Coronavirus: IIT Kharagpur creates Rs 50 lakh research fund

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology Kharapur has earmarked Rs 50 lakh as research and development fund for eight healthcare projects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will go into developing prototypes in the first phase of these eight projects which were approved by the IIT Council last week.

Some prototypes are expected to be ready within three to four weeks while others might take six months. Software-related work will progress during the period of lockdown while the work on Phase I will start as soon as the lockdown due to coronavirus is relaxed. The lockdown was enforced from March 25 and has been extended to May 3.

The researchers of IIT Kharagpur will be working on several technologies including design and development of rapid diagnostic kit, real-time PCR machine, bodysuit for COVID-19 patients, personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and a portable shredder integrated with steriliser, hazmat suit with forced purified and cooled air circulation for medical professionals, bootstrapping ambu-bag as automated ventilator, telemedicine for fighting viral pandemic, and large-scale production of recombinant proteins for vaccine and testing.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India appreciated and acknowledged the initiative by the Institute on his social media handle congratulating the director, Virendra Kumar Tewari, and his team of researchers.

Tiwari talking about the initiative said, “It is our responsibility to improve the quality of life of the last person in the society. While we built some quick technologies to cater to the immediate needs of the essential service providers at the campus, we were simultaneously preparing project proposals and evaluating them keeping in mind the immediate need of the country, cost and product delivery period.”

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