Two alumni and a faculty member from IIT Kharagpur have been conferred top awards by the NRI Welfare Society of India.
Sundeep Mukherjee (B.Tech./MM/1998)
Alumnus Dr. Sundeep Mukherjee has been named the recipient of the Hind Rattan Award, one of the highest Indian diasporic awards granted to non-resident Indians by the NRI Welfare Society of India. He belongs to the 1998 batch and did B.Tech. degree in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering. At present he is an Associate Professor at the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, University of North Texas (UNT).
Mukherjee’s area of work involves Advanced Materials Development, Energy Conversion and Storage, Corrosion and Electrochemistry, Thin Films and Semiconductor Devices Nano-Materials, Bio-Materials, Metallic Glasses. He has over 50 journal and conference publications and delivered several keynote and invited talks.
As per a UNT report, Mukherjee has been collaborating with Indian academia to create Indo-U.S. Joint Center for Development of Durable Advanced Materials for Bioimplants.
The Award was announced on the eve of Republic Day, January 25, 2020 at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations.
Ajit Behera (Ph.D/MM/2016)
The day witnessed another alumnus, Dr. Ajit Behera receiving the Yuva Rattan Award at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Dr. Behera received PhD from IIT Kharagpur in 2016. His specialisation in the Dept. of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering dealt with Multi-layered NiTi thin film Shape Memory Alloy.
Behera is currently an Assistant Professor at the Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at NIT Rourkela. He is associated with the Process Metallurgy Group and Surface Engineering Group at the Institute and works in the areas Ni-Ti Smart materials, 4D Additive Manufacturing, Plasma Surface Engineering, Processing of smart materials and superalloys, Characterisation of Materials, Utilisation of Industrial Waste. He has over 30 research publications and is currently working on various industry projects.
Dr Anway Mukhopadhyay, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences
Back home, Dr. Anway Mukhopadhyay, Assistant Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences has been conferred the Yuva Rattan Award for his contribution in the field of education. Dr. Mukhopadhyay is an expert in areas involving Indic Studies, Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, Comparative Literature, Translation, Folklore Studies etc.
The Yuva Rattan Award honours youth for their service towards the Nation and celebrates the spirit National Youth Day (January 12), the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
