A tool to access Bharatiya Jyan Parampara and the Holism of Yoga were also included for panel discussions. A sarod recital on Indian Music & Physics by Shri. Siddhartha Bhose, a Physicist & a renowned Sarodist was organized by EZCC, Ministry of Culture. The event concluded with a Khagol Vigyan session in association of Ministry of Culture, Government of India along with panel discussions on Raman Effect, Quantum Physics, pioneering Indian contributions on Black Hole and Prof Thanu Padmanabhan’s contributions in Astrophysics and Cosmology.

Prof V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur stated, ‘Bharata Tirtha II has forwarded the narratives, the folklore and deep ecosystems that embed our heritage systems, heritage tourism as a deep pilgrimage and the assimilation of cultures beyond races and genetics dethroning both racial biostatistics and eugenics that so far guarded the erroneous Aryan Invasion Myth. IIT Kharagpur in association with Ministry of Culture will soon plan a series of programs under DHARA – the flow for Indian Knowledge Systems to take the relevance of ancient Indian wisdom to various colleges and school children in the country.’

“India is the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of European languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the village community of self-government and democracy,” said American historian Will Durant in his book, ‘The Case for India, 1931’. With Bharata Tirtha II, IIT Kharagpur has proclaimed that Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) is not a nostalgia of the past but seeks the relevance of the primitive cultures of traditional knowledge systems & ancient wisdom in contemporary times. IKS synergize modern scientific knowledge with Indian art, architecture, sociology, culture and language as envisaged by National Educational Policy 2020. It should not be just a value additive process, but a main stream pedagogy for the future generations.

In the closing and valedictory program that was embellished by the presence of Mrs. Shreyanka Basu, Director, Museum, Ministry of Culture, Prof. Joy Sen, the Convener of the conference and the Chairman of the chairperson of the Centre of Indian Knowledge system, IIT Kharagpur remarked, “The emphasis on creative economy based on the eternal principles of Indian community ethos of ‘small is beautiful’, ‘restraint based on less in more’ based on farm and cottage stead economies, is a solution to the looming economic crisis in the modern age. The current advances in Quantum Sciences, Quantum biology and Astrophysics begin to match the ancient wisdom of Indian Sages based on the principles of involution and evolution, Krishna and Sukla (black and white) lineages of Cosmology and the evolution of consciousness in it.’

Content Writer : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

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IIT Kharagpur ranks 270th in QS World University Rankings 2023

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur leaped up 10 places to secure 270th rank in the latest QS World University Ranking 2023. Overall, the institute improved its 2022 performance by 10 places and seen significant rise in academic and employer reputation. The Citations per Faculty has also seen a variable rise being the strongest indicator for the institute and fared among the top 19% in the QS World University Rankings. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur moved up to 44 places among its global peers.

Speaking on the QS World University Rankings 2023, Prof. V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur remarked, ” Though I am not very happy with the present ranking of our institute, but we are determined to achieve our vision to be among the top 10 universities in the world. We intend to implement a diverse academic structure following the mandate of multi-modal curriculum as envisaged in NEP 2020. The institute will continue to facilitate multifaceted transitions in academy-industry-policy acknowledging social responsibility and ensure greater synergy between technology and cultural inheritance of the country. ”

Content Writer : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

Follow us: Facebook – IIT Kharagpur; Twitter – @IITKgp;  Instagram – @iit.kgp; LinkedIn – Indian Institute of Technology
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Sincerely, yours…

Notable Alumnus Mr. Satyendranath Mukherjee (1976/B.Tech/ECE/AZ) instituted the “Dr. Phanindranath Mukherjee Memorial Award” and “Mrs. Sagarika Mukherjee Award” in honour of his father and mother respectively at IIT Kharagpur.

People say that the love of parents surpasses the zenith of affection for their children, but children honour their parents by being the answer of their prayers kept inside the vicinity of the heart. When we see an established individual, we apprise him or her for their hard work, dedication and efforts that helps them to earn a fortune but the parents are the one steering them through the bumpy ride of life, giving their children the assurance of being compassionate to both failures and successes. Sometimes children go beyond their way to mollify the resentment that life brings for their parents by being the heir of their true self, with the sincerity of intent pursuing their dreams by themselves. Children honour their parents in their hearts, cherish them not only with honesty and respect but also with kindness and affection. This honour has been bestowed by one of our notable Alumnus, Mr. Satyendranath Mukherjee who has instituted the Dr. Phanindranath Mukherjee Memorial Award and Mrs. Sagarika Mukherjee Award at IIT Kharagpur in honour of his father and mother respectively. This award recognizes one male and one female student for a reward based on their all-round performances. Dr. Mukherjee donated INR 70L as endowment to encourage the students of IIT Kharagpur to become role models to the world.

