2.6k, including 25% women students, get degrees at IIT

New Delhi: It was a day of mixed emotions, of heartaches and hurrahs, as 2,656 graduating students, a quarter of them women, received their degrees and diplomas at the 55th convocation of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi on Saturday. While the excitement of a promising future was evident on their faces, there was also the pain of bidding adieu to friends, professors and a lively campus — a home away from home — in evidence at the institute’s Dogra Hall.The Institute awarded PhD degrees to 481 students, a notable 35% increase from the previous year. An IIT-D official said this was in line with the institute’s increasing emphasis on research, adding that 481, 42% of them women, was also an all-time high in doctorates for the institute.“Creating a sustainable and humane society needs graduates to think about the long-term consequences and impacts of different technology solutions. There are trade-offs and value judgments to be made. I am certain that you will stir the ethical and right path and provide leadership in your chosen field,” IIT-D director Rangan Banerjee advised the graduates.Hari S. Bhartia, a 1979 chemical engineering alumnus, was the chief guest and delivered the convocation address. Former solicitor general of India Harish Salve, who also chairs the institute’s board of governors, presented the Distinguished Alumni Awards to alumni and medals to the toppers.While BTech degree awardee Kaveesh Kumar, at less than 20 years the youngest student to graduate this year, 63-year-old Sunil Kumar Gulati with his doctorate degree was the oldest.“Receiving the President's Gold Medal is a moment of honour and pride,” testified Manas Choudhary, BTech, engineering physics. “Looking back, it wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of my professors and everyone around me who helped me channel my efforts in the right direction. This achievement inspires me to strive for even greater accomplishments in the future.”Out of the 28 international students who received their degrees, four each were from Sudan and Ethiopia, three each from Tanzania and Uganda, two each from Bangladesh and Burkina Faso and the rest from other countries, including USA and Venezuela.Parag Choudhury of Bangladesh, who got his MTech degree, said, “During my stay in IIT-D, I saw excellent support for students' physical and mental well-being. As an international student, I never felt alone because I always had friends, teachers and advisors to help me."
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