April 2023 – The KGP Chronicle

IIT Kharagpur Conducts Road Safety Training for Kolkata Police

IIT Kharagpur conducts Road Safety Training for the officers of Kolkata Traffic Police & Transport Department, initiating capacity building in road safety through four rounds of training program. The training program was inaugurated yesterday in Police Training School (PTS), Kolkata by Shri V K Goyal, Learned Commissioner of Kolkata Police, in the presence of Prof. V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur; Shri Hari Kishore Kusumakar, Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, several senior officials of Kolkata Police and experts from IIT Kharagpur. Around 200 officers of Kolkata Police are being trained by the team of faculty members from IIT Kharagpur that includes Prof. Bhargab Maitra, Dr. Arkopal Goswami, Dr. Swati Maitra and Dr. Madhumita Paul.

Prof. Bhargab Maitra, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur stated, “IIT Kharagpur has been working closely with all related departments and providing them support for reducing road accidents and resulting fatalities. This training is organised, especially keeping in mind the roles and responsibilities of the officers of Kolkata Traffic Police in enhancing road safety scenario in the Kolkata city.”

IIT Kharagpur has been contributing in several areas related to road safety for the state of West Bengal including speed management, emergency responses, enforcement, strategies for handling traffic congestion, innovative traffic control measures etc. A speed management policy and roadmap has been developed by IIT Kharagpur with support from Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) which has already been accepted, in principle, by the Government of West Bengal. IIT Kharagpur has also been entrusted by the Transport Department, Government of West Bengal to develop a Road Safety Vision document and roadmap for reducing road accidents and fatalities in unison with the Transport Department, Police Department, Road Development Department, and Health and Family Welfare Department and Education Department.

Prof. V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, remarked, “I am extremely happy to be a part of this inaugural session on Road Safety Training for the Officers of the Kolkata Police. Road safety is a major global, national and regional concern. It is our individual as well as collective responsibility to do our best for reducing road crashes and other resulting fatalities. The speed management policy and roadmap will be instrumental in addressing safety issues due to over speeding and mitigating the results to road fatalities. The present training program is focused on several key aspects of speed management and implementation of emergency responses identifying risk prone areas around the city. This program will act as a protocol guideline for an organized traffic system. IIT Kharagpur has been involved in several capacities with nearly all related organisations for improving the transportation systems of Kolkata and the team of Kolkata traffic police for the grand success of this training programme which will be beneficial to the Kolkata Police to improve road safety issues of the city.”

Media Coverage :

PTI	Times of India	Telegraph
The Print	Dainik Jagran	Hindustan Times (Bengali)
News 18 (Bengali)	Amader Bharat	ETV Bharat
Career 360	IBC 24	Times of India

Devdiscourse

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

The Soul Set Free

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filed room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me but let me go
For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone
Its all a part of the Master’s plan
A step on the road to home
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me but let me go.

IIT Kharagpur community bids adieu to Prof. Kailas Chandra Sahu who left for his heavenly adobe on 14th April 2023 from his Los Angeles home. Prof. Sahu received his B.Tech, M. Tech and PhD degree, under the guidance of his revered mentor and supervisor Prof. R. Misra from IIT Kharagpur. He began his teaching career from his Alma Mater IIT Kharagpur and was also the Director of National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai. The Department of Industrial Management Centre was founded in 1973 under the leadership of Professor Sahu.

Among his many accolades, he was the Founding Head and Professor of Industrial Engineering & Management (IE & M) between 1972 and 1996. He was the guide and mentor to countless students at IIT, including 21 PhD scholars. Many of his students have made notable contributions in their careers. Along the way, he published over 135 papers and 8 monograms.“Works Organization and Management”,“Industrial Organization and Management” and “Education and Social Change” are some of the books that he authored and co-authored which made significant impacts. He consulted widely for various public and private sector entities and headed various Expert Committees for government organizations along with active involvement in numerous professional organizations. His memoir “Made in IIT” was published in 2012.

Prof. Kailas Chandra Sahu

Prof. Sahu was an inspiring teacher. He won multiple awards and recognition, including the Distinguished Alumni Award by IIT Kharagpur, the Distinguished Teacher’s Award by IIT Kharagpur Alumni Association, and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IIT Alumni Association of Southern California. He was the National President at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), the National President at Operational Research Society of India (ORSI) and was an Advisor for DRIEMS, a premier technical university in his birth village, Odisha. He has also served as a member on the Board of Governors for IIT.

