Honorary Awards for Exemplary Contributions to IIT and Society

With the onset of 2021, IIT Kharagpur is all set to welcome luminaries with exemplary contributions to the Institute and society as it announces the prestigious DSc Honoris Causa and Life Fellow awards.

The Institute will felicitate Shri Vinod Gupta, distinguished alumnus and philanthropist, US-based entrepreneur and former ambassador, Swami Atmapriyananda Maharaj, monk of the Ramakrishna Order and Former Vice-Chancellor,  Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Dr. Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, former Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) popularly known as the “Metro Man” with Honoris Causa in acknowledgement of their contribution to public welfare, social upliftment and India’s overall development.

IIT Kharagpur recommends this award to honour luminaries who have excelled in areas of relevance to the Institute’s vision in categories related to the major stakeholders of the Institute viz. Academics and Research, Industry, Alumni and Public Welfare Services. The award is approved by the Hon’ble President of India and Visitor to the IITs. 

The Institute will also confer its coveted Life Fellow award on Shri Ranbir Singh Gupta, renowned architect, distinguished alumnus, US-based entrepreneur and philanthropist, and Prof. Mahan Mj (Swami Vidyanathananda), monk of the Ramakrishna Order and eminent mathematician and Professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai in acknowledgement of their contribution to academics, social service and public welfare.

IIT Kharagpur recommends this award to honour luminaries from diverse fields of academics, industry, governance, art and culture, spirituality, social service, sports, defence etc. who through their expertise contribute or likely to contribute for the benefit of students and faculty of IIT Kharagpur and support the mission statement of IIT Kharagpur – dedicated to the service of the nation.

Both the awards will be presented on the occasion of the 66th Convocation of the Institute to be held later this month.

Congratulating the awardees Director, Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari said, “We are glad to confer these awards and hope to felicitate these luminaries in person on the occasion of the 66th Convocation of the Institute, to be held later this month, which will be live telecasted globally. They resonate with the mission statement of IIT Kharagpur, dedicated to the service of the nation, aimed to achieve a greater good for the country. Each of them is the personification of our motto YogaH Karmasu Kaushalam, which you can observe in their imprint as professionals and human self.”

Brief Bio of Honoris Causa Awardees:

Vinod Gupta – Vinod Gupta is the Managing Partner, Everest Venture Group. An entrepreneurial career spanning over 50 years, Vinod has served as an ambassador of USA. He is a philanthropist supporting causes related to education, health and welfare. Despite a modest background from a small town in Uttar Pradesh, not only he reached the pinnacle of success but gave the IIT education a new direction defining the path of success for others. He is the pioneer of management and law education in the IIT system. Read Full Bio

Swami Atmapriyananda – Swami Atmapriyananda is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order and an Indian university administrator. He was the first Vice-Chancellor of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (erstwhile Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University). He has been in service to humanity in the spirit of worship of God in man and has been serving higher education institutions for nearly four decades. Read Full Bio

Dr. Randeep Guleria – Dr. Randeep Guleria is an Indian pulmonologist and the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. He is regarded as one of India’s leading medical expert and is credited with the establishment of India’s first centre for pulmonary medicines and sleep disorders at AIIMS. He is the director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is also part of India’s COVID-19 response effort. Read Full Bio

Dr. E. Sreedharan – Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is an Indian civil engineer and a retired IRSE officer popularly known as the “Metro Man”. He is credited for changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro while he served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation DMRC between 1995 and 2012. Read Full Bio

Life Fellow

Ranbir Singh Gupta – Ranbir (Ron) Gupta has been President of Gupta Associates Inc., and Chairman of SIGMA7 design group, architectural, planning and infrastructure consulting firms. He has over 40 years of successful experience in the management, design and construction of facilities for various global financial services, mission-critical, high-technology, and institutional projects. He is also very passionate about public service. He has served on numerous regional and state-wide boards, national professional societies, and Indian Institutes of Technology alumni associations. Read Full Bio

Swami Vidyanathananda / Mahan Mj – Prof. Mahan Mj also known as Mahan Maharaj and Swami Vidyanathananda, is an Indian mathematician and monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He is currently a Professor of Mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. He is best known for his work in hyperbolic geometry, geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology and complex geometry. Read Full Bio

Media Coverage: