43rd convocation @IIT-D

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi held its 43rd annual convocation here in its campus in South Delhi on 28th October 2012. Prof. R.K.Shevgaonkar, the Director of the institute, presented a brief report highlighting the activities, achievements and future of the institute. Padma Bhushan Dr S. Ramadorai, advisor to the Prime Minister in the National Skill Development Council and Vice - Chairman, Tata Consultancy Services Limited was the chief guest and gave the convocation address. In his address, he urged the institute to raise the bar and get more foreign students. He said, Although in India, other engineering institutes are in awe of IIT, its position in the 2012-13 QS World University Rankings is not in the top 200. This makes India the only BRICS country from which no university has made it to the top 200. Thus, the IITs need to develop a more outward-facing profile and attract more foreign faculty members, researchers and students at all levels. However, this should be done by factoring in the challenge of huge domestic demand at the under-graduate level and the fact that foreign students cannot compete in the IIT-JEE. He also stated that India should stop being mere importer of technology. According to him, this trend can only be reversed with help of close interaction between the IITs and the Indian industry. The annual convocation this year saw the largest number of degrees being conferred. The institute handed out bachelors degrees to 586 graduates; postgraduate degree to 1,006 and PhDs to 199. This year, Ankur Gupta received the president's gold medal, while Shruti received the director's gold medal. Apart from them, 14 silver medalists were also honoured during the convocation. Additionally this year, the institute also established an award for distinguished alumni and the awardees for 2012 were Professor Trilochan Sastry of IIM, Bangalore; Professor R C Budhani, director, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi; Punita Kumar Sinha, founder and managing partner, Pacific Paradigm Advisors; and Professor Pawan Sinha, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Apart from this, the institute also honoured 19 faculty members with the teaching excellence award this year.