Academic accomplishments aside, Prof. Sahu immersed himself in student life throughout his tenure at IIT Kharagpur. Being an Azadian himself, he later served as the Warden of Azad Hall, then the President of Gymkhana, and as the Dean of Student Affairs. These prolific roles nurtured his bonds with his Alma Mater and gave a sense of fulfillment.

“Professor Kailash Chandra Sahu, my Guru was a great student friendly teacher par excellence. He was an Institute Builder, a motivator and had a superb personality with all the qualities of a Kgpian. Truly, he was made in IIT Kharagpur for IIT Kharagpur. He considered his students, faculty members and employees of his department as extended members of his family. He was a professional and was regarded at a very high esteem. He was the founder of the current Department of Industrial and System Engineering of the Institute. His contributions to Institution building as President Students Gymkhana and as Dean Students Affairs will be always be cherished and remembered. His loss is truly a loss of gem to IIT Kharagpur and to the Industrial Engineering Community and certainly a personal loss for me,” said Prof. Damodar Acharya, Former Director, IIT Kharagpur.

Throughout his lifetime, he was a proud IITian and held IIT Kharagpur very close to his heart and would often reminisce about specific moments and times that he spent with his friends and colleagues here. Our sincere condolences to his wife and partner Mrs. Bimala Sahu, their four children Ranajit Sahu, Nivedita Sahu, Sanghamitra Sahu, and Sucharita Sahu, and his grandchildren. May the Almighty give all of them enough strength to bear this irreplaceable loss. We pray for eternal peace for his departed soul. He will always be remembered in our thoughts, prayers and action. IIT Kharagpur will forever acknowledge his contributions to the Institute.

Inputs by: Prof. Damodar Acharya, Former Director, IIT Kharagpur
Email: acharyadamodar94@gmail.com

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

IIT Kharagpur Incubated Start-up Designed NavIC Chip for India’s Navigation Systems

Elena Geo Systems, a Bengaluru-based space startup incubated in IIT-Kharagpur, has unveiled an indigenously designed NavIC chip that can use India’s own navigation satellite system to provide positioning services. The chip can have applications in civilian and defence sectors.

The chip was delivered to Gen. Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Defence Staff on 13 April 2023. Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Chairman of DRDO and also an Alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff also graced the occasion with their presence.

An Indian-designed NavIC chip with potential in both the civilian and defence sectors introduced by a Bengaluru-based space technology business, can utilize India’s own navigation satellite system to deliver location services. This will enable high precision and accuracy for all the three types of applications such as navigation, positioning and timing, making India self-reliant in this domain. The company has been pursuing advanced technologies to manufacture these chips and modules, some of which have been supplied to the Indian Army and some private entities. Elena Geo Systems was incubated at IIT-Kharagpur in 2012 and is now a member of the Delhi-based Indian Space Association.

“We are thrilled to present India’s first fully designed and developed NavIC chip. As India moves ahead with its space policy, we feel this is an opportune time to use a truly Indian product. The processor will give India a huge edge as both the government and private sector can move away from their dependence on the American Global Positioning System (GPS). Elena is in the process of patenting the technology and the product, which has been developed by our dedicated R&D team,” said Lt Col VS Velan, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Elena Geo Systems on the sidelines of the Indian DefSpace Symposium organised by the Indian Space Association.

The 12-nanometer chip may be inserted into any handheld device including mobile phones, and can receive signals from the US Global Positioning System, the Russian GLONASS Constellation, and the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) or Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

The chip has many cores that serve the requirements of signal acquisition, regeneration, processing and the output interface and hence, it has been named as the NavIC processor. The multi-frequency and multi-constellation chip/processor, created especially for NavIC, is small and simple to integrate into any GNSS circuit and offers the user continuous coverage and high-accuracy reception.

“Elena’s chip complies with the specifications established by the Indian Space Research Agency for IRNSS/NavIC signal reception because it is based on a unique algorithm designed for use throughout India and surrounding regions/countries,” added Velan.

The military grade chip can be used in a wide range of operational logistics applications for ships, submarines, radars, drones, artillery systems, and weapons platforms can make use of this military-grade chip. To guarantee a consistent supply of the NavIC chip, Elena Geo Systems got a contract with a chip manufacturer in Taiwan.

