Srinagar, Dec 01: With an aim to boost academic, research activities between twin technological institutions, a two-day visit of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar faculty members to National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar concluded on Wednesday.
The move comes two weeks after NIT Srinagar signed two MOUs with IIT Ropar on the academic front and between Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (AWaDH) established by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in the framework of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM – ICPS).
The two faculty members IIT Ropar who were visited the NIT Srinagar campus include Pushpendra P. Singh, Department of Physics, Associate Dean (Research & Development) and Project Director, DST TIH - AWaDH (Agriculture & Water Technology and Dr Suman Kumar, Assistant Professor from Electrical Engineering Department at IIT Ropad.
On a concluding day, Prof. G A Harman and Dean Research & Consultancy Prof. M. F. Wani facilitated the guests. While the entire program was coordinated by Dr Vijay Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics.
Director NIT Srinagar, Prof. Rakesh Sehgal said it is a positive move that both technological institutions are coming together for a single goal to ease the suffering of the common man. Our team will also visit the IIT Ropar soon and will explore more things there, he said.
"The MoU has brought these two intuitions closer and we will definitely have the exchange of faculty, students and moreover the exchange of ideas for benefit of students, faculty, and humanity in general," Prof. Sehgal said.
In his message, Registrar NIT Srinagar, Prof. Kaiser Bukhari said faculty visits are important and a good beginning between the two intuitions. In future, NIT Srinagar will also explore more possibilities and options with IIT Ropar, he said.
During their visit, both faculty members interacted with NIT Srinagar faculty members and discussed various possibilities of collaboration.
Dr Pushpendra P. Singh explained in detail the activities under DST iHub – AwaDH. The mission objective of the recent MOU is to foster scientific and academic interaction on mutually beneficial areas between NIT Srinagar and AWaDH.
"The research work will primarily be focused in the area of Agriculture and Water Technology," he said.
Dr Singh said this collaboration; AWaDH shall provide R&D resources and start-up opportunities to the NIT Srinagar students and faculty members in line with IIT Ropar students and faculty members.
"Apart from it, 5 UG fellowships 2 PG fellowships along with the R&D grant to the NIT Srinagar students every year, a course on “cyber-physical systems” to 50 students every year and organize workshops every year for NIT Srinagar students on IoT systems," he said.
Dr Singh mentioned about the technology advancements achieved at the iHub - AWaDH, which include both hardware and software, will be deployed in various industries such as food processing industries, rural development, fisheries, skill development, and entrepreneurship.
He also talked about the startup working at IIT Ropar and informed the faculty members about the possibilities of carrying out collaborative research and paid internships for NIT Srinagar students.
Dr Singh also explained that how they can reach out to the academic & industry through our CPS courses, internships, conferences, workshops, competitions, and many other ways.
The coordinator of the program, Dr Vijay Kumar said NIT Srinagar shall provide sufficient space to AWaDH – an incubator and the necessary support in order to carry out above mentioned activities.
He said the faculty members from IIT Ropar also visited various laboratories in the Institute.