A lifetime trustee of IIT Kharagpur Foundation USA and a B. Tech in Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1976, Mr. Mukherjee was awarded the President of India Gold Medal for securing first position among all branches of Engineering in IIT Kharagpur.  He obtained his M. Tech. degree with distinction from the Netherlands and Ph.D from Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Listed as a noteworthy semiconductor engineer and researcher by Marquis Who’s Who, he is a retired Chief Scientist and Senior Director at Philips Research, North America, after serving as the Managing Director and is associated with Executive Management in the industrial R&D space of Intel Corp and Exel Microelectronics. He was the Department Head of Microelectronic Devices, Circuits and Systems where he conducted research on integrated circuit design, technology and applications in power electronics for a number of systems including lighting controls, displays, wireless communications and healthcare. He developed the world’s first 512K flash memory and holds the original patent on the cell. As the chairman of the board of directors of an international industrial affiliation (CABA) with over 350 industry members, he has spearheaded strategic and tactical planning of the organization operating in the space of building automation.

Dr. Satyendranath Mukherjee
(1976/B.Tech/ECE/AZ)
B. Tech in Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering
Notable Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur

The students are selected based on the selection criteria with due weightage on academic record, active participation in departmental activities, Halls of Residences and in Technology Students Gymkhana.

This year for the first time Kavita, a third-year undergraduate student from the department of Ocean and Naval Architecture and Shubham Agrawal, a third-year undergraduate student from the department of Mechanical Engineering received these awards for their all-round performances in the fields of Academics, Departmental initiatives, activities in Gymkhana and the Hall of Residences.

Kavita
III year UG Student
Dept. of Ocean & Naval Architecture
IIT Kharagpur

Kavita, a third-year undergraduate student in the department of Ocean and Naval Architecture is currently the Tech Team Head at Kshitij, General Secretary in the Department Society, inter IIT team member of athletics and is quite involved in the hall activities says, “I am grateful for receiving this award as it is a token of appreciation for all those efforts I took as a fellow KGPian and it also motivates me to contribute more to this KGP community. Also, I am thankful to IIT Kgp alumni Mr. Satyen Mukherjee for this encouragement that motivates students like me. About my future plans, I will explore the corporate world for the next few years in the field of management. After that, I am planning to pursue MBA.”

Shubham Agarwal
III year UG Student
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
IIT Kharagpur

Shubham Agrawal, a third-year undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh is the General Secretary of Maintenance of his Hall of Residence at IIT Kharagpur and is the Head of Finance at Gopali Youth Welfare Society, an NGO run by the students of IIT Kharagpur for the welfare of underprivileged students. “Apart from my academic curriculum, I am learning new skills and aim to become a professional software engineer. I enjoy using my skills and leadership qualities to contribute to the welfare of society. I am the topper in my department with 1st rank and was awarded the UPSTSE scholarship in school and received MCM Scholarship from my first year. I believe we as IITian should do some work for the community’s welfare. I am very thankful to Mr. Satyen Mukherjee sir for showing this love for IIT Kharagpur and for such an award that emphasizes leadership and community service.”

Dr. Mukherjee’s current areas of interest include education, elderly home healthcare, lighting controls systems, building wide energy management systems including HVAC appliances and renewable energy systems. He has also worked with the US federal (DOE, DoD, ARPA-E) and state agencies in promoting energy efficiency technologies. He had been engaged in making strategic planning for global R&D, interaction including serving on advisory boards with world class universities in the US, Canada and Europe like MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, RPI, U of T, IMEC and others. He has more than 25 patents and has published over 50 papers widely in conferences, journals and textbooks and has initiated research collaborations with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on integrated controls and energy simulation in buildings.

IITKgp appreciates Mr. Mukherjee’s efforts and dedication and celebrates Kavita and Shubham’s accomplishments.

Content Writer : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

Follow us: Facebook – IIT Kharagpur; Twitter – @IITKgp;  Instagram – @iit.kgp; LinkedIn – Indian Institute of Technology
For news visit: https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/