competition – The KGP Chronicle

“All glories come from the daring to just begin” – SHAURYA ’23 at IIT Kharagpur

A Glimpse from the Table Tennis Tournament in Full Swing

One of the biggest sports tournament of the country ‘Shaurya ’23, themed ‘Shadow Warrior,’ recently concluded at IIT Kharagpur, leaving behind a trail of excitement, innovation, and intense competition. The festival which was entirely managed by students; held within the iconic IIT Kharagpur campus, has undoubtedly set a new standard for excellence. This edition of Shaurya went above and beyond, featuring a diverse range of competitions catering to both male and female participants.

The events showcased a wide array of sports, including cricket, volleyball, basketball, hockey, athletics, badminton, football, lawn tennis, table tennis, chess, and powerlifting. Prior to the main festivities, Shaurya also hosted engaging pre-event activities like the Shaurya Cube Open, National Sports Quiz, Knuckle Pushups Challenge, Skipathon, Dutch Grand Prix Live Stream, Asia Cup India Vs Pak Live Stream, and the Shaurya Yoga Quest Challenge.

A Glimpse from the Hockey Tournament

IIT Kharagpur’s exceptional infrastructure and sports facilities, including their state-of-the-art Student Activity Centre with its multiple courts and fields, provided an ideal setting for the diverse competitions. The festival, boasting over 15 titular sports events, transcended beyond the realm of sports, incorporating guest lectures, recreational activities, and non-sporting events such as marathons and F1 simulations. The event aspired to be the pinnacle of sports for both our present and future generations.

In a dazzling display of sportsmanship and talent, the Shaurya Sports Fest 2023 at IIT Kharagpur concluded with thrilling victories and unforgettable moments. The campus was alive with the spirit of competition as participants from various institutes showcased their prowess in a variety of sports. Let’s delve into the highlights of some of the most riveting events that left a lasting impression on spectators.

A Glimpse from the Basketball Tournament

Shaurya Table Tennis Tournament Finals: A Battle to Remember

The finals of the Shaurya Table Tennis Tournament set the stage for a captivating showdown between IIT Kharagpur’s A team and that of St. Xavier’s. The match was a rollercoaster of high-stakes rallies and intense action, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. The game remained neck-and-neck until the last set. But in the end, it was St. Xavier’s that emerged victorious, claiming the title in a dramatic fashion that will be etched in the memories of all who witnessed it.

Shaurya Powerlifting Championship: Vivek Singh Nainwal Dominates

The 2023 Shaurya Powerlifting Championship concluded with a display of unparalleled strength and determination. Participants showcased exceptional performances, but it was Vivek Singh Nainwal from IIT Kharagpur who stole the spotlight. His remarkable feats in the competition earned him the title of the ‘Best Lifter’, leaving a powerful mark on the championship and inspiring all present.

A Glimpse from the Spring Tournament

Lawn Tennis Excellence: Mayank Joshi Crowned ‘Best Player’

In the realm of Lawn Tennis, Mayank Joshi from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur emerged as the shining star. His exceptional skill, consistency, and unwavering determination throughout the tournament culminated in a well-deserved victory, earning him the prestigious title of the ‘Best Player’. Mayank’s performance showcased the true essence of sportsmanship and dedication.

Chess Tournament: A Battle of Minds in the Yoga Room

The Chess Tournament, hosted in the Yoga Room within the Technology Students’ Gymkhana, proved to be a cerebral spectacle. It was a platform that highlighted the competitive spirit and strategic prowess of the participating teams. The event underscored the importance of fostering intellectual pursuits and healthy competition within the academic community.

Shaurya Volleyball Tournament: A Celebration of Sportsmanship and Skill

The 2023 Shaurya Volleyball Tournament was a testament to the spirit of sportsmanship, featuring remarkable performances and unforgettable moments that will be cherished for years to come. The tournament recognised and honoured the ‘Best Players’ in the form of Shadik from Sarala Birla University and Mythri T G from IIT Kharagpur, acknowledging their outstanding contributions to the competition. Congratulations to all participants, winners, and teams for their dedication and commitment.

