Tag: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated infrastructural development projects worth Rs. 230 crores to IIT Kharagpur virtually

Under the able leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, IIT Kharagpur witnessed the testimony towards the road that leads to a Vikshit Bharat @2047, the vision of a Sashakt Bharat. Today Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the Nation the Infrastructure Development Projects worth about Rs. 230 crores at IIT Kharagpur in the august presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office; Shri Manoj Sinha,  Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir along with other ministers and members of parliament through video conferencing. Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education graced the event physically on 20th February, 2024 in the Netaji Auditorium of the institute in the presence of Prof. V K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur; Prof. Amit Patra, Deputy Director, IIT Kharagpur and Captain Amit Jain (Retd.), Registrar, IIT Kharagpur along with other senior professors, staffs and students of the institute.

In a significant step towards upgrading and developing education and skilling infrastructure across the country, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and lay the foundation stone of several projects worth about Rs 32000 crores. The projects include permanent campuses for different IITs, Indian Institute of Skills (IIS), and campuses of Central  and Higher Education Universities.

Gracing the above occasion at IIT Kharagpur, Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, Government of India stated, “Our Prime Minister is very keen on Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Abhiyaan. Today, our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji will be inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of multiple development projects with over Rs. 32,000 crores across the country. India has undergone a major transformation in the past year in every sector under the able guidance of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. It is fitting to acknowledge the achievements made under his visionary leadership specially in an institution specially known for its  contribution towards education and innovation. Over the past 10 years, our nation has undergone a remarkable transformation marked by steadfast commitment to inclusive, progressive and sustainable development. The successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the south pole of the moon stands as a testament to our technological power, poise and ambition to explore new frontiers.

The Infrastructure development projects at IIT Kharagpur comprises two Girls’ Hostel named Savitri Bai Phule Halls of Residence (with 500 capacity each); one Boys Hostel named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hall of Residence (500 capacity) and one Annexe building of the Chemical Engineering Department at IIT Kharagpur.

“I would like to mention that IIT Kharagpur has produced one of the best scientific minds of India who has significantly contributed to the Indian Space Centre, Dr. K Radhakrishnan, Former Chairman of ISRO under whose leadership the historic Mangalyaan Mission was successfully carried out. Education plays a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of a nation’s cloth and development. It empowers individuals with knowledge, skills and critical thinking abilities essential for innovation, productivity and also socio-economic progress. A well educated populist not only drives economic prosperity but also fosters social cohesion, democracy and a global competitiveness making investment in education a corner stone of sustainable development for any country. The Indian education landscape has undergone a major transformation in the past ticket. National Education Policy 2020 was introduced to revise and revamp all aspects of the education structure including its regulation and governance with a new system aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education including Sustainable Development Goal-4 (SDG 4) while building on India’s tradition and value systems. The number of university level institutions has increased to 1168 in 2021-22 from 760 universities in 2014-15. With a total of 408 institutions added in the last 10 years, additionally 41 new higher education institutions have been established which includes 7 new central universities, 7 new IITs and 8 new IIMs.”

The Savitri Bai Phulle Halls of Residence for Girls (GH-1 & GH-2) is a Single-seater, air-conditioned accommodation for 500 girls in each hostel. The building is designed as per 3-star TERI GRIHA or LEED-Gold star or IGBC- Gold star rating standards. Built at a cost of approx. 123 crores, the building complies with the guidelines of the Accessible India campaign and with a barrier-free building. It has Central air conditioning, Solar water heating system, Solar PV Generation system, Fire Fighting and alarm system, LAN, CCTV, IBMS, Lifts etc. A dual plumbing system is provided with treated STP water to be used for toilet flushing.

“Under the concept of Vikshit Bharat, the concept of Narishakti emerges as a foundational pillar which signifies our commitment towards empowering women and ensuring their integral role in shaping our nation’s future. Female enrollment in higher education has increased by 28% with girls and women constituting 43% of enrollment in STEM courses, one of the highest percentage globally, ” said MoS Dr. Sarkar.

The Hostel Building also includes the following facilities like Library and Reading room; Music Room and Interaction room; Reception and Visitors Lounge; Dining and kitchen; Shops, Gymnasium; Indoor Games, Cycle Track; Cycle Shed; Car Parking, Washing and drying facilities; Garbage chute for effective waste management.

