Kanpur : The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur honoured its alumni and former faculty as the institute observed the 63rd Foundation Day on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. The event was presided over by Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, former Chairman of ISRO and presently, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur. Shri Subramanian Ramadorai, Chairperson Karmayogi Bharat, and Chairperson Board of Governors, TISS graced as the Chief Guest for the event. The occasion saw 18 awards presented to esteemed alumni and fellows of IIT Kanpur. The awardees included eminent scientists, industry experts, administrators, and technocrats, most of them pioneers in their respective fields.
On the eve of the Foundation Day, IIT Kanpur hosted ‘Antarang’ – a Classical Indian Music Evening on November 1. The Bodhi Group from Karnataka performed Rabindra Sangeet based on Carnatic and Hindustani ragas, followed by Hindustani vocal recital by Mrs. Amarabati Biswas and Mrs. Pradnya Khandekar, and Carnatic vocal recital by Dr. Koppillil Radhakrishnan, Chairperson, Board of Governors IIT Kanpur. A parallel art exhibition by Pavaki Kala Stotra, a group based in Kanpur that promotes art and artists from the region, was also inaugurated under ‘APPROACH’ – a Cell for Appreciation and Promotion of Art Culture and Heritage formulated recently at IIT Kanpur.
This year, Ms. Neha Verma, Director, Ministry of Steel, Govt of India, was honoured with the prestigious Satyendra K. Dubey Memorial Award at the Foundation Day for their highest display of professional integrity in their domain. Padma Shree H.C. Verma, Retd. Professor, Dept of Physics; and Prof S.C Srivastava, Retd. Professor, Dept of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kanpur, were recognized with the Institute Fellows award for their significant contributions to the institute’s growth.
The Distinguished Alumnus Awards were given to 11 alumni including Dr. Smita Agarwal Hashim, Vice president, Microsoft Inc., USA; Prof. Deepak Dhar, Emeritus Professor, Department of Physics, IISER Pune, India; Dr. Ruchir Puri, Chief Scientist, IBM Research, NY, USA; and Mr. Aloke Bajpai, Co-Founder & Group CEO of ixigo, among others.
Being present as the Chief Guest, Shri Subramanian Ramadorai, Chairperson, Karmayogi Bharat, and Chairperson Board of Governors, TISS, said, “In India’s holistic growth across sectors, the IITs have been contributing significantly with research and innovation. Being one of the oldest IITs, IIT Kanpur has been taking pioneering efforts not only in education, but across all sectors. The Foundation Day marks an auspicious occasion to celebrate the journey of this great institution and the contributions of all who have been a part of it. I feel honoured to be here at IIT Kanpur for the 63rd Foundation Day and I trust that the institute will continue to carry the baton to take the nation to the zenith of progress across sectors.”
On the occasion of the 63rd Foundation Day, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur said, “Six decades is a long timeline for an academic institution. On this auspicious day, we celebrate the contributions of our alumni and faculty, who with their relentless efforts and dedication have always kept the institute’s name high in the global pedestal. It is this selfless love and dedication for the institute that keeps IIT Kanpur always young, and vibrant as an institute of excellence across sectors. Today is as much a day of reflection as it is of taking resolve for building a better tomorrow for the nation, by the institute. We’re grateful to Shri Subramanian Ramadorai for gracing us on this occasion and I hope that this day continues to inspire us all to always work under the ethos of the institute.”
The other Distinguished Alumnus Awardees include Prof. Sanjay Ranka, Distinguished professor, Dept of Computer Information Science & Engineering, University of Florida; Prof. Vivek Sarkar, Chair, School of Computer Science Chair, Stephen Flemming, Telecommunications, College of Computing Georgia Institute of Technology, USA; Prof. Ratnesh Kumar, Palmer Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering Dept., Iowa State University; Mr. Ranodeb Roy, Co-founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer, RV Capital Management, Singapore; Mr. Rajendra Prasad Bhattarai, President, Water Utility’s Environmental & Regulatory Services Division, University of Texas, Austin, U.S.A; Mr. Deepak Dev Raj, Managing Director, Rush Brook Partners, and Founder & Managing Director, New Jersey-based private investment firm Raj Associates; and Dr. Anil Kumar Rajvanshi, Director, Trustee and Hon. Secretary, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, India.
The Distinguished Services awards were presented to Mr. Srikant Sastri, Chaiman, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, Chairman, I3G Advisory Network, and Co-Founder & Director, Crayon Data, Singapore; and Mr. Rajiv Swarup, Founding President (Retd.), Shiv Nadar University, recognizing their contribution in raising the institute’s stature in the global arena. Dr. Mohit Kumar Jolly, Assistant Professor, Center for Biosystems Science and Engineering, IISc Bengaluru, India; and Prof. Deepak Pathak, Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, USA, received the Young Alumnus Awards this year.