IIT Foundation

Dear Fellow IIT Kharagpur Alums,

We are pleased to announce the launch of UC Berkeley-IIT Kharagpur collaboration with the start of an 8-week summer research program for eleven IIT Kharagpur students at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs (LBL) on May 27, 2008.

Highlights:
1. The UC Berkeley – IIT Kharagpur collaboration is currently focused on biofuels (energy), and biotech (healthcare).
2. The program is planned to be rolled out in two phases. Phase 1 will include student summer research program, faculty visits and a joint research symposium.
3. This collaboration is supported by a number of UC Berkeley Deans and faculty members, IIT Kharagpur Director, Deputy Director, Dean SRIC, Dean Alumni Affairs and International Relations, faculty members, students and large number of IIT Kharagpur alumni leadership.
4. You can make a difference in making this collaboration sustainable.
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Here is a thought provoking article by Aditya Jha (1987 CHE RK) on the Indian Government initiative to create more IITs. Read the complete article at Indian Express. Here are some excerpts:

By proposing dozens more of IITs, the government misses the value of excellence

IITs are in trouble. The human resource development ministry has initiated a brilliant pincer movement that first seeks to control and then to destroy them. If reports are to be believed, and given the kite flying taking place at the HRD ministry I will reserve my judgment till it actually happens, India will have at least 19 Indian Institutes of Technology pretty soon and maybe 30 within the next few years.

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An IIT-ian friend of mine once went out for an arranged date with an air hostess in Hong Kong. As the music changed gears, the air hostess kept asking him to dance with her and my friend kept declining with a polite, “I can’t do the twist/disco/cha-cha-cha.” Finally, the air hostess lost her cool and is reported to have demanded, “What? You can’t even do the Can-Can? What can you do?”

To which, the proud IIT-ian responded, “I can do second order partial differential equations; can you?”

Brand IIT is not about IITs; it’s about IIT-ians. And, mostly, it is about undergraduate IIT-ians at that. People who have done M-Tech from IITs always feel discriminated against. Since they never cracked the JEE, there’s no way they will be accepted into the tribe.
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Someday, the government will realise that it makes more sense to concentrate on primary education and to get out of higher education. Someday, it will disband the UGC and allow private players into higher education with no strings attached. Someday, there will be an engineering college that will challenge the existing IITs. Someday, the private colleges will use technology to deliver learning 2.0 to students. Someday, private engineering colleges will emerge, with entrance exams, personality tests and learning methodologies that will leave the IITs behind. And the challengers will arise. And the IITs will have to learn to compete.

IIT Kharagpur-Houston chapter cordially invites you and your family to the annual spring picnic. Annual rite of spring is here. We plan on a day of high-tempo activities, gentle relaxation & great food.

Please order your tickets here . For more information, please contact - Hemant Jha .

PAN-IIT is organizing a golf tournament on April 9th 2008 at Jaypee Greens at Greater Noida. The Tournament will be in Stableford format. There is a running trophy for best IIT (team), best golfer overall (best gross score), other prizes will be for best individual score (net) in three categories i.e. handicap 0-9, 10-18, 19-24. Maximum handicap will be 24. Entry fee will be Rs 500/- per golfer.

There are only 84 slots available ON FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS. For more information, please contact - Ashok Singh - SMS: 9899092707. TEL: 011-43596090 - contact Laxmi Kardam.

Texas Instruments (TI), the global information technology company, has signed a four-year collaborative agreement with the School of Medical Science and Technology of Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), to develop semiconductor technologies that will help improve the quality, comfort and accessibility of healthcare in India.. Read the complete article at Business Standard .

This is TI’s first partnership with an IIT on research projects devoted to medical electronics innovation. The project is a part of TI’s recent announcement to spend $15 million towards funding research work in the field of medical technology.

According to Ajoy Kumar Ray, head of school of medical science and technology at IIT-KGP, “In India alone, about 800,000 patients undergo coronary bypass surgery every year, while one in every 12 women develops breast cancer. Also, oral leukoplakia and oral sub-mucous fibrosis have been widely prevalent in India and are a cause of concern to scientists in the country. The TI-IT KGP technology partnership will enable devices that could help address some of these pressing healthcare issues.”
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