Shaurya Cricket Tournament: Soumya Basak Shines as the Player of the Tournament

The 2023 Shaurya Cricket Tournament echoed with the sounds of cricketing brilliance and camaraderie, honouring Soumya Basak from St. Xavier’s as the ‘Player of the Tournament’. Soumya’s exceptional performances left an indelible mark on the tournament, showcasing not only individual skill but also a true passion for the game. Congratulations to all participants, winners, and teams for their dedication and spirited play.

A Glimpse of the Marathon Event

Shaurya Football Tournament: Nitin Rohit Emerges as the Player of the Tournament

The 2023 Shaurya Football Tournament unfolded as a saga of skill, teamwork, and pure passion for the beautiful game. The tournament honoured Nitin Rohit from IIT Kharagpur A as the ‘Player of the Tournament’, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the team’s success. Congratulations to all participants, winners, and teams for their dedication and outstanding performances on the football field.

In conclusion, the Shaurya Sports Fest 2023 at IIT Kharagpur was a resounding success, celebrating not just physical prowess but also the intellectual and strategic acumen of its participants. As the campus echoed with the cheers and memories of this spectacular event, it’s clear that Shaurya has once again proven to be a stage for champions to shine – a sporting extravaganza to remember!

Media Partner : Telegraph

Inputs by : Prajay and Ushasri Gunpuru, Students, IIT Kharagpur

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
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Green Innovation by IITKGP Students Stands Second at NEC Hackathon

Students from IIT Kharagpur have secured 1st Runners-up position at the NEC Hackathon: Environment for developing environment-friendly and revenue-maximizing business applications for the farming community to manage crop residue. Vaishnav Katiyar, Pranav Agarwal, Paras Chaudhary and Shivam Tiwari, final year students from the Dept. of Architecture & Regional Planning have achieved this feat at the PAN India competition organized by NEC Japan and HackerEarth. The event witnessed participation from 1149 teams from all over the country of which 18 teams reached the finale.

The hackathon enabled participants to identify the challenges, a factor of problems, analyze them and develop a solution using technologies such as FIWARE and other open-source platforms. The participants were encouraged to think of a solution on the platform that can solve the current environmental challenges in India. This year’s themes were air pollution and water pollution.

The IIT Kharagpur team which participated under the name ‘BioNet’ proposed a revolutionary platform for the benefit of farmers and to increase the overall production of Biopellets with better supply chain management. They developed an application which will provide a single platform to the farmers and biofuel plant operators to sell agricultural waste (biomass) and to buy biopellets. The user interface was designed in local languages for ease of use. The proposal also took into consideration in-app bidding process for biopellets buyers to ensure maximum revenue generation and profit maximisation for the farmers. The platform could also be used for selling local agricultural products directly to the customers in the near future.

Explaining the concept team member Shivam Tiwari said, “Air pollution in India is caused by fuelwood and biomass burning, burning of crop residue in agriculture fields on a large scale, emission from vehicles and traffic congestion etc. We have built an android application which provides a single platform to the farmers to sell their crop residue directly to bio-pellet plant operators (Govt./ Pvt.) and further the bio-pellets are sold in the open market using in-app bidding process. This will solve the issue of crop residue burning, thus tackling air pollution and building a healthier living environment in India.”

The final round was held online on March 28-29 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The shortlisted participants were invited to submit their prototype on the hackathon website and present their prototypes to NEC through a video conference. The toppers were announced too online video announcements.

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics company, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. NEC has conducted various hackathons aiming at resolving social challenges in India through technology and in continuation to that they conducted this hackathon focussed on ‘Environment’. The event partner was HackerEarth which has been professionally managing hackathons and programming challenges and coding competitions for developers and companies.

IIT KGP among Toppers at Asia-Pacific Global Conference

Students from IIT Kharagpur have finished among the toppers in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge 5.0 organized by CoreNet Global Summit Singapore. The Asia-Pacific global conference which was held in March 2020 had participation from 24 leading universities across 18 countries. Among the other toppers are University of Sydney and Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.

The competition involved the role play of an internal corporate real estate team and develop a proactive strategy towards firstly ‘Recession-proof’, to the extent possible, the corporate real estate portfolio, secondly continue to support the business objectives of the corporation, and thirdly ensure that such a strategy does not negatively impact the company in the unlikely event that a recession does not materialize. The teams proposed innovative solutions to problems faced by real estate professionals linked to top global MNCs.

