President Droupadi Murmu commended IIT Bhilai’s comprehensive contributions towards sustainable development of indigenous and tribal peoples of Chhattisgarh

Raipur
President Droupadi Murmu commended IIT Bhilai’s comprehensive contributions towards the sustainable development of the indigenous and tribal peoples of Chhattisgarh. In her Convocation address at the IIT Bhilai on Saturday, she particularly mentioned the institute’s curriculum development, which aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the outreach activities undertaken through the IIT Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation (IBITF), providing investment opportunities and platforms to incubate socially relevant research. The ceremony concluded on a note of achievement and satisfaction, inspiring the participants with a renewed enthusiasm to work towards the cause of social upliftment and national development.

The Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai celebrated its 3rd and 4th Convocation with great splendor at the Nalanda Hall on its campus. The ceremony was graced by the presence of the Hon’ble President of India, Droupadi Murmu, who delivered the Convocation Address as the Chief Guest. i Raman Deka, Hon’ble Governor of Chhattisgarh, and Vishnu Deo Sai, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, were the Guests of Honour. The ceremony was presided over by Shri Krishnamurthi Venkataramanan, Chairman Board of Governors, IIT Bhilai. The President’s visit to the permanent campus, which was dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on February 20th of this year, marks another significant milestone for the institute since its establishment in 2016.
During the convocation, a total of 396 students who graduated in 2023 and 2024 were awarded degrees. The graduating class of 2023 consisted of 13 PhD, 11 MSc, 27 MTech, 13 BTech (Honours), and 123 BTech graduates. The graduating class of 2024 included 8 PhD, 20 MSc, 19 MTech, 12 BTech (Honours), and 150 BTech graduates.
The convocation ceremony commenced with the arrival of the academic procession. Krishnamurthi Venkataraman welcomed the Chief Guest and the Guests of Honour. Prof Rajiv Prakash, Director of IIT Bhilai, felicitated the  President and other dignitaries present. Prof Prakash highlighted the institute’s vision to develop practical solutions for the challenges faced by the tribal communities in the state. He also mentioned the institute’s key achievements, such as the increasing number of female students and scholars admitted to IIT Bhilai, ongoing research on indigenous knowledge systems to increase farmers’ yield, and collaboration with key stakeholders like the Bhilai Steel Plant to enhance productivity. K Venkataramanan emphasized the institute’s dedication to setting new standards for responsive education, innovative research, and comprehensive training of talented young minds.
Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the graduands in his address and welcomed the institute’s commitment to working for the state, citing the establishment of a state-of-the-art IT Park and an AI-based Vidya Samiksha Kendra as prime examples of this ongoing effort.  Ramen Deka, in his address, stated that IIT Bhilai had filled a long-standing gap in the state’s higher education ecosystem and had made significant progress in a short period of time in establishing its place in the hearts and minds of the people of Chhattisgarh.
The President presented the Institute Gold Medals, Director’s Gold Medals, and Senate Awards to the winners. Nomaan Alam Kherani and Shashwat Jaiswal received the Institute Gold Medals for the BTech student who secured the highest CGPA in the 2024 and 2023 batches, respectively. Yash Teckchandani and Madhur Bhattad received the Director’s Gold Medal for BTech student based on overall performance in both academic and extra-curricular domains, while Sidagam Rohit and Satya Vikram Pratap Singh were awarded the Director’s Gold Medal for MTech in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Vidhi Mittal was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal for Outstanding Female Student with overall academic excellence in BTech, BTech(Honours), and MSc. Senate Awards were presented to students who secured the highest CGPA in different branches and programmes.