New Delhi: President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu graced the IIT Delhi Diamond Jubilee celebrations closing ceremony on Saturday. On the occasion, she virtually inaugurated IIT Delhi’s state-of-the-art Research and Innovation Park and exhibition of technologies developed by the Institute. The Hon’ble President of India also released IIT Delhi Diamond Jubilee and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan booklets.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister; Dr Subhas Sarkar, Union Minister of State for Education; Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Education and Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, FRS, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India were present on the occasion as the Guests of Honor.
Addressing the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations Closing Ceremony, the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, said, “I am happy to be here with you today on this historical occasion. It is historical not only for the IIT Delhi, but also for the whole country. All the teachers, students and administrators, past and present, deserve rich tributes for raising the bar of educational excellence. Indeed, their contribution was duly recognised in 2018 when the Government named it as an Institution of Eminence.
The IITs have contributed immensely to India’s improved standing on the global stage today. Your faculty and alumni have shown the world our brainpower. Some of those who studied here and in other IITs are now at the forefront of the digital revolution sweeping the world. Moreover, the impact of IITs has gone beyond science and technology. IITians are leaders in every walk of life – in education, industry, entrepreneurship, civil society, activism, journalism, literature and politics. Very recently I met a group of IAS trainees and found many IITians among them. Your influence is such that it touches all walks of life. This is also partly due to the fact that the IITs have expanded outside their traditional strengths in science and engineering. They now offer qualitative programmes in humanities, social sciences, design, management and public policy. This multi-disciplinary approach is well aligned with the new National Education Policy. The IIT Delhi, in particular, has upheld high standards of teaching and research. Your faculty members are known for cutting-edge scientific research and technology development too, apart from contributions to society. Many of them have been honoured with the Padma awards, Bhatnagar prizes and other notable recognitions. They have also contributed to national and international academies as Fellows. The students of the IIT Delhi, past and present, have been among the best minds of their generation. The competition to find a seat in this institute is tougher than that for some of the best universities in the world. Such a selection process reflects the quest for quality. As one of the original IITs, this institution is also a mentor to some of the recent members of the club, namely, IIT Ropar and IIT Jammu. Thus, the IIT Delhi has contributed significantly in building up of the image of the IITs as centres of excellence across the world.”
Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, said, “Such institutions often run the risk of existing in isolation, as ivory towers. That is why it is all the more heartening to note that the IIT Delhi has always seen itself as part of the larger community and it has been extra sensitive to its responsibility towards society. The latest example of its social concern was seen during the initial phase of the pandemic. Rising to the challenge of containing the virus, the IIT Delhi initiated important research and development projects. It designed and developed rapid antigen test kits, PPEs, antimicrobial fabrics, high efficiency face masks and low-cost ventilators, among other things. The IIT Delhi’s contribution in India’s fight against the Coronavirus has been a model of how engineering and technology institutions too can play a role in a public health crisis. The glorious past of this institute gives us an assurance that it will play a crucial role in the future as India enters the Amrit Kaal.”
Research and Innovation Park, IIT Delhi
The Research and Innovation Park (R&I Park) inaugurated by the President of India today will focus on the creation of advanced technological solutions by facilitating interaction among IIT Delhi, industry, entrepreneurs and government agencies.
The R&I Park aims to accelerate research translation, provide avenues for the Institute students and faculty to interact more closely with industry and bring to market technological breakthroughs through incubation, amplify technological and societal
impact of Research & Development at IIT Delhi and galvanize entrepreneurial aspirations.
Spread over 300,000 sq. ft., the R&I Park has been designed with an emphasis on sustainability, with flexible spatial configurations (of laboratories, offices, suites, multimedia) and modern state of the art amenities offering numerous resources to the users.
The technologies developed by the IIT Delhi researchers, startups, which were displayed today in the exhibition included Multimodal Optical Imaging and Fluorescence Spectroscopy-based Oral Cancer and Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnostic kit, Extreme Cold Climate Clothing for Defense Personnel, Exoskeleton for Upper-Limb Rehabilitation, Mahua Nutrabeverage, RT-PCR assay for COVID-19, Compressed Biogas-based Two-Wheeler etc.