NIT Rourkela to confer degrees upon 2,033 UG, PG, PhD graduates at 24th convocation on September 12

The National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) will conduct its 24th convocation on September 12 to confer degrees upon 2,033 graduates from undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), and doctoral programmes.

Abhay Karandikar, member, NITI Aayog, will be the chief guest at the NIT Rourkela’s convocation for the academic year 2026.

Umamaheshwar Rao, director, NIT Rourkela, said: "Convocation is a proud and meaningful occasion in the life of every student. It marks the successful completion of years of learning, commitment and perseverance, while also opening a new journey filled with possibilities and responsibilities. As our graduates move ahead from the Institute, we are confident that they will continue to embody the spirit of excellence, innovation and social responsibility that NIT Rourkela represents.”

The Institute will present 11 Institute Gold Medals to the best graduates in BArch and BTech, PG graduates in various programmes, recipients of the best UG and PG projects, MBA graduates.

Also read IRIS 2026: NITI Aayog member, IIM Ahmedabad director, BITS Pilani VC among speakers at research summit

NIT Rourkela 24th Convocation: Institute, alumni awards

The Bhubaneswar Behera Gold Medal will be awarded to the best UG all-rounder and other academic distinctions.

“The 6 Endowment Gold Medals include the Snigdhashri Patra Memorial Gold Medal, Dr. Banshidhar Panda Gold Medal, Professor Ramesh Chandra Behera Gold Medal, Shri Kamakshi Prasad Panda Gold Medal, Dr. Bishnu Prasad Das Gold Medal and 1970-Batch Alumni Gold Medal,” the engineering institute said in an official statement.

Furthermore, the institute, which was ranked 13th in the NIRF rankings 2025 under the engineering category, will also present 8 Endowment Awards to recognise achievements in academics, research, sports and other areas.

It will also confer that award the Amrit Kumar Paul Memorial Award, Saurav Ranjan Kar Memorial Award, Bunty Memorial Award, Shanta Jain Awards, Bhaswati Paul Memorial Award, Ronak Das Memorial Award, NITR Sportsperson of the Year 2025 and the NITROAA–Prof. Laxmi N. Bhuyan Undergraduate Research Award.

In addition, 14 students from BTech, 4 from integrated MSc, 4 dual degree, 31 MTech, 7 MSc and 1 MA programmes, will be awarded 61 institute silver medals at the convocation.

It will also honour two eminent alumni with the distinguished Alumnus Award 2026 for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.

Rajarshi Gupta, BSc, engineering, mechanical, 1988 batch and management director and CEO of ONGC Videsh Limited, will be awarded for his outstanding contributions towards strengthening India's global energy security through strategic international investments and acquisitions.

Gyana Ranjan Mohanty, BSc engineering, Mechanical engineering, 1980 batch and managing director, Corrosion Protection Limited and co-founder, BEngineers & Builders Pvt. Ltd, will receive the award for his significant contributions to infrastructure development, defence manufacturing and heritage conservation, including nationally significant restoration projects.