MANDI : Indian Institute of Technology Mandi celebrated its 10^th Convocation, with a graduating class of 462 students (348 male & 114 female) today, 5^th December 2022. This year, the Institute awarded 64 PhDs, which is the highest number of PhDs awarded at IIT Mandi in an academic year till date.

Prof. Stuart R. Hameroff, University of Arizona, U.S.A., graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), New Delhi; Dr. Kingshuk Banerjee, Director, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, and Mr. Woochan Chang, Director, KOICA India, New Delhi, were the Guests of Honor. Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Mandi, presided over the Convocation event.

Congratulating the students at the 10th Convocation of IIT Mandi, Chief Guest, Prof. Stuart R. Hameroff, said, “Consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe. An ‘inward hierarchy’ in quantum brain biology is consistent with Indian Knowledge systems (e.g. 5 Koshas). Quantum state reduction can occur at various levels of the brain hierarchy – ‘Atman from Brahman’. At deeper inward levels, consciousness may exist in spacetime geometry independent of biology. While therapies aimed at microtubule resonance e.g. with painless, safe and pleasant brain ultrasound can treat mental and cognitive disorders.”

Further, advising students to consider Quantum Computing and Quantum Biology which will be the future, the chief guest ended his speech.

Prof. Stuart R. Hameroff, M.D. is the Director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Prof. Hameroff is responsible for over a hundred scientific articles and book chapters, lectured around the world. Prof. Hameroff taught a course on science consciousness to establish collaborative research with researchers at IIT Mandi.

Degrees awarded were:

The Institute has seen a rise in the number of girl students passing out in different streams. This year a total of 33 female students in undergraduate programme; 49 in postgraduate and masters’ programmes, 28 in Ph.D. programme and 04 in iPh.D. programme have graduated from IIT Mandi surpassing the numbers from the previous years.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Mandi, said, “IIT Mandi has equipped the students with good attitude, knowledge and skill to be a good human being and a successful professional. Now is the time for ‘guru dakshina’. Nothing better, nothing more valuable than to live the rest of their lives with the learning they have received from IIT and teachers who inspired and helped to imbibe the values of inclusive and sustainable development. Continue to remain a student all life; keep an open mind, and keep learning from life.”

Congratulating the graduating batch, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi, said, “I wish my heartiest greetings to all our graduating students. They will become the torch bearer of the Institute. I am sure that their professional competencies and uncompromising character will empower them to lead the society in various ways. Their success will also be the success of IIT Mandi.”

Further, highlighting his vision for the Institute, Prof. Behera, said, “In the coming years, my focus will be to encourage faculty members and research scholars to publish impactful research works that are at par with the best Universities across the world. We must be solving real-live problems around us that will impact the lives of the people around. To encourage the research ecosystem, we have raised the seed grant to faculty members from 5 lacs to15 lacs.”

Delivering this year’s Valedictorian’s address, Mr. Ashish Anand, Institute’s Silver Medal, B.Tech, Electrical Engineering, 2022 batch, said, “After joining IIT Mandi, we started to go through the part of life which we lived for the last 4 years, i.e., lectures, labs, assignments, quizzes and end semester examinations and participation in intercollege events. In parallel with these academic engagements, we were also creating memories: be it playing table tennis in common rooms after the lectures or campus tours or celebrating birthdays at midnight or going on treks and trips or celebrating festivals. I would like to thank the IIT Mandi community for endless memories and faculty members for teaching us with utmost passion.”