A total of 211 students graduated during the sixth Convocation of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi held today in the presence of faculty, staff, students, parents and eminent personalities. The graduates included 29 Ph.D. scholars, 11 M.S. (by Research), 28 M.Sc. (Chemistry), 11 M.Sc. Mathematics, 20 MTech. and 112 B.Tech. students. The number of Research Scholars graduating this year has increased to 40 compared to 31 (PhD-24, M.S. - 7) last year, said a statement from the Institute.
In a message shared to the institute for the occasion, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi congratulated the graduating students and noted that despite being one of the youngest IITs in the country, IIT Mandi has emerged as a premier centre for engineering education and research, fulfilling the aspirations of the region.
Delivering the Chief Guest Address, Padma Shri Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor, IIT Madras, said, "You are fortunate to graduate at a time when our nation is poised to grow out of its past and become a stronger nation. Each of you will indeed enjoy this but have a special role to play and owe great responsibility in getting us there."
"You (students) are walking into the beginning of this transition. This alone will free India from being dependent on massive oil-imports and also from the huge pollution that petrol vehicles create. Your knowledge and skills, horned by this institute, could make a difference. Robotics, 3D-manufacturing, nano-materials have all arrived and is going to transform the society. You indeed are getting into fast-changing world. Your ability to learn new things, train and adopt yourself quickly, can get you to lead the world," concluded Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala.
In this short span of time, since its inception in 2009, IIT Mandi has become a fully residential campus with world-class academic and research facilities.
Delivering the annual report, Prof. Timothy A. Gonsalves, Director, IIT Mandi, said, "In 2018, 193 B.Tech., 79 M.Sc., 110 M.Tech., and 13 M.A. students secured admission to IIT Mandi. We now have a total of 1,276 students including 274 Ph.D., 46 M.S. and 17 I-Ph.D. Research Scholars. In the 2017-18 placement season, 58 companies visit our campus at Kamand, which is the highest ever at our Institute till now. Among these companies more than 83 per cent were core companies."
This year marked a significant increase in the number of sponsored research projects and total funding. The total number of projects sanctioned till date is 182 with a total sanctioned amount of over Rs. 80 Crore.
Further, he added that IIT Mandi researchers published 292 peer-reviewed articles during the Academic Year 2017-18. The total number of peer-reviewed publications from the institute in National and International journals was 1,271 (upto March 2018).
"A large number of IIT Mandi faculty also visited institutions in Europe, North America, Australia, South Asia and Latin America in 2017-18 for conferences, industry and academic collaborations. Faculty members also visited TU9 institutions in Germany in 2018 under BMBF-IIT Mandi faculty exchange program. Besides international students, more than 35 international faculty members visited IIT Mandi," added Prof Gonsalves.
Currently, IIT Mandi has four schools: The School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, focusing on the key technologies of the Information Age; The School of Basic Sciences, which includes Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Life-Sciences; The School of Engineering that deals with principles such as classical mechanics, atomic physics, and thermodynamics; and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences that seeks to provide a good understanding of language, culture, sociology, economics, management and ecology.
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