Institute Milestones
Reunions
45th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1969
45th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1969 was held from 21st- 23rd November, 2014. None of them was ready to waste a single moment as they initiated their reunion with a nostalgic tour round the campus. A total of 43 alumni participated in the meet. The reunion officially began with the lighting of the lamp by the IIT-K Director, Prof. Indranil Manna, who was accompanied by Prof. Prabhat Munshi and Prof. Manindra Agarwal . However, for the alumni, fun started as soon as they had reached the campus. They got group photographs clicked and shared experiences of their lives with the current students. The former students were excited to see a sea-change at IIT-Kanpur. Alumnus Sumant Sareen, who is currently settled in Dubai, said, "It is pleasing to come back to IIT-Kanpur." His batch-mate Padma Jyoti also voiced the same opinion stating, "The Institute has indeed undergone a massive change."The 'batch of 1964' has been quite successful within India and abroad. The Institute administration mentioned that these ex-students would leave the campus as potential role models for students, with whom, they interacted not just as their seniors but as well-wishers interested in their successes.
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20th Year Reunion of the Class-of-94
20th Year Reunion of the Class-of-94 was held from 24th to 25th December, 2014. Alumni started arriving on 23rd December and that night a dinner was arranged at the Visitors' Hostel Lawns for them. On the 24th of December, after an early morning walk around the campus the alumni attended the inaugural function. They were addressed by the Director Prof. Indranil Manna who stressed upon the need for maintaining a relationship with the institute for the benefit of the current students. He urged the alumni to interact with the students and guide them regarding their career opportunities in the global scenario. The alumni were then taken on a guided tour of the campus and shown the new constructions like the new hostels, academic buildings and sports complex. Some ex-students chose to cycle around the campus. Later they played a phatta cricket match at the stadium. The alumni visited the laboratories, the library, the different departments and the new buildings in the campus. The reunion came to an end with lunch and a felicitation ceremony at the Director's residence. The alumni expressed their willingness to contribute to some major project of the Institute as 'Guru-Dakshina.'
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Silver Jubilee Reunion of the Class-of-1990
Silver Jubilee Reunion of the Class-of-1990 was celebrated at IIT Kanpur from 26th - 28th December, 2014. Over 120 alumni met at the reunion from India and abroad after a gap of almost 25 years. Many of them had come with their spouses and children. The alumni were excited to visit their former institute, which had of course changed during the 25 years. They also observed that the institute had changed a lot and many new buildings have come up. Coordinator Pravin Bhagwat said that 120 ex-students of the batch have come. In the afternoon, a lavish lunch was organized at the sprawling lawns of the Director's residence. Thereafter, they went on a tour of the Institute. They saw the Faculty Building, the Computer Centre, the National Wind Tunnel Facility, the Flight lab and also took joyrides in the IITK gliders. Late in the evening, a formal introduction session was held where the alumni introduced their respective families. Later, an interactive session was organized with the current students. A soccer match was held between the students of Hall II and Hall III. The spirit of the reunion continued till late at night with nostalgic bonfires to beat the chill and keep the mood upbeat.
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30th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1984
30th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1984 was celebrated at IIT Kanpur from January 2-4, 2015. The three day alumni event witnessed a large gathering of over 40 alumni from India as well as abroad. The alumni were thrilled to visit their former Institute, where they had spent some of their most precious years as students. They were happy to experience the sprawling campus with its unspoiled rich flora and its extensive infrastructure. A folk dances were organized for the alumni by troupes from Aasam and Rajasthan, which were appreciated by all. Alumnus Kaushal Chari emphasized that India should focus on patent research for better economy. Alumni also promised to devote time for project Saraswati, in which alumni are called to IIT Kanpur for talking to students. Dean, Resources and Alumni, Prof. Prabhat Munshi informed that till then more than 50 alumni were associated with the Project Saraswati. Alumnus Rajiv Kalra was of the view that the courses in IIT Kanpur need to change as per the requirement of time and more of technologies should be used for the same.