“The role of the IITs in shaping India’s technological landscape cannot be overstated. Among them, IIT Kharagpur holds a special place with its graduates and alumni consistently making significant contributions to our nation’s progress. We are proud of the endeavours of all our IIT alumni who carry the brand of India with distinction where ever they go, one shining example being Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google who is an esteemed alumni of IIT Kharagpur. Their achievement underscore the enduring legacy of excellence that defines the IITs and their crucial role in building a brighter future of India,” remarked Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Halls of Residence for Boys (BH-1) is a Single seater, air-conditioned accommodation for 500 boys. The Building is designed as per 3-star TERI GRIHA or LEED-Gold star or IGBC-Gold star rating standards and complies with the guidelines of the Accessible India campaign with a provision for barrier-free building. Built at a cost of approx. 62 crores, it has Central air conditioning, Solar water heating system, Solar PV General system, Fire Fighting and alarm system, LAN, CCTV, IBMS, Lifts etc. A dual plumbing system is provided with treated STP water to be used in toilet flushing.

The Hostel Building also includes the following facilities like Hostel Building which includes Library and Reading room; Music Room and Interaction room; Reception and Visitors Lounge; Dining and kitchen; Shops; Gymnasium; Indoor Games; Cycle Track; Cycle Shed and Car Parking.

I would congratulate IIT Kharagpur in its new infrastructure and its remarkable strides it has made in nurturing some of the brightest minds in the country. I believe the student community at IIT Kharagpur will play a pivotal role in nation building and contributing to the realization of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Vision of a Vikshit Bharat 2047, added Dr. Sarkar

The Annex building of the Chemical Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur is a G +3 building with centralized air conditioning system. Built at a cost of approx. 45 Crore, it has a plinth area of 7458 square meters that  houses undergraduate, postgraduate, and research laboratories for Chemical Reaction Engineering, Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Mechanical Operations, Process Instrumentation and Control, Industrial Pollution Control, Multi-Phase Flow, mCFD, Crystallization, Energy Conversion and Storage, Catalysis, Particle Technology, Ultrafast Cooling, Rheology. It has a common advanced computing laboratory for 300 students at a time and has departmental research facilities with high-end sophisticated analytical instruments like Chemisorption, GC- MS, Mercury Analyzer, ICP-MS, TGA-MS, BET Surface Area Analyzer, conference & meeting rooms, faculty rooms, and classrooms.

Watch the address of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YflWJMbKjPM

Watch the address of Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education live:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LUNxLsdM5sKqgq_4veQ1aoTwOPbQqExf?usp=sharing

Media Coverage:

Times of India News 18 Bangla Akashvani Sangbad Kolkata
Telegraph The Bengal Post Dainik Jagran
Fast News Data Quest Amader Bharat

Times of India                                                                                    Telegraph


By: Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
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Pradhan Mantri and Shiksha Mantri and Rajya Mantri (Education) to Grace the 66th Convocation of IIT Kharagpur

IIT Kharagpur is going to organize its 66th Annual Convocation on February 23, 2021, in virtual mode keeping in view safety measures during the post-pandemic situation. Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India will grace the occasion as Chief Guest along with Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Govt. of India, Shri Sanjay Dhotre Hon’ble Minister of State and Shri Amit Khare, Hon’ble Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India.

In this one-of-a-kind Convocation event, seventy-five students including nine Institute Gold Medal winners and sixty-six Institute Silver Medal winners have been invited to receive the prestigious medals in person. However other students, totaling more than 2800, will be awarded degrees in online mode. The Institute will also confer DSc (Honoris Causa), IIT Kharagpur Life Fellow Award, and Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Talking about the e-Convocation, Director Professor Virendra K Tewari remarked, “This is a unique occasion for us; while we are welcoming the 2020 batch of alumni, we also feel for the students who would have to miss the cherished occasion. Being a former student myself, I can feel their disappointment and it was an extremely hard decision which I had to take, keeping in mind the welfare of the students. We will plan to organize an event to bring back this batch together at a later date when the pandemic subsides completely to let them have their moment of glory.”

Combating COVID

IIT Kharagpur’s Combat against COVID19

India Today             Indian Express          Yahoo News          Amar Ujaala

As the world is battling CoronaVirus, universities suspending their academic and select other activities, in one corner of Eastern India, the world renowned institute is giving fillip to the combat against COVID-19. The oldest and largest IIT and its stakeholders on the campus are contributing through a wide range of initiatives to continue helping students with their course work, increase public awareness about CoronaVirus pandemic and create resources to boost health and hygiene. Whether they be at the laboratories creating much needed solutions or socially distanced students seeking meaningful engagement or faculty and staff exploring alternate mode of teaching and learning, IIT Kharagpur is exhibiting its unique creative energy and cautious optimism at this crucial time demanding our endurance and responsible behaviour.

