S. Vishnu Sharma
IIITDM Kancheepuram conducted its eighth convocation day where 306 students received degrees.
The moment turned special when Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, National Education Policy 2020 addressed the graduands.
The degrees were awarded virtually in the presence of Dr. K. Kasturirangan who was the chief guest.
Arun Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Intellect Design Arena, Chennai was the guest of honour, Professor S. Sadagopan Chairman, Board of Governors, IIITDM Kancheepuram, Professor Banshidhar Majhi, Director, IIITDM Kancheepuram were among those present.
IIITDM Kancheepuram organises great graduation day
IIITDM Kancheepuram also known as Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing – Kancheepuram is an ‘Institute of National Importance’ coming under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
IIITDM Kancheepuram has also launched three new M.Tech programmes in M.Tech during the current academic year 2020-21.
The newly launched courses by IIITDM Kancheepuram are Advance Robotics, Power Electronics System Design and Computer Science and Engineering to empower the young engineers of India with specialized skill sets and to face the technological challenge of the future.
Information Technology (IT) drives both undergraduate and postgraduate education in the Institute with focus on Design and Manufacturing as two major verticals.
Addressing the graduands at the convocation day of IIITDM Kancheepuram, Dr. K. Kasturirangan said The vision of India’s new educational system has been crafted to ensure that it touches the life of each and every citizen consistent with their needs and necessities besides creating a just and equitable society.
‘The approach is to realize a new system aligned with aspirational goals of 21st century education while remaining rooted to India’s value systems and ethos.’
The policy provides an integrated, yet flexible approach to education, he said.
Chief guest Dr. Kasturirangan who is also a former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO),
addressing the graduands at IIITDM Kancheepuram further said the new education policy has kept the inter-connectedness of the various phases of education in mind and how the same will enable continuity, coherence and processes to ultimately realize an end-to-end educational road-map for the country.
IIITDM Kancheepuram has achieved tremendous success in creating an urge and strong desire among students in the sphere of Design, said Dr. Kasturirangan.
IIITDM Kancheepuram focuses on futuristic and multi-disciplinary courses with a blend of design and engineering curriculum, which could make the graduates to be industry-ready, he said.
‘Institutes with such a profile will transform our nation into a hub for design and manufacturing.’
Indeed, the institute is playing a critical role in our country’s effort towards ‘Make in India’ campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘The pace of making in India will be accelerated by the focus on design in India,’ said Dr. Kasturirangan.
Arun Jain said the faculty and the senate at IIITDM Kancheepuram are designing beautiful academics programmes and I must appreciate all of you who are passing out of this institution with distinction.
I think it is very unique not only in India but global world, where we are able to focus on design.’
‘It is about design which drives last 2% to 200% (in a product).’
So, the value any product which you are designing, 98% in the world are similar, it is just the 2% which drives the 200% value in the system and that is what the intensity and passion when you are going to the field, said Arun Jain.
Professor S. Sadagopan said 2020 will go down in history as a very special year when the world witnessed the Covid-19 pandemic causing enormous difficulty to millions of our brothers and sisters.
Practically, everyone on this planet has been impacted by COVID-19.
IIITDM Kancheepuram students and faculty are no exception.
You all had to stay home for nearly half of your last Semester and face lots of difficulties particularly by the less-endowed students and those who had limited access.
It must have been equally challenging for many of your faculty members who had to adapt to new forms of teaching.
Together, the students and the teachers could complete your studies without compromising on quality, thanks to technology, said S. Sadagopan.
Banshidhar Majhi said IITDM Kancheepuram was established in the year 2007 by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, with a specific mandate to excel in IT and IT-enabled Design and Manufacturing-focused education and research.
In the present convocation, degrees will be awarded to 306 students, out of which 146 degrees are B. Tech., 112 are Dual Degrees, 41 are M.Tech., 2 are M.Des. and 5 Ph.Ds. Apart from this, institute medals will be conferred in various categories, said Banshidhar Majhi.
The institute follows an inter-disciplinary curriculum and CBCS from its inception with thrust on ‘Design Thinking’ and ‘Product Development.’
Professor Majhi further speaking at the convocation of IIITDM Kancheepuram said the curriculum has a provision for students to take online courses offered in SWAYAM platform.
IIITDM’s Technology Business Incubator ‘MaDeIT Innovation Foundation,’ popularly known as ‘MaDeIT,’ is a Section 8 Company, was setup in August 2016 to support design and technology-driven startups and MSMEs in the manufacturing sector.
During last academic year, our Teaching Learning Centre (TLC) at IIITDM Kancheepuram funded by Pandit Madhan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) scheme of the Ministry of Education has made significant progress in terms of establishing new infrastructure.
IIITDM Kancheepuram established the Design Innovation Center (DIC) in 2017 to inculcate, facilitate, and spread the culture of innovation among the students and faculty through innovative engineering and industrial design-oriented courses, special training workshops, internships on product design, seminars, competitions, and industrial visits, he said.
MaDeIT at IIITDM Kancheepuram supports 17 startups which includes seven under incubation and ten under the accelerator.
Another ten startups are in the pipeline. One of the incubate companies has been recognized among the top 10 Agri-tech startups in the country in a recent poll
Also, IIITDM Kancheepuram is adding new companies as recruiters and there is an increase in salary package offered by the companies.
During the last year, 182 students were placed in reputed firms such as Microsoft, IBM, ZOHO, Saint-Gobain, Mathworks and TVS Motors among others.
The highest salary package offered was around Rs.55 lakh by Google and Microsoft.
The median salary offered during placements at IIITDM Kancheepuram last year was Rs. 9 lakh.
The percentage of students who opted out of placement to pursue their higher studies in reputed institutions in India and abroad stands at 20 per cent.
The institute gold medal for best graduate student across all BTech courses went to Y. Aditya Varma.
Ms. Vidhatri won institute gold medal for being best dual degree student across dual degree courses.
Institute gold medal for the best post graduate student across MTech courses went to Gowri Muraleedharan B.
The details pertained to convocation are provided in the tabular format below:
| DEGREE | FEMALE | MALE | TOTAL |
| B Tech | 41 | 105 | 146 |
| DD | 32 | 80 | 112 |
| M Tech | 12 | 29 | 41 |
| M Des | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ph. D | 5 | 5 | |
| TOTAL | 86 | 220 | 306 |