For IIT Guwahati, 2020 was a year of innovations related to COVID19, realigning the way the institute functions according to the new normal and serving the nation at large.
The institute said it put in every effort to overcome all unprecedented challenges of 2020, from virtual lessons to ensure continuity of learning for students.
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The institute also had a virtual-reality based convocation addressed by Prime Minister Modi wherein 1,803 students graduated.
The institute also achieved success in virtual placements and virtual internships.
It ensured the safety of students, staff and faculty with COVID19 protocols on campus.
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To tackle the COVID19, it made innovations such as self-check kiosks, multiple diagnostic kits, lowcost UVC LED systems for disinfecting surfaces, spray-based antiviral coating and PPEs, developing vaccine, low cost intubation boxes, drones for spraying disinfectants, software for safe air travel and farmers welfare.
Virtual Convocation:
Addressing the 22nd Convocation held in September 2020 through a virtual-reality platform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged students of IIT Guwahati to innovate for the future of the new normal, the institute said in a statement.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Convocation is a special day for every student. But this year, it is a different experience for them in the time of pandemic. The pandemic has changed the way convocation is conducted. But still it is as special as it was before.”
“I congratulate students for their bright future. The future of the nation is in what youth think today. Your dreams will shape the reality of India in the future. This is time for you to be Future-Fit and Future-Ready,” Modi said.
Virtual learning:
During the pandemic, IIT Guwahati has focused on high quality online education and addressing mental health issues of students to prevent loss of academics, including conducting regular online counselling and yoga classes.
Student helpline portal was launched where students could get support for accommodation, food, online classes, attendance, examinations, scholarships, health and transport, IITG informed.
The institute has been imparting online education for all its courses and has initiated evaluation of the students also via online mode.
During the pandemic, IITG through E&ICT Academy has enabled the scientific community by organising online courses (both short-term and long-duration), free 3 months online summer internships, interactive sessions and webinars.
Virtual Placements and Internships session 2020-2021
IIT Guwahati organized the virtual summer internship hiring process for pre-final year students from the 1st week of September 2020.
Around 51 companies participated in the process this year. Overall internship offer for B.Tech and B.Des is 40.83%.
The number of internship offers secured so far is 245 out of the net 600 registered students.
The phase I of the placement session commenced in virtual mode from 1st December 2020.
Around 127 companies from various sectors participated in the virtual recruitment process.
The overall placement of B.Tech and B.Des students is 72.95%.
For B.Tech and B.Des, the number of total job offers so far is 426 (including PPO) out of 584 registered students.
The overall placement of M.Tech and M.Des students is 35.52%. For M.Tech and M.Des, the number of total job offers is 173 out of 487 registered students.
For M.Sc. programs, 10 students were placed out of 62 registered candidates.
Overall placement of all programmes (B.Tech, B.Des, M.Tech, M.Des, M.Sc., MSR, MA, PhD) is 53.75% so far by the end of phase 1 of Placements season.
Innovations to stop the spread of COVID
IIT Guwahati has been in the forefront in the fight to stop the spread of Covid19 and has been providing scientific and technological support, development of life-saving equipment to Assam and Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH).
Since the initial days of COVID19 outbreak, IIT Guwahati has prepared hand sanitizers at its various departments and academic centres for public distribution.
The institute has developed low-cost UVC LED system and 3D Printed Ear Guard for Comfortable Use of Face Masks to prevent COVID19 infection.
IIT Guwahati joined hands with RR Animal Healthcare and supplied lakhs of ICMR approved VTM kits, RNA isolation kits to National Health Mission, Assam and across the country.
The institute also developed RT-PCR kits and Rapid antigen kits.
New courses during the pandemic:
IIT Guwahati has introduced for the first time a new programme, MS (Research) in Emobility.
The programme is being jointly offered by the Departments of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from 2020-2021.
IIT Guwahati is also the first IIT to introduce a course on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 in the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) curriculum from this academic year (2020-2021), IITG added in the statement.