The team from IIT Kharagpur comprised third-year undergraduate students Vikrant Gupta (Mathematics and Computing), Krishnam Kapoor (Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering), Amrit Goswami (Industrial and Systems Engineering, Financial Engineering), and Eknoor Malhotra (Civil Engineering). Their problem statement involved preparation of a comprehensive action plan for the recession-proof real estate portfolio of an American multinational manufacturer of home applications. The team emphasized on minimizing the negative impacts of such recession proofing in case the anticipated economic downturn does not materialize.

“We prepared and presented a detailed action plan for each of the components in the company’s real estate portfolio including Offices, R&D spaces, Manufacturing Plants and Distribution centers followed by a thorough lease management strategy. Our focus was on leveraging recent technologies including RFID, Blockchain, Advanced Analytics, etc. to enable the company to properly optimize space, inventory, and performance. The goal was to reduce expenditure along with incorporation of flexibility and sustainability in their real estate portfolio to prepare the company for the upcoming recession without hampering its growth potential,” Eknoor.

The competition was open to undergraduate and graduate students all across the world. The first round witnessed a participation from 42 universities across the globe. In the subsequent round, teams had to develop an efficient real estate strategy for a given company in either the financial services, IT, or manufacturing sector. Finally, the top 3 teams presented their solution strategies to an expert panel of senior professionals from organizations including Standard Chartered, HSBC, EY, etc. during the conference.

Prof. Bhaskar Bhowmick from Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship, who mentored the four-member team from IIT Kharagpur said, “I congratulate the team for their podium finish. It is a proud moment for IIT Kharagpur. I encourage them to continue their endeavors in this domain and wish them luck for the future. Tackling real-world problems is not a piece of cake. Competitions like Corenet provide a great learning curve and I’m glad to be a part of this team. This performance of the IIT Kharagpur team will encourage many such competitors on the campus.”

CoreNet Global is a non-profit association, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, representing more than 11,000 executives in 50 countries with strategic responsibility for the real estate assets of large corporations. The organization’s mission is to advance the practice of corporate real estate through professional development opportunities, publications, research, conferences, designations and networking in 46 local chapters and networking groups globally. Visit the website to learn more.

Kgp Hacks Corona

IIT Kharagpur’s Undergraduate Students Council has launched KGP Hacks Corona, an initiative for the IIT KGP community to build software and data solutions aimed at tackling various challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The objective as stated by Council representative Santosh T.Y.S.S is not only to engage the students during the isolation period but also create an online space where developers can ideate, experiment and build software solutions. Students can use technologies of their choice in diverse areas to address the thematic areas of the tech challenge.

The thematic areas span over

Health: Address and scale a range of health initiatives, including preventative/hygiene behaviors (especially for at-risk countries and populations), supporting frontline health workers, scaling telemedicine, contact tracing/containment strategies, treatment and diagnosis development.
Vulnerable Populations: The set of problems facing the elderly and the immuno-compromised, such as access to meals and groceries, and supporting those who are losing jobs and income.
Businesses: The set of problems that businesses are facing to stay afloat, collaborate effectively, and move parts of their business online.
Community: Promoting connection to friends, family, and neighbors to combat social isolation and the digitizing of public services for local governments.
Education: Alternative learning environments and tools for students, teachers, and entire school systems.
Entertainment: Alternatives to traditional forms of entertainment that can keep the talent and audiences safe and healthy.
Others as ideated by the students.

On submission of innovative ideas selection would be done on a rolling basis and will be mentored to develop it further.

“Shortlisted solutions would be considered for deployment by scaling it up based on its feasibility. We have made a huge range of COVID references available for online assistance,” said Santosh.

Interested students must join the slack group for KGP hacks Corona: https://bit.ly/3dAmF0V

For more info on rules and regulations, please refer: https://bit.ly/33ZTEYh

Round India Winners

IIT Kharagpur Students among the Winners of India Finals of CFA Institute Research Challenge 2019-2020

A five-member student team from IIT Kharagpur has qualified for the Asia Pacific round of the CFA Institute Research Challenge 2019-2020. Along with IIM Ahmedabad and IIFT Delhi, the team from IIT Kharagpur have been won the India Finals of this Global level competition held on February 8, 2020. The Asia Pacific round is scheduled to be held on March 18-19 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The AP Challenge will consist of one winner from each Member Society of the Asia Pacific Region, typically about 16-18 countries.

