President Murmu graces IIT Bhilai Convocation

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhilai organized its third and fourth convocation on October 26,2024. The guest of honour of the event was President of India, Draupadi Murmu.

While addressing the event she mentioned about the deep understanding and harmonious relationship that tribals have with nature.  She stated "Tribal brothers and sisters are a storehouse of knowledge attained by their lifestyle linked to nature. By understanding their thinking and lifestyle, we can make a significant contribution to the development of India,".

She appreciated the institute’s efforts in utilizing technology to address the challenges faced by tribals. The institute has laide emphasis on areas such as agritech, healthtech and fintech to provide solutions that benefit the tribal population.

In addition, she expressed delight and confidence that both established at new IITs will build a robust ecosystem, which will be capable of dealing with the future challenges. She has firm believe that this ecosystem will become a defining characteristic of a developed India.

Further the president appreciated IIT-Bhilai's holistic contributions towards sustainable development of the indigenous and tribal peoples of Chhattisgarh. The institute's curriculum development aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Its outreach activities undertaken through IIT Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation (IBITF) provides investment opportunities and a stage to incubate socially relevant research received particular mention in the President's convocation address.

Moreover, the institute has worked with Indira Gandhi Agricultural University Raipur to develop technological solutions that assist farmers in efficiently utilizing their resources. IIT-Bhilai has been actively involved in supporting tribal communities engaged in the collection of minor forest produce like ‘mahua' as well.

Overall, the convocation was hosted successfully. IIT Bhilai is a public research university and technical institute located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India. It was established in 2016 as one of the newer Indian Institutes of Technology.