Tag: school children

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for the School Children in Regional Language

Following the mandate of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), Prof. Dilip Kumar Pratihar, Institute Chair Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, has developed one new course on “Robotics and Artificial Intelligence” of 11 hours duration in Regional Language (Bengali) for the School Children starting from Class-9 to Class-12, with the initiative of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math.

Recently awarded the Fellowship of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (FNAE) and presented the Fellowship Certificate in the Induction Ceremony held as a part of the Annual General Meeting of Fellows on 11th December 2023 at SOA University, Bhubaneswar, Dr. Pratihar developed this online course on Robotics & Artificial Intelligence for School Children in Regional Language i.e. Bengali  with the initiative of  Vivekdisha , an ICT-based Network of  Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math. In future, initiatives will be taken by the RKMVERI, Belur Math, to translate this course to various Regional Languages across the country.

Watch the course live on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiuTvXtM4PTZ0MnbdgqZ0q3XXKCryibsJ

Prof. D K Pratihaar remarked, “This innovative course has already been started, and the students are enjoying and learning from it. With the recent advancements in technological transformations, we cannot only rely on what was once taught to us in terms of science education. Today the students need to be updated with the emerging technology that changes the way we have addressed the rising challenges of the world. The scope for Artificial Intelligence is vast in this technology driven world and the expertise of knowing its applications will be up for grabs in the recent future.”

VASVIK Award 2022 in Mechanical & Structural Sciences & Technology

Prof. Dilip Kumar Pratihar, has received the prestigious Vividhlaxi Audyogik Samshodhan Vikas Kendra (VASVIK) Award 2022, for his notable contributions in Industrial Research, in the field of Mechanical & Structural Sciences & Technology, during its 50th year of celebration held on 19th January 2024 in Mumbai. His significant contributions in Industrial Research include Root causes of failure analysis of Gas Turbine Unit, Pigtail Analysis, Optimal design of Leaf Spring for the heavy vehicles, Root causes of failure analysis of multi-stage Centrifugal Pump, and others, in which the fundamentals of Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Combustion, Principle of Gas Turbine, Gas Dynamics, Heat Transfer, Machine Design, and others have been used. He also carries out fundamental research on Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and others, extensively.

This Award is generally given to one person in one year from each of the 10 fields. This time, the VASVIK Award was presented by Dr. R. A. Mashelkar; Prof. M.M. Sharma; Dr. Mohan I. Patel, the Founder of this Award; Mr. Nayan Patel, Director, VASVIK, Prof. A. Pandit, and others.

The Video of the Award Ceremony is available in the You-tube Link: https://youtu.be/YWEcdTbCQNQ

 

Prof. Dilip Kumar Pratihar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur 

He has been awarded the “Technologist of the Year,” one of the most prestigious IEEE India Council Award, for his pioneering contributions to the fundamentals and applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Prof. Pratihar made significant contributions in design and development of intelligent autonomous systems in various fields of Engineering Science namely robotics, manufacturing science and others. He has proposed adaptive motion planning schemes for intelligent robots using the principle of soft computing, whose performances have been tested on real robots. In relation to automation in manufacturing processes, he has developed expert systems using soft computing to establish their input-output relationships both in forward and reverse directions. He is also the founder of Soft Computing Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Centre for Excellence in Robotics.

Inputs by: Prof. D K Pratihar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
Email: dkpra@mech.iitkgp.ac.in

By: Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

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A New Era of Schooling

How is teaching & learning being carried out at IIT Kharagpur’s campus schools?

Schooling has entered a new era with ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. As contact classrooms have been shut down,  schools across India are reinventing the educational system. Blackboards, benches, workbooks have been replaced by computers, smartphones, video lectures, conferencing applications, assignment modules.

There are three schools on the campus upto higher secondary level and one school upto its primary section. The schools have gone digital since March 21, 2020. DAV Model School and Kendriya Vidyalas share the experiences with The Kgp Chronicle.

DAV Model School at IIT Kharagpur started online classes March 27 keeping in view the disrupted academic calendar due to the ongoing pandemic. The school has facilitated online classes through Zoom App, YouTube, ePathshala, Diksha, NDLI resources, Tata classedge, Snap Homework app, forming Whatsapp groups while assignments are being regularly uploaded on the school’s website. 

“It is the time when students need the teachers, their ‘second parents’, to protect and take care of their tender minds and unknown apprehensions. Team DAV Model School IIT Kharagpur has taken up the challenge to the extent that not just academic disciplines but even creative classes such as dance, music, art and craft, and yoga are being conducted on online mode,” said Principal Lopa Chatterjee.

The School is also recommending resources from the National Digital Library of India developed by IIT Kharagpur.

“We are sharing text and reference materials from NDLI which students. Both teachers and students have been using this platform extensively,” added Lopa Chatterjee.

Another school on campus, Kendriya Vidyalaya IIT Kharagpur, is also conducting classes on various online modes, sharing video lessons and assignments. The school is using free e-resources such as NROER, DIKSHA, SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, NPTEL, NCERT and NIOS. WhatsApp groups are used significantly for doubt clearing sessions.

“The link to all these apps/websites have been provided to students and teachers through Vidyalaya website for their optimum use by them. Some materials on Creative and Critical Thinking Skills, Program for International Students Assessment have been uploaded on the Vidyalaya website for exposure and practice of students under supervision of teachers. We are also in the process of exploring other means and methods for conducting online live classes by our teachers,” said Principal Bal.

Both the schools have prepared separate time table for online teaching which is being updated on the websites of the respective schools.

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.