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35th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1980
35th Year Reunion of the Class-of-1980 was held from 9th - 11th January, 2015. It was inaugurated by the IIT Kanpur Director Professor Indranil Manna. The celebrations began with the former students turning up to take part in the alumni meet. Immediately after their arrival, the alumni reminisced their olden days while moving around in the campus which had undergone a sea change. They also narrated and discussed their experiences of life after IITK. Ravindra Prakash Dubey, MD of a private company, who is an alumnus of the Mechanical Engineering department, spoke about the potential of solar energy. His company deals in renewable energy. He also said that by 2022, the country would be generating 20,000 megawatts of solar power. Pradeep D Praiskh, who is also an alumnus of the Mechanical Engineering department, said that he liked the PM's 'Make In India' slogan, but he also added that this could succeed only if the government machinery is made to function properly. They made the most of their time and enjoyed the reunion by making trips to nearby places, playing games with their family and children and by discussing about bettering the quality of the institute.
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MoU signed with University of Massachusetts, USA and Melbourne, Australia
IIT Kanpur has recently inked memorandum of understanding with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA and the University of Melbourne, Australia to strengthen collaborative research in science, technology and for student and faculty exchange. The aim is to also target joint research initiatives. These MoUs were signed by IITK Director, Prof. Indranil Manna, during his recent visit to the two countries. The MoU with University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) was signed by Professor Ahmed Abdelal and the University of Melbourne was signed by Professor Saman Halgamuge. Under these MoUs while our students will visit these universities in USA and Australia, the students from these universities will also be able to come to IITK and study and work here.
Inauguration of Prof. Rajeev Motwani Building
Mrs. Asha Jadeja Motwani, wife of Late Prof. Rajeev Motwani inaugurated the Rajeev Motwani building on 19th December 2014. She gave a talk on his dream and vision for entrepreneurship in India. On this occasion, she also announced the launch of two funds for promoting entrepreneurship among faculty and students at IITs and elsewhere. The Rajeev Motwani Impact Fund will support path breaking ideas and technologies that are designed specifically for the bottom half of the economic pyramid. The Rajeev Motwani Venture Fund will support ground breaking disruptive technologies emerging from Indian academia to address creation of the next generation mobile internet, the Internet of things, and the health net. Prof. Rajeev Motwani did his BTech in Computer Science and Engineering in 1983 from IIT Kanpur, after which he went to the University of California, Berkeley for his PhD which he completed in 1988 under the supervision of Professor Richard Karp. Prof. Motwani then joined the faculty of the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University. He passed away on 5th June, 2009 at the age of 47.
IIT Kanpur installed four rooftop solar plants
On December 3rd, 2014, IIT Kanpur installed four rooftop solar plants in its campus by spending Rs 2.92 crore, with an aim to reduce electricity consumption as well as pollution in the campus. Of the four photovoltaic plants, one with a capacity of 212.45 KW has been installed at the western lab, second with a capacity of 28 KW has been set up at the western lab's extension, while an 80.08 KW-capacity plant has been positioned at the faculty building. The fourth one with a capacity of 24 KW has been installed at North Lab 2. The Institute set up the plants in September-October this year and has already started using electricity generated from them. The Institute aims to install more plants in the second phase which will have capacity of 1400 KW.
IIT Kanpur scientist appointed as the Secretary, Department of Science & Technology
Prof. Ashutosh Sharma of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Science & Technology (DST). Prof Sharma did his B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Pensylvania State University. He completed his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1987.
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Distinguished Lectures Series
Devendra Shukla Distinguished Lecture Series
Mr. Santosh Rai, Business Line Head - Transport, Hindustan Construction Company gave a talk titled Managing Risks in Infra Projects - The case of the Bandra Worli Sea on 5th November 2014.
About the Speaker: Mr. Santosh Rai is the Business Line Head of the Transport business of HCC Ltd. His responsibility lies in the sales and in the business development of projects related to Roads, Bridges, Metro and Marine Ports. Mr. Rai has over 12 years of experience in the Construction Sector, with a core focus in the areas of planning and execution of infrastructure projects related to transport. He began his career in 2001 as a Site Engineer for the Delhi Metro Rail Project. After joining HCC in 2005 Mr. Rai made significant contribution towards the construction of the cable stayed bridge of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link Project. He was awarded the 'Certificate of Appreciation' by the Government of Maharashtra for his extraordinary contribution to the development of infrastructure of the state of Maharashtra.