“The chip has many cores that service the requirements of signal acquisition, regeneration, processing and the output interface and hence it has been named the NavIC processor. This will enable high precision and accuracy for all the three types of applications such as navigation, positioning and timing, providing India much needed Atma Nirbharata in this domain,” remarked Velan.

The NavIC chip is appropriate for usage in mobiles, handheld devices, and wearables with applications ranging from tracking school buses to armament systems thanks to its small size, ultra-low power requirement, and software-based control. The multi-frequency and multi-constellation GNSS chip/processor, developed specifically for NavIC, is compact and easy to integrate into any GNSS circuit and provides continuous coverage and high accuracy reception to the user. Based on a special algorithm for use across India and neighboring countries, the Elena’s chip conforms to the requirements laid down by ISRO for IRNSS/NavIC signal reception.

Media Coverage :

Economic Times	The Hindu	India Today
The Week	First Post	Bharat Shakti
Swarajya Magazine	Pragativadi	Organiser

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

Virtual Reality – The New Tool for SMART Education

iVAR Lab at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur has joined hands with a Gurugram-based ed-tech startup iXRLabs to explore the use of VR as a pedagogical tool in higher education. Under this collaboration, iVAR lab will share students’ experience of virtual reality modules across branches such as Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Chemical developed by iXRLabs.

The collaboration will enhance students’ learning experiences through immersive VR modules. The modules will cover a wide range of industrial settings which include machinery, plant tours, and experiments such as a jet engine, thermal power plant and universal testing machine. This will promote research and innovation in the field of virtual reality for educational purposes. Through this partnership, the two organisations are hoping to enhance students’ learning experience significantly.

Expressing his thoughts on the collaboration, Prof. Kaushal Kumar Bhagat, iVAR Lab, IIT Kharagpur stated, “The collaboration will facilitate and foster the research and innovation on the applications of virtual reality in education and training, which will pave the way for a new era of immersive learning experiences that can transform the way students acquire knowledge and skills.”

This will ensure the best use of iXRLabs’ VR modules by students so that real-time feedback and data can be gathered from the user experience. Further, the iVAR lab will provide inputs in the writing and development of a research paper/white paper based on the pilot project.

The collaboration between IIT Kharagpur and iXRLabs took place to promote and encourage research and innovation in the field of virtual reality for educational purposes. This development is a significant advancement of virtual reality technology in education and is expected to enhance students’ learning experiences significantly.

Commenting on the partnership, Nihar Madkaiker, Co-founder, iXRLabs said, “I am thrilled to announce our academic and research collaboration with iVAR Lab, IIT Kharagpur. Together, we look forward to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and unlocking the full potential of this exciting technology. By combining our expertise and resources, we are poised to create a profound impact in higher education.”

The research focuses on interactive technologies like Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality/Mixed Reality in education and industrial training. iVAR lab aims to develop low-cost, portable, scalable, and user-friendly technology that can make teaching-learning more engaging, enjoyable, and effective. Technology can be a medium between school/university learning experiences and real-life experiences and can create authentic learning experiences by integrating technology into the classroom. It is also important to how teachers can use these contemporary technologies in their teaching. This is important to empower the teachers and instructors by giving regular and professional development training.

To see experience of students with VR, aspirants can check the official website — ivarlab.iitkgp.ac.in.

Media Coverage :

Indian Express	CNBC TV 18	Careers 360
CXO Today	Express Computer

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

A Compassionate Patron

You were the beautiful melody in the rhythm of life where the music of your life lives on
To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die…

IIT Kharagpur mourns the loss of our beloved alumni, Mr. Gulab Bhavnani. Though our words can do a little, we hope our prayers will comfort his family and friends in his absence. A man of honour and compassion, Mr. Gulab Bhavnani, encourages all of us in so many ways to be kind and generous. Your Alma Mater will always remember you.

Mr. Gulab Bhavnani, is one of the most eminent alumni of IIT Kharagpur, who left for his heavenly abode on Monday, March 13, 2023. He completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1966 and further proceed with his studies at Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia.

