Vigilance Awareness Week at IIT Bhubaneswar “Technology has a role to play in eradicating corruption”

Bhubaneswar : Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, has joined the Nation in observing the Vigilance Awareness Week from 28th October to 3rd November 2024. As per the guidelines of the Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi, the week-long programme is being conducted with this year’s theme “Culture of Integrity for Nation’s Prosperity.”
In this line, as part of this observance, on 29th October 2024, IIT Bhubaneswar organized a talk on the theme. Shri Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa, IPS, Director, Vigilance, Govt. of Odisha, graced the seminar and addressed the students and members of the institute. In his address, he discussed various aspects of prevention of corruption through examples from his vast experience. He mentioned about preventive vigilance and punitive vigilance in combating corruption. He stressed that technology has a great role to play in ensuring transparency and detecting corrupt practices by officials working in different organisations. He urged the members of the Institute to be vigilant and adhere to integrity to ensure the prosperity of the nation.
Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director, IIT Bhubaneswar said that ‘vigilance’ means ‘sustained concentration,’ and efforts are required to achieve this. Roots of corruption lie both “inside” and “outside” the human being. Greed is an “inside” condition while “outside conditions” include inequalities in society, complicated rules and lack of transparency. For a corruption free society, we should replace greed by “vairagya” or dispassion, and usher in equality in society, and simple rules and transparency in governance. At IIT Bhubaneswar, we are constantly striving to simplify the rules in keeping with the dynamically changing world and bring in transparency, he said.
At the outset, Prof. A.K. Pradhan, Chief Vigilance Officer of IIT Bhubaneswar welcomed and introduced the guest speaker. Shri Bamadev Acharya, Registrar also spoke on the occasion and mentioned the role of corruption in hindering the progress of the country. senior members of faculty and senior officers of the Institute were present on the occasion.
Earlier, on the first day of the Vigilance Awareness Week, the Integrity Pledge was administered to the members of IIT Bhubaneswar by Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of the Institute.