Kanpur, January 5, 2022: The School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT), IIT Kanpur, a platform of interdisciplinary teaching and research in diverse areas of medical science and technology announced the launch of Hridyantra, a grand challenge-based program to develop the world’s most advanced Artificial Heart or a Left Ventricular Assist device (LVAD).

The project is seed-funded by Ms Sudha Murty and the council of medical research (ICMR).

The program, in collaboration with the nation’s leading hospitals, would promote the vision of made in India for the world. A team of innovators with relevant experience will be selected under the mentorship of a task force composed of industry experts.

The challenge to develop India’s first LVAD system will be open to basic sciences, medical and engineering graduates or graduates of any stream with relevant experience. Selected candidates will receive a fellowship and a milestone based ownership in the commercial entity once the LVAD is successfully commercialized and launched.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “IIT Kanpur is known for its pioneering role in launching high-impact projects in the fields of entrepreneurship and innovation. With Hridyantra, we are moving another step forward in realizing our vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) by supporting indigenous talent with critical R&D support. The program, providing an innovation platform for enterprising problem solvers, will not only enrich the health ecosystem of the country, but will also lead the way in interdisciplinary biomedical research and innovation. This is our moonshot project, the success of which will determine the journey ahead and will boost the morale of everyone involved.”

Cardiovascular diseases are amongst the leading cause of human deaths worldwide. A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or Artificial Heart is a pump used in patients with end-stage heart failure as a bridge while awaiting a heart transplant or as a destination therapy for those unable to go in for a transplant. It is an implantable battery-operated, mechanical pump, which helps the left ventricle (main pumping chamber of the heart) pump blood to the rest of the body.

The SMRT, IIT Kanpur has created a power packed task force that includes engineering faculty members from IIT Kanpur, industry experts from the USA, and clinical experts from Narayana Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Delhi (AIIMS Delhi), Apollo, Fortis Healthcare, Medanta, KIMS, and UN Mehta Heart Institute to handhold the selected fellows on developing the Artificial Heart. Hridyantra aims to be India’s most prestigious and impactful medical device innovation program.

Prof. S. Ganesh, Deputy Director of IIT Kanpur and overall in-charge of SMRT said, “Hridyantra will pave the way for an interdisciplinary collaboration of engineering and medicine, backed by the technological and entrepreneurial expertise at IIT Kanpur and clinical expertise of the partner hospitals. We look forward to nurturing an exceptional cohort of young technical minds who will contribute to path-breaking research in the field of medical technology to benefit millions of people not just in India, but across the globe.”

The execution of this unique competition will commence with the deployment of a multi-disciplinary team of fellows who will undergo clinical immersion at Narayana Health Hospitals for understanding the clinical nuances associated with cardiac surgery. Upon completing their clinical immersion, the fellows will move to IIT Kanpur to begin the product development process under the project.

The minimum eligibility criteria for candidates is a bachelor’s degree in any relevant basic sciences, engineering or medical sciences discipline or a graduate in any stream with related experience. Candidates should be team players, with a penchant for creativity and problem solving.

The program offers one-of-its-kind opportunity to develop the world’s most advanced heart assist device and launch one’s own venture, with a living allowance, and access to global MedTech industry mentors. With Hridyantra, SMRT IIT Kanpur envisions to become a household name in clinical excellence and interdisciplinary biomedical research and innovation.

The program is currently accepting applications until 30th January 2022, through the link – https://iitk-smrt-hridyantra.co.in/

Kanpur, 28 December, 2021: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur held its 54th Convocation on December 28, 2021 in a hybrid mode with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as the Chief Guest. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath was present as the Guest of Honour.

Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 53rd Convocation was held fully virtually for the first time in the history of IIT Kanpur. This year, the event was held in a hybrid mode. While a total of about 880 students out of the total of 1723 students receiving their degrees attended the convocation in-person on the campus, the remaining students joined the event remotely.

