A total of 2,636 students graduated at the 61st convocation of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, which took place on campus today. As many as 3,016 degrees (including joint and dual degrees) were awarded to the students on the occasion.
A total of 444 PhDs were awarded, which included PhDs, Joint Degree PhDs with foreign institutions and Dual Degree PhDs.
A highlight of the occasion was S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, receiving his PhD in Mechanical Engineering during the convocation.
IIT Madras has had an eventful year, with many major milestones, the top three being the establishment of the Wadhwani School of Data Science & AI and the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, besides the launch of the Agnibaan rocket. The Department of Data Science and AI housed in the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, which was generously funded by IIT Madras Distinguished alumnus Sunil Wadhwani, will work on impactful problems of direct relevance to society.
The International Interdisciplinary Master’s degree programmes (I2MP) with innovative curricula to equip students with cutting-edge expertise and skills that transcend traditional engineering domains was launched in 2022. The first batch of I2MP is graduating at this Convocation.
The I2MP receives over 200 applications annually from diverse backgrounds and countries, including Ethiopia, Mauritius, Syria, and Nepal. These students study several core and elective courses at IIT Madras, in addition to a research project in their area of interest.
The chief guest was Dr Brian K. Kobilka, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2012). Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Madras, presided over the convocation, joined by Professor V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, as well as faculty, staff, and students.
Dr Brian K Kobilka and Robert Lefkowitz discovered that the receptor was similar to receptors located in the eye that capture light. It was later discovered that there is an entire family of receptors that look and act in similar ways-G-protein-coupled receptors. Approximately half of all medications used today make use of this kind of receptor.
Congratulating the graduating students and prize winners, Dr Brian K Kobilka, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the year 2012, said, “I do not consider myself to be exceptional in any way. My career today is an example of how an average individual can achieve a measure of success by a combination of factors including hard work, persistence, an element of luck and a great deal of help from family, friends and colleagues. When I look back at my career, I am amazed by how often I was in the right place at the right time, with the right people.”
Dr Brian K Kobilka added, “I believe that there are five factors that played an important role in my career. First, I found my passion. Something I loved to do. A challenging goal that I wanted to pursue. Second, I was able to find role models and mentors who guided different stages of my career. Third, I recognised my strengths and weaknesses and found ways to leverage my strengths and accommodate for my weaknesses. Fourth, I had balance in my life. A fulfilling family life outside my academic career. Finally and fifth, possibly the most important, I was not afraid to fail. I found ways to learn from my failures.”
DEGREES BREAK-UP
During this Convocation, Professor V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, awarded degrees to 2,636 graduates including 764 BTech (of whom 27 with Honours), 277 Dual Degree BTech and MTech, 481 MTech, 151 MSc, 42 MA, 50 Executive MBA, 84 MBA, 236 MS, and 107 Web-enabled MTech for executives. The above PhD numbers also include 7 joint degrees with universities in foreign countries, including Australia, Singapore, France and Germany.
Congratulating the graduating students, Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Madras, said, “India has already become a magnet for investments across various industries, ushering in an era of unprecedented opportunities. This is leading to a remarkable transformation and is steering us towards becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ – a developed India by 2047. This vision, championed by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflects a collective national ambition. The Indian economy is advancing rapidly. A decade ago, India ranked as the 10th largest economy globally. Today it is 5th, and will soon become 3rd. India aspires to become a $30 -$35 trillion economy by 2047, on its way to Viksit Bharat.”
Further, Dr Pawan Goenka said, “However, Viksit Bharat will not happen simply by wishing it. Achieving this vision relies heavily on us collectively taking bold, transformative actions. Viksit Bharat will be possible only if governments, businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals like you make significant and audacious moves and Take Big Bets…Disruptions that reshape industries and countries and redefine paradigms can be caused only by taking big bets. If you find that you have never failed, it should give you a pause not satisfaction. It likely means you have played it safe, too safe to step beyond your comfort zone.”
Presenting the Director’s Report, Professor V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “This year IIT Madras has exceeded its target of one patent a day by filing 419 patents during the year, of which 85 are international filings, and were granted 445 Indian and 15 international patents.”
Original News Link
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/iit-madras-61st-convocation-witnesses-graduation-of-2636-students-2569120-2024-07-19
