IIT Kharagpur: Number of Phd degree pursuers to go up

Loknath Das

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur

In a bid to enhance its innovative research, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur will ensure that there are higher number of PhDs.

IITKGP Director, Prof Partha Pratim Chakrabarti said, “We are aware that there must be more PhDs from top institutions like IIT. PhD students should be capable of innovative research to take the country forward.”  He was replying to a question about Padma Vibhushan recipient and eminent scientist Prof Man Mohan Sharma’s observation at yesterday’s 63rd convocation of IITKGP that output of PhDs in IITKGP should be higher.

“There should be 650 PhDs in a year by 2022 from IITKGP. No other IIT in the country has such a broad spectrum of courses like the IITKGP,” Sharma said in his convocation address as the chief guest.

“Develop contents from all important journals and not solely depend on Google,” Sharma told the graduating students at the convocation.

No involvement of teachers in research

The IITKGP director, who pointed out the need to have innovative aspects in the curriculum, said “as part of that mission we have decided to let undergraduate science honours students work on their own at the laboratory without any involvement of teachers. They will work on their own in the lab, conceive ideas and work on it,” the director, who was accompanied by other faculty members at the press meet, said.

To Sharma’s observation at the convocation that IITKGP should come out with policy paper for water transportation in terms of setting up canals, pipelines and optimal utilisation, Chakrabarti said, “IITKGP is working on projects on how to conserve water in drought situation.”

[ Source : intoday ]