IIT Roorkee Envisions Engineering Education In 2047

With transformation in technology and extensive access to knowledge it’s time for youngsters to come in to handle to Millennials and Centennials whose listening span is no more than 12 minutes. “Technology is enabling learning anywhere, anytime. Learning is not going to be one-time; you have to learn all the time,” BVR Mohan Reddy, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Roorkee and IIT Hyderabad, said on the occasion of 175th Foundation Day Celebrations on 24-25 November, an event that saw a number of activities on the campus.  

Speaking to BW Education following a brainstorming session on the Foundation Day eve on envisioning IIT Roorkee in particular and engineering education overall in 2047 (the 100th year of Indian Independence and 200th year of IIT Roorkee), Reddy said, “Learning will become extremely student-centric. Technology is already enabling us to create individual learning paths. Such changes will enable the nation to become self-reliant.”  

During the brainstorming session, speakers talked about the need for increased innovation ethos on IIT campuses, impetus to research that would not just be in the realms of journals but would be translatable for society’s good, increased industry involvement, diversity and inclusion on campuses and women’s representation. They also pointed to the limitations of JEE and felt that there should be respectable exit options for those students who get admission but who do not have the aptitude engineering education.  

Former Director Ajit K Chaturvedi raised the issue of engineering passouts increasingly taking up non-core jobs and wondered whether this trend will lead to students rethinking about joining engineering and appearing for JEE by 2047. He also pointed to the dynamic nature of rankings of engineering colleges and said while it’s important to plan to improve the institute’s rank, “Let us not be consumed only by rankings”.  

KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, describing the road ahead for the institute, said the institute has bright teachers and the institute needs to increase its outreach and visibility. It’s well-connected to the national capital now through the Expressway. It has a vast alumni base. And during the year-long celebrations, it invited several dignitaries, which will go a long way in relationship building.

The D-Day Celebrations

The Foundation Day Ceremony on 25 November had Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vineet Pandey, Secretary, Department of Posts, GOI, and BVR Mohan Reddy grace the occasion. A large number of alumni from several batches attended the event.

Commending the institute for the role it has played in research and education, Birla expressed hope that the institute will be at the forefront in building competencies for India to be the ‘vishwa guru’. A coffee table book on the history of the institute, a commemorative stamp and a coin were also released on the occasion.  

On the occasion, KK Pant said, “IIT Roorkee aims to lead the transition in the new era of higher education and increase contributions to basic and applied research leading to the development of products, infrastructure, processes, and materials for different sections of society.” He added, that the institute is “constantly supporting innovative ideas and technologies by providing mentoring and financial support to young entrepreneurs”.

Among the events that marked the occasion was the Start-up Expo, showcasing products and services of social relevance that were incubated on the campus. These included solutions like use of stubble and other agricultural residue for making batteries that can be used in vehicles, spraying of pesticide using a robot to avoid air pollution, advance warning of an earthquake in Uttarakhand, clothing during periods to reduce pain, among others.

Yet another event was inauguration of a panels of some illustrious alumni of the 19th Century, including Raja Deen Dayal (1866 Batch), a photographer of great repute; Sir Ganga Ram, father of modern Lahore (1873 Batch); and Raja Jwala Prasad, who made Ganga Canal grid scheme and planned and supervised Banaras Hindu University’s construction (1900 Batch).

IIT Roorkee, started as Roorkee Civil Engineering College in 1847 and was rechristened Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. Post-Independence, it was elevated as the University of Roorkee in 1947. It 2001 it became IIT. It’s fondly called the ‘White Campus’ and has a few heritage buildings on the campus dating to 19th Century.

Meha Mathur

BW Reporters The author works as Senior Associate Editor with BW Businessworld