The final year students Shubham Maheshwari (Dual Degree, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering), Satwik Bansal (Dual Degree, Agricultural and Food Engineering), Daksh Thakkur (Dual Degree, Aerospace Engineering), Ritika Agarwal (Dual Degree, Agricultural and Food Engineering) and Tanay Jagani (Dual Degree, Agricultural and Food Engineering) who are all currently pursuing M.Tech. in Financial Engineering were mentored by Prof. Abhijeet Chandra from Vinod Gupta School of Management, the business school of IIT Kharagpur.

“A rigorous multi-disciplinary academic curriculum along with industry-ready skill-training has helped our students achieve this success at CFA Research Challenge India leg, along with other top b-schools of the country. IIT KGP’s team being only an undergraduate team has stood out in the competition mostly participated by MBA students. Financial Engineering, our unique interdisciplinary program run by the departments of Mathematics, Humanities & Social Sciences and Vinod Gupta School of Management, has always been appreciated by the industry. With our students competing with the best teams of Asia-Pacific region, we will mark our global footprints in financial research and valuation as well,” said Prof. Chandra.

The other finalists for India round included IIM Udaipur, IIM Calcutta, IIM Trichy, IIM Kozhikode, NMIMS. The teams qualified through the respective zonal rounds which witnessed participation from 59 leading business schools from across the country. The finalists presented their equity research on Reliance Nippon, HDFC Life, BATA and Oberoi Realty. The judges panel consisted of industry luminaries viz., Mr. Pankaj Tibrewal, Sr. Vice President & Equity Fund Manager, Kotak AMC, Mr. Varun Gupta, MD, Duff & Phelps (Asia Pacific Leader, Valuation Advisory Services and Country Leader, India) and Mr. Namit Arora, CFA, Managing Partner, IndGrowth Capital.

“It has been a thorough learning experience for us to participate in the CFA Institue Research Challenge. The competition has provided us with a platform to perform equity research under the able guidance of industry leaders of the investment management industry. We are looking forward to the Asia Pacific Regional round in Seoul, South Korea ,” opined partcipants Daksh Thakkur and Shubham Maheshwari.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Students work in teams to research and analyze a publicly-traded company — sometimes even meeting face-to-face with company management. Each team writes a research report on their assigned company with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation and may be asked to present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals.

With content contributions from CFA Society India, CFA Institute Research Challenge in India

The show begins

The IIT Kharagpur campus came alive today with the arrival of 32 teams of school children from all over India, as well as east and west Asia for the Young Innovators Program. For many of the children and their teachers and parents, it had been a long journey from home, but the excitement of reaching their destination and being part of the milling crowd of participants and guests refreshed them in no time. The children especially got down to the business of knowing each other almost immediately. As the day wore off, it was difficult to believe that some of them were meeting each other for the first time.

But then, the first day of the competition was all about familiarizing – especially with the campus. Through the tree-lined roads of the campus, the buses took them post-lunch to see the main academic complex, the Halls of residence, the Gymkhana, Nalanda, the tea garden and finally the Nehru Museum. Before that they had dropped in at the newly-opened DIY Lab of IIT Kharagpur, where they successfully managed to stump Prof. Vikranth Racherla, who showed them around the lab, with their questions. “I have never been asked so many questions even by my own students. I am so happy to see their curiosity,” said Prof. Racherla.

At the formal inauguration of the competition that followed the screening of a film on IIT Kharagpur, the guests were warmly welcomed by the Director of IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Sriman Kumar Bhattacharyya, together with Dean, International Relations, Prof. Baidurya Bhattacharya, and Associate Dean, Prof. Anandaroop Bhattacharya. The biggest event of the day was the ‘Pledge for the Environment’ that all the 300 assembled guests undertook at the Kalidas auditorium together with the organizers of YIP 2019. As custodians of the Green Planet, each in that congregation pledged to “respect all living things and the natural environment on which they depend, for each is a part of the chain that supports life on Earth.”