Health Outreach Projects

Recently Vision Prabaho, a twenty-member student group from IIT Kharagpur, found special mention in the social media post by Shri Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology. The group had translated the precautionary advisory issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in eleven Indian languages.

Biswaroop Mondal, one of the students from the group said, “An astounding billion plus people are conversing in regional languages. We thought it would be imperative to help increase the reach through messages in vernacular languages. We have translated the advisory issued by WHO in Assamese, Bengali, Odiya, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kashmiri and Hindi. We are trying to incorporate more editions of the video in other regional languages.”

In another initiative, four researchers are carrying out a study titled  ‘Travel During COVID-19 Outbreak: Behaviour, Impact, and Interventions’ to increase public awareness and perceptions about travel and social distancing. They are collecting public inputs to understand diverse insights and create a sense of preparedness. The researchers include Dr. Saurabh Dandapat, Dr. Kinjal Bhattacharyya, Annam Sai Kiran and Kaustubh Saysardar.

Hygiene Facilitation

Further to this, a research group is also working towards developing a hand sanitizing solution independently following WHO guidelines. The Transport section of the Institute has also prepared a hand sanitizer for internal use and hygiene. Read More

“The campus hospital is also exploring the procurement of washable masks designed and manufactured locally to ensure safety during unavoidable social and limited professional interactions. The administrators have been practicing social distancing themselves and encouraging the practice among the staff and students,” said Director Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari. 

Alternative Academics

It may be mentioned in this regard that restricted travel and social distancing have been repeatedly advised by healthcare practitioners and has been a key component in the address by the Prime Minister on March 19. But the social distancing goes beyond health and hygiene.

“While academic activities remain suspended until March 31, students are being facilitated through existing and newly acquired e-learning platforms,” added Prof. Tewari.

The Institute already offers a wide range of course lectures on digital platforms such as MOOCs, Swayam, and DTH platform Swayam Prabha. Students can access these with a high-speed internet connection from anywhere in the world.

“Since the pronouncement of the suspension of classes, the Center for Education Technology has acquired a large number of WebEx licenses from CISCO for conducting classes from 2nd-year undergraduate courses upto postgraduate level. First-year classes are being conducted through YouTube Live. More than 40 faculty members are already taking classes using these e-learning facilities. We are further discussing with Zoom to facilitate interactive online teaching,” said Shib Sankar Das from the Centre. 

Prof. Jeevanjyoti Chakraborty who recently conducted a lecture on Mechanics reported more than 1500 viewers for his lecture on YouTube of which 450 were live viewers.

Talking about his experience Prof. Chakraborty said, “the teaching community is new to managing technicalities while recording lectures. The e-learning which we have been using until now was done at studios and there is technical staff to work through the logistics. The Institute’s stepping up the YouTube Live facility has enabled the faculty to concentrate on the teaching part instead of being concerned with the technical aspects of recording and streaming.”

He also mulled over the flipped classroom and active learning strategies wherein students can listen to recording course lectures prior to the scheduled online class and interact more regarding their queries on the topic.

Virtual Campus Outreach

In a novel initiative to give the mind rest from the flow of news and discussions regarding COVID19, the students of IIT Kharagpur and those studying in schools on the campus are being encouraged to engage creatively especially the occasion of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22. The Govt. of India has been actively promoting it for the past few years. The Branding and Communications Cell under the aegis of the Dean International Relations, IIT Kharagpur has launched an online competition and exhibition (Drawing/Painting, Poster, Photo Story and Video) in electronic mode, extensively using social media platforms to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Earth Day. While the themes would primarily include Climate Change, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Pollution, Biodiversity, it would also include themes such as Disaster Management, Hygiene & Cleanliness. (Click Here to Know More)

“The Institute is gearing up for a digitized celebration of Earth Day which is scheduled on April 22 with the optimism of a better tomorrow,” remarked Director Tewari. 

“We are among the first in India to strategize an online celebration of Earth Day which is otherwise marked with large public gatherings, environmental events and activism,” stated a staff member. 

Gearing Up for March 22

The Institute is also gearing up for the moment of gratitude and solidarity with those sections of the community who have been serving the campus diligently during the COVID pandemic.

Following the message of PM Narendra Modi, Director Tewari confirmed that the community will take part in the solidarity clap with the staff engaged in essential services such as healthcare, security, hostel mess, sanitation, electricity etc. along with the defenders of the nation on these fronts.