IIT Delhi creates Delhi corridor to foster research in S&T

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 2:  Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is taking a lead in creating a Delhi corridor for Science and Technology by collaborating with institutions from various disciplines and research centres across the country. V. Ramagopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi told reporters that “The need of inter disciplinary research work is the demand of the day and will have a big positive impact for the country,” 

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 49th Annual Convocation Ceremony of the Institute, Rao said IIT Delhi has joined hands with research institutes like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Institute of Immunology to seed activities in respective areas.   

The annual convocation of IIT on Saturday (November 3) will confer doctoral degrees to 378 students, of whom 128 are women scholars. In all 2064 degrees will be given to 1635 male students and 429 women students. Anu Aga, the former chairperson of Thermax Ltd., will be the Chief Guest of the convocation, Dr. Rao informed. 
The institute which is focussing on start-ups in a major way is also starting an incubating centre called ‘Platform for Harnessing Deep Technologies’ (PHD) for B.Tech students who have come up with their own start-ups at IIT's Sonepat campus. “We will provide them with space and stipend for three years of time. We will connect them with all of the Industrialist who can mentor them and with the help of that, they can start a company,” Rao added.

IIT Delhi will also be starting two new centres in one year’s time; one for electric vehicles and the other for cyber physical system. The Director added that the institute will focus more on placements for its PhD scholars during the 3rd Industry Day in 2019. “We have not been focusing on the PhD students, we have campus placement for B.Tech and M.Tech but not PhD student. We are trying to improve the job prospects of the PhD students,” he said. 

IIT Delhi has so far conducted two Industry Days in which the 2018 event saw the presence of over 200 industry bodies on the campus.