Abstract of the Talk: Though the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link Project (better known as the "Bandra Worli Sea Link") has been the most iconic bridge project of India, it also has a calamitous history of time and cost overruns. Whilst has sufficed to place India amongst the confident countries that can build mega and complex bridges, it also has rendered a case that needs to look into the practices that can be used while implementing such projects. The lecture covered the introduction of BWSL Project, with detailed construction methods and technologies used and also highlighted the risks and challenges faced during construction.
About the Donor: Dr. Devendra Shukla Distinguished Lecture in the Department of Civil Engineering has been made possible from the donation by Dr. Devendra Shukla (BT/CE/67). Dr. Shukla did his PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of Delaware, USA. Dr. Shukla is the Founder President and CEO, Innovative Technical Solutions, which is now a part of Gilbane Construction Company.
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Alumni Achievements
Mr. Anil Gupta (BT/ME/78) has been recognized by the District Administration for doing something impossible--cleaning the city of Kanpur. The impact of the efforts by Mr. Gupta's organization 'Parivartan' can be seen in the streets of Kanpur.
Mr. Arunesh Dixit (MT/AE/99) has released his book "Innocent Colors". This book is a collection of poems depicting various human traits, emotions, and relations with other human beings, animals and environment as well as with Divine Supreme.
Professor Jagdish (Jay) Narayan (BT/MME/1969) has been selected for the North Carolina Science Award which is the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. state of North Carolina.
Professor Rakesh Jain (BT/CHE/1972) has been elected as a Foreign Fellow of INSA.
Mr. Ram Kumar Gupta (BT/MME/71) awarded the IIM's Distinguished Services Award - 2014. This award is given to the members for their outstanding services and dedication to the cause of Metallurgical Profession and Industry.
Mr. Santosh Kumar Misra (BT/EE/93) has released his book "Spirit of Kumbh". The book features a interesting anecdotes, both with pictures and words that span across a diverse range of experiences. Every photo is wrapped in a story and every shot unravels a long eventful tale - some from the past, some from the present and some still revealing the future.
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Student Achievements
IIT Kanpur emerged as Overall Champion in the 50th Inter IIT Aquatics Meet held at IIT Bombay from 1st - 4th October, 2014, winning GOLD in Water Polo and Bronze in Swimming.
IIT KANPUR won the Inter IIT Sports General Championship 2014 held at IIT Bombay.
IIT Kanpur secured 2nd position in 3rd Inter IIT Tech Meet at IIT Kharagpur.
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Faculty Achievements
Dr. Ashish Tewari (AE) has been elected as Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) for the year 2014.
Dr. Ashoke De (AE) has been selected for the IEI Young Engineer Award for the year 2014.
Dr. J. N. Moorthy (Chemistry) has been awarded the J C Bose Fellowship by Department of Science and Technology for the year 2015.
Dr. Jitendra K Bera (CHM) has been elected as Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India for the year 2014.
Dr. Mukesh Sharma (CE) has been elected as Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering for the year 2014.
Dr. R. P. Chhabra (Chemical) has been awarded the J C Bose Fellowship by Department of Science and Technology for the year 2015.
Dr. S. N. Singh (EE) has been elected as Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering for the year 2014.
Dr. Sandeep Verma (CHM) has been selected for the Darshan Ranganathan Memorial Lecture Award of the Chemical Research Society of India for the year 2015.
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Appointments
Dr. Abhijit Kushari, Department of Aerospace Engineering appointed as Associate Dean for International Relations.
Dr. Anish Upadhyaya, Department of Material Science & Engineering has been appointed as Head Of Department of Material Science & Engineering.
Dr. Neeraj Misra, Department of Mathematics & Statistics appointed as Dean of Academic Affair.
Dr. Sandeep Verma, Department Of Chemistry has been appointed as Head Of Department of Chemistry.
Dr. Viswanathan Shankar, Department of Chemical Engineering has been appointed as Head Of Department of Chemical Engineering.
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New Faculty
Dr. Anirban Guha joined the Department of ME . He obtained his PhD from University of British Columbia, Canada.
Dr. Jayandharan G. Rao joined the Department of BSBE. He obtained his PhD from the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Dr. Jishnu Bhattacharya joined the Department of ME. He obtained his PhD from the Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Dr. Rajshekhar Gannavarpu joined the Department of EE. He obtained his PhD from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.
