Education Review 2023: IITs Pledge For Society & Environment

IITs are trailblazer institutions with greater impact on society. These institutes prepare lakhs of engineers and technical professionals every year. The alumni of IITs are known for their excellent career graphs and for serving to the most prestigious places across the world. The curriculum, entrance processes and approach of IITs match the global standard and are top-notch.  

IITs represent a very profound image among Indians hence their approach and practices influence Indian society at a greater scale.  

In 2023, IITs intensely turned their focus to the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) and strived to include programmes and policies to benefit society.

Let’s look at the recent steps taken by the IITs in the same direction:

IIT Mandi Adjoing Research With Industry  

Known as a research-oriented institution, IIT Mandi is one of the eight second generation of IITs. IIT Mandi is a research university located in Kamand Valley, Mandi City.  

During the COP28, The Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi (IIT Mandi) won the Green University Award. The award was conferred by one of the NGOs that has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in the United States.  

Along with this, IIT Mandi is also striving to adjoin the newly innovated technologies with the industry so that they can further be used for the socio-economic upliftment.  

Regarding the same, IIT Mandi iHub and HCI Foundation organised a HIVE conclave that witnessed participation from an array of researchers and industry professionals.

Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi in the conversation with BW Businessworld, said, “IIT is a well-known brand, and as we are a young IIT, we have young people that helps us to mould them easily. We need to focus on delivering technology which will have a social impact and that is something all IITs have understood.”

He also added that in the upcoming year, the main focus of IIT Mandi is to create an Indian database in order to understand the Indian culture and people more closely.  

IIT Roorkee Striving For India's Sustainable Energy Future

IIT Roorkee, that celebrated 175th jubilee in 2022, is known for its academic rigour and technological innovations. Energy consumption is a critical subject throughout the world today, especially in India where the country has to maintain the equilibrium between caring for the environment and fulfilling the electricity demand.

IIT Roorkee, in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), unveiled a pioneering study  on ‘Advanced Grid-Scale Energy Storage Technologies’ recently. The study is based on innovative energy storage solutions crucial for India's sustainable energy future.

The study revolves around the need, significance and variety of grid-scale technologies that will be helpful for the country to store energy in the long run.

According to the report, the definition and details of Energy Storage and technologies are well explained in the Electricity Act 2003. The report also reveals that some technologies suit the country more but the components which can accelerate the functioning of such technologies are not manufactured in India.

IIT Kanpur Comes Up With A Sustainability School  

Education is the best way and medium to infuse an understanding of correct eco-friendly practices among the population. In the same direction, IIT Kanpur with the collaboration of Kotak Mahindra Bank, announced the Kotak School of Sustainability - India’s first fully integrated school of sustainability at IIT Kanpur.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, said, “The Kotak School of Sustainability will give global leadership in the field in line with the history of IIT Kanpur and its alumni who are leaders in organisations across the world.

The school will not only be about technology and economics but will cover the A to Z of sustainability.”  

In the conversation with BW Businessworld, S Ganesh, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, “Training manpower is what IITs is known more for but we are trying to bring in research projects which is more in the mission mode. Ee have recently set up in the Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology through which we are trying to bring affordability to the healthcare sector.”

He added this is the recent change in the functioning of IITs and that they are more focused on the projects and plans which can benefit society on a larger scale.