Being an entrepreneur, Mr. Bhavnani was the Program Director of WHEELS which is a partnership program initiated by Capital IIT Association, designed to stimulate social entrepreneurship and encourage skilled professionals to create job opportunities for the improvement of lives of US and Indian citizens. Mr. Bhavnani was also a Managing Partner of Anchor Systems Corporation, and was the Director of IT Delivery for the American Red Cross.

On the humanitarian ground, Mr. Bhavani always came forward to give his half, be it for any charitable or societal cause or any other initiatives and programs held in his Alma Mater.

In the memory of Late Mr. Gulab Bhavnani, his batchmate Mr. Suresh Shenoy wrote:
“It is with deepest regret that I report the passing away of our friend and colleague, Gulab Bhavnani.. May his soul Rest in Peace. Gulab was a founding member of WHEELS, and I considered him a solid rock of a supporter and among the most reliable ‘go to’ persons. I don’t remember any time when he said “No” to a request! Gulab was always on call for anything related to IIT – our events, gala, charitable endeavours and each time, he gave it all!
Gulab will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, my friend.
In sadness, but left with fond and lasting memories of a great friend.”

In the remembrance of Mr. Gulab Bhavnani, IIT KGP fraternity mourns in sadness after hearing the news of his demise. Our sincere condolences to his bereaved family. May almighty give enough strength to his family to bear this irreplaceable loss. We pray for eternal peace of his departed soul. He will always be remembered in our thoughts, prayers and action. IIT Kharagpur will forever carry forward his legacy and acknowledge his contributions to the Institute.

Inputs by: Ms. Namrata Sharma, Office of Outreach & Alumni Affairs, IIT Kharagpur
Email: namrata.iit02@gmail.com

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

IIT Kharagpur inks MoU with Oil India Limited

Under the aegis of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Oil India Limited on research collaboration in the broader areas of Earth Sciences and Hydrocarbon Exploration. The event was graced by Dr. Ranjith Rath, Chairman & Managing Director, Oil India Limited, senior officials of OIL, Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Amit Patra, Deputy Director, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Chandan Chakraorty, Dean, Research and Development (R&D); Prof. Paresh Nath Singha Roy, Chairperson, Deysarkar Centre of Excellence in Petroleum Engineering and other senior professors of IIT Kharagpur.

Dr. Ranjit Rath, CMD, Oil India Limited remarked “As a step towards its commitment of ensuring India’s energy security and making India less import dependent, OIL has adopted a 3-pronged strategy of enhanced exploration activities with leap of faith exploration acreage of 50,000 plus sqkm pan India; Mission 4+ to expedite & augment domestic production of crude oil & natural gas; and expand its alternate energy portfolio aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2040”.

The collaborative Research & Development (R&D) between both the organizations will invigorate industrial and inter-disciplinary research and training undertaken at Deysarkar Centre of Excellence in Petroleum Engineering at IIT Kharagpur in Upstream, Midstream and Downstream segments of the Oil and Natural Gas value chain entailing hydrocarbon exploration, development, production, reservoir management including IOR & EOR, pipeline transportation, sedimentary basin analysis, refining & process technology etc.

“The MoU is a step towards Industry-Academia collaboration in advanced technologies in earth sciences and hydrocarbon exploration to cater to the growing demands of hydrocarbon exploration and extraction. Through this MoU, both OIL and IITKGP will engage themselves in various joint research initiatives and advanced technology solutions in energy sector and other areas of mutual interest,” Dr. Rath further added.

Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur remarked, “To support innovation and start-up ecosystem for a sustainable future, we need to indigenize, modernize, and renovate the oil refining industry. The focus should be on domestic exploration of petrochemical production capacity. Application of Geoscience, Engineering & Design, Chemical & Process Technologies, and R&D initiatives along with application of GIS and Remote sensing studies in Oil and Natural gas industry will create investment opportunities through Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Further, Prof. V K Tewari accompanied by a team of professors will visit different exploration sites of Oil India to augment areas of research collaboration and project implementation.

“India contributes 5% share in the global oil demand and has the fourth-largest crude refining capacity in the world. 10% Ethanol-blended petrol which has already been achieved in our country will maximize the dependence on alternative energy,” opined Prof. Tewari.

Media Coverage :

PTI	The Print	Economic Times
Dainik Jagran	Ei Samaye	India Blooms
IBG News	WSquare News	Bartaman (Hindi)

Dainik Jagran Ei Samaye

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