Dr. Ritwij Bhowmick joined the Department of HSS . He obtained his PhD from National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
Dr. Santanu De joined the Department of ME . He obtained his PhD from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
Dr. Swargajyoti Gohain joined the Department of HSS . She obtained her PhD from Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
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Institute Lectures
Padmashri Prof. Seyed E. Hasnain delivered a lecture titled "Will we succeed in winning the war against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the deadly human pathogen that causes TB and takes one human life every 15-20 seconds?", on 20th January 2015. Professor Seyed E. Hasnain has received Germany's Highest Civilian Award - The Order of Merit, from the President of Germany. He has been elected as Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (USA). He was a Member of Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and also a Member of Scientific Advisory Committee to the Union Cabinet. He received the Humboldt Research Prize along with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award. He was the first director of Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics Hyderabad and then served as the Vice-Chancellor of the Central University of Hyderabad. He is currently an invited professor at IIT Delhi.
Dr. Michel Danino, a guest faculty at IIT Gandhinagar rendered a Lecture Series at IIT Kanpur during August 9th to November 14th, 2014, wherein he spoke of his journey through Indian civilization and an attempt to read the ancient Indian mind by sifting through archaeological, cultural, literary and historical evidence. The lecture series hopes to lead to a more intimate understanding of what has made this civilization so nduring despite formidable odds. Born in France in 1956, Michel Danino has been living in India since 1977. A student of Indian civilization, he has authored books, papers and articles in French and English. Danino's most well read titles include "The Lost River: On the Trail of the Sarasvati", published by the Penguin India in the year 2010 and "Indian Culture and India's Future", published by DK Print world in 2011. His well-researched work "The Dawn of Indian Civilization and the Elusive Aryans" is forthcoming. Michel Danino has lectured at many forums across India.
Dr. Stanley E. Whitcomb is currently the Chief Scientist of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Laboratory. The LIGO is operated by Caltech and MIT through funding from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Stanley received his undergraduate education at Caltech. He had one year of graduate study at Cambridge University before completing his Ph. D at the University of Chicago in far-infrared and submillimeter astronomy. He returned to Caltech in 1980 as an assistant professor of physics, near the beginning of Caltech's entry into the field of gravitational wave detection.Over the years since then, he has been involved in nearly every phase of the effort to build LIGO-concept development, prototype sensitivity demonstration, detector design and installation, commissioning, data analysis, and management. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and of the Optical Society of America.
Prof. Sudhir Jain, director of IIT Gandhinagar, presented his views on "Opportunities and Challenges of Building a World Class IIT from the Ground Up: The IIT Gandhinagar Story" On 27th November, 2014. Prof Sudhir K Jain received his Bachelor of Engineering from University of Roorkee in 1979, Master of Science from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA in 1980, and Doctor of Philosophy, also from Caltech, in 1983. Prof. Jain joined as a faculty in the department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kanpur in 1984. Making of a University is a new lecture series at IIT Kanpur. In this lecture series, the institute will invite distinguished individuals who have helped create or improve educational institutions. Such a lecture and the interaction with the speaker could potentially generate many ideas on what we could do at IIT Kanpur to achieve greater heights.
Prof. Herbert Gleiter, honorary adviser, founder and former director of Institute of Nanoscience and KIT distinguished senior fellow delivered a lecture on 27th January, 2015, titled "Can Nano glasses open the Way to an Age of New Technologies?" Professor Herbert Gleiter obtained his PhD in 1966 in Physics from the University of Stuttgart. After spending several years at Harvard University and MIT, he accepted positions at the Universities of Bochum, Saarbrucken and the ETH Zurich. In 1994, he joined the Executive Board of the Research Center Karlsruhe and founded Institute of Nanotechnology. His present work focuses on the application of nanotechnology to probe limits of Quantum Physics in systems of macroscopic size. Throughout his career he received more than 40 prizes/awards including the Leibniz and Max Planck Prize as well as four honorary doctorates, several honorary professorships and was recently appointed Founding Director of the "Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience" at Nanjing, China.
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Obituary
Professor H. K. Kesavan, Founding faculty member of IIT Kanpur, passed away on November 26, 2014 in Waterloo, Ontario. The Institute expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved family of Prof. Kesavan and prays for the peace of the departed soul.
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