The children’s voices were heard the loudest in that pledge-taking. And no surprises there. “Energy and Environment” has been the most popular theme for students this year with the maximum teams competing in that category. From devising how harmful emissions from vehicles can be reduced, to waste water recycling, treatment and reuse, biodegradable sanitary pads, bioplastics, biodegradation of PET bottles, minimizing food waste , several other environment-friendly innovations have made way to the penultimate round of YIP 2019.

From here the mood will turn serious as teams battle each other to lift the winning trophy of this international competition. Irrespective of who wins, there is no doubt that Environment will emerge a big winner. “I haven’t burst crackers for two years,” said one from Team Green Trenders from St Arnolds School in Rourkela. “I haven’t burst crackers for four years,” said another contestant from the same team. They are here to show how bioplastics can be made from yam starch.

Seems like the Environment has won already.

IIT Kharagpur’s Young Innovators Program Sails High across Asia

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IIT Kharagpur is all set to welcome close to one hundred finalists from across Asia for the grand finale of the Young Innovators Program scheduled on November 8-10, 2019. This international science and technology competition witnessed a participation of close to 2500 students in class VIII-X in the previous rounds from an initial outreach of more than 4500 schools globally. Apart from various regions in India, students from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia participated in the event.

The one-of-a-kind competition has been highly appreciated across secondary educational fraternity and corporate R&D leaders as a co-curricular educational program giving direction to the career aspirations of the students. It focuses on school students developing working models and prototypes of innovative solutions for technological challenges in the domains of Energy and Environment, Health and Cleanliness, Hardware Modelling, Product Design and Disaster Management. Each of these themes is targeted towards encouraging the participants to understand the importance of these areas and be equipped with the ability to ideate and come up with innovative solutions having local and global relevance.

Teachers from several participating schools emphasized the ability of this competition to entice the creativity of the students. The teachers have been mentoring the students beyond the normal course curricula for in-depth learning in their project domains. The students pursue various self-learning modes and experimentations as well. Some of the students even continue to work on their projects and nurture their career goals towards fulfilling their innovative ideas. Radha G of GIIS Smart Campus, Singapore spoke about how the competition encourages students to think out of the box, to be creative and to work collaboratively.

“It is a great initiative that helps inculcate the 21^st century skills among the young,” she said.

The competition has received words of appreciation from President of India and an Israeli diplomat as well.

“YIP is a program very close to our hearts. I have been fortunate to have been involved in this program since its inception in 2017, first as an evaluator and then as an organizer. In just a period of 3 years, the program has gone from strength to strength and spread its presence not only across the country but also different countries in ASEAN and Middle East. The level of innovation displayed by the students and the maturity of their thought process at such tender ages is mind blowing.” said Anandaroop Bhattacharya, the Associate Dean, International Relations at IIT Kharagpur whose office organizes this event.

This year a new theme has been introduced in coordination with ICICI Bank. The theme of Financial Inclusion broadens the resource base of a financial institute by bringing low-income groups, especially among the rural population, within the ambit of the formal banking sector. Talking about this theme Sudipta Roy, Head – Unsecured Loans of ICICI Bank, zeroed in on fast-evolving digital India and economic policies of Govt. of India penetrating into the weakest and deepest sections of the society.

Roy said, “These budding minds could bring to the table fresh set of ideas, novel way of looking at challenges faced by the financial sector which could lead to continuous flow of new technologies, processes and awareness. The financial inclusion theme proposed by us would instill in them an orientation towards product and process development which would benefit the entire financial sector in the long run and also evolve next-generation fintech leaders.”

Towards a Greener, Cleaner World

Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ; Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ

Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu; Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet

‘May all be prosperous and happy, May all be free from illness,

May all see what is spiritually uplifting, May no one suffer.

A 16-YO global icon of climate activism, Ms Greta Thunberg took on national and international leaders with her speech at the United Nations Climate Summit on 23^rd September 2019.

Closer home, Vision Prabaho, a team of green evangelists of IIT Kharagpur, is making an effort in their little way to promote climate consciousness in and around the campus. The team, under the aegis of the Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness, IIT Kharagpur, organised ‘Green Chintan’ – an environmental workshop on poster and model / prototype competition on 26^th September, for school students (classes V-VI and IX-XII). More than 60 students demonstrated models and posters on Rain Water Harvesting, Hydraulic Lifter, Biogas Production and River Cleaner.

Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, Chief Guest at the event, took to the microphone congratulating each participating team individually and assuring them all-round assistance in implementing their models on a larger scale. He requested Vision Prabaho members to help these children take their ideas forward to turn them into reality.

Prof. Saamdu Chhetri, Guest of Honour at the event, came up with one unique explanation. “What is ‘Bhagavān’”, he asked. “God”, rumbled a few students. The description that followed surprised not only students but also a few adults present at the S.N. Bose Auditorium.

He divided the word into individual letters. ‘Bh’ for Bhoomi – The Earth, ‘G’ for Gagan – the Sky, ‘A’ for Agni – Fire, ‘Va’ for Vayu – the Wind and ‘N’ for Neer – Water. “All living creatures on this planet are made up of these five elements. When we fail to value any one of these, we end up harming ourselves. We live in a symbiotic relationship with nature. Man can never live in isolation,” he said.

Prof. Anuradha Choudry addressed the topic of soul-cleansing. She explained that without a clean mind and clean soul, one can never strive to attain a clean society or the environment thereof on a larger scale.

On these lines, a mythological story was narrated by Prof. Jenia Mukherjee. The story traced the formation of the world’s largest delta – the Sunderbans, conveying a subtle hint on water conservation. Prof. Mukherjee stated that the contribution of rivers in our lives was a part of our cultural identity. She invited students to visit the wetlands in Kolkata and see how these wetlands function in relation to the 750 million litres wastewater generated daily by the city itself. The students listened with awe as she explained wastewater management procedures undertaken by the fishermen and farmers with their local skill and knowledge, leading to the production of more than 22 tonnes of fish and 40 tonnes of vegetables on a regular basis.

DAV Model School walked away with the trophy and a cash award for the Best School. Other prizes included Poster Competition and Model/Prototype Making.

Prof. Priyadarshi Patnaik wrapped up the session with his pearls of wisdom. He mentioned that the rapid depletion of natural resources is posing an ever-increasing global threat. It is high time people became more responsible towards the environment and strived to make it a better, safer place for our future generations.

It’s Time for Young Innovators

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IIT Kharagpur has launched the Young Innovators Program 2019, a global science and technology competition empowering greenhorns to solve real-life challenges through innovations. Registration for the third edition of this popular event has started on July 18, 2019.

YIP is a unique program of IIT Kharagpur aimed at igniting the innovative young minds of school children. The competition aims to recognize the creative ability of students studying in classes VIII – X towards sci-tech innovations in thematic areas of global relevance. The thematic areas for YIP 2019 include

Energy and Environment
Health and Cleanliness
Hardware Modelling,
Product Designing
Disaster Management and
Financial Inclusion

Students will conceptualize their innovations in the first round. Those selected for the second round will be required to mature their proposals further and present through video demonstrations. In the semifinal and final rounds which is scheduled to be held at IIT Kharagpur from November 8-9, 2019, the selected students will demonstrate working models of products and processes and make feasibility presentation on their projects.

At various phases, the students would have the opportunity to receive guidance from faculty members, researchers and students of IIT Kharagpur through mentoring sessions. The theme of Financial Inclusion is an addition this year which is a special interest area for the event sponsor ICICI Bank. The other event sponsor Indegene would offer the opportunity of mentorship for projects related to the theme Health and Cleanliness.

“As we look around, we are blessed with bright, young minds everywhere, each of whom is a leader and an innovator. Through YIP, we aim at igniting that spirit of innovation in these minds and enable them to think beyond doubts and beyond barriers. They are the next generation of problem solvers, the stewards of our future who will, in a few years, embark on a journey to build a better world,” said Anandaroop Bhattacharya, Associate Dean (International Relations) and a faculty member of Mechanical Engineering Department at IIT Kharagpur.

The Young Innovator Programme of IIT Kharagpur started in 2017 and in just 2 years has spread its wings not only across the country but also overseas. Last year the reach was to more than 2000 schools and this year with international schools the figure has almost doubled. The semi-finalists of YIP 2018 included two schools from Singapore. This year, the Institute will also reach out to embassies to support the global outreach further. The program has received rave reviews including words of appreciation from the Honourable President of India.