Gracing the occasion, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, “I congratulate you and especially your parents on this glorious day of your life. Once you step outside the college, a lot of people will come to you with shortcuts to success. But when asked to choose between comfort and challenge, I would advise you all to go for the latter. ”
“The one who faces challenges and overcomes them with efficient solutions is the one who scales the greatest heights. It is time for India to be self-reliant. We’ve already lost precious time over the years; we shall not waste any more time. As Swami Vivekananda said, “Every nation has a message to deliver, a mission to fulfil, a destiny to reach.”, If we’re not self-reliant, then how will our nation fulfil its goal and reach its destiny? Hence, I urge you show the same restlessness in contributing towards making India self-reliant in this technology-driven 21st century.”

Also, praising the contribution of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country, he said that India has emerged as a mega start-up hub on a global basis and this has been achieved with the help of the students from IITs. Lauding IIT Kanpur’s contribution towards developing technology developments, he said that the students present at the event have made this possible. He lauded the recent launch of the world’s first floating CNG-filling station at Khidkiya Ghat, Varanasi, by an IIT Kanpur incubated company. He also added that IIT Kanpur’s 5G technology initiatives are now recognized globally.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath said, “We all know that the technical institutions of the country play a vital role in providing quality-driven education. And especially, with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the IITs have been given the status of institute of indigenous technology. The country has implemented the new National Education Policy 2020 to fulfil the vision of a “self-reliant India”.
“It is a matter of fortune that we have institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, IIM Lucknow that show a new path to the youth of the state. The state government has contributed mutually with IIT Kanpur on several projects such as being a technical partner in the Defense Manufacturing Corridor and setting up Centre of Excellence in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Now, the state government has also given approval for an upcoming School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) paired with a super-speciality hospital, which would enrich the health system of the state. We have also set-up a task force among technical institutions to look after future collaborative work in various fields such as Drone Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, 3D-printing, Cyber Security, and Internet.”

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur, said, “It is a very important day not only for the degree receiving students and the awardees but also for the institute as it would see another batch of change-makers go out in the world to implement their ideas and learnings for the greater good. IIT Kanpur has been contributing largely to all pillars of development of the nation, be it in the national or in the grass root level, and in that relentless journey, it is the students who have played a vital role along with the guiding faculties. This is a day to reflect back upon the values and learning we garner mutually and to celebrate the grit and integrity with which the faculties and the students practice knowledge not for the self but for the greater good of humanity. On behalf of the institute, I congratulate all the students receiving their degrees and the awardees. IIT Kanpur takes great pride in the achievements and contributions of all the students and I believe that they would continue to contribute to the nation’s growth in all spheres, with dignity.”

Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur said, “IIT Kanpur’s vision is not only to produce skilled graduates but also better human beings who would contribute to the greater good of the society and the nation at large. A convocation is a testimony of that vision where the awardees as well as degree receiving students vow to contribute their learnings for the betterment of society. I congratulate all the degree receiving students and the awardees and believe that they would work in great synergy with all the vital stakeholders of the country for ensuring holistic development.”
In the convocation, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi conferred three honorary doctorate degrees (Honoris Causa) upon three eminent personalities namely Professor Rohini Madhusudan Godbole, Professor, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru; Shri ‘Kris’ Senapathy Gopalakrishnan, Co-founder, Infosys and Chairperson, Axilor Ventures; and Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, Indian Classical Vocalist, for their exemplary contributions in their respective fields. He further gave the President’s Gold Medal for ‘best academic performance’ to Mr. Abhyuday Pandey, and Ratan Swarup Memorial Prize for ‘best all-rounder’ to Mr. Yash Maheshwari. This year’s Director’s Gold Medal (4-year UG Program) for ‘outstanding all-round achievement and leadership’ was awarded to Ms. Vasundhara Rakesh, Director’s Gold Medal (5-year UG program) to Nivedita for ‘outstanding all-round achievement and leadership’, and Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Medal to Ms. Priyanka Bharti, who joined the event virtually.

After the formal inaugural session, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made an impromptu visit to the lecture hall to visit the students and interact with them personally. The students were taken aback with the sudden visit and the interaction. One student exclaimed, “We were overjoyed seeing the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji there suddenly. His presence and his words not only encouraged us, but also made our convocation day a memorable one for the rest of our life.”

A total of 1723 degrees comprising 183 PhD degrees; 11 MTech-PhD joint degrees; 545 postgraduate degrees (388 MTech; 50 MBA; 15 MDes; 56 MS-by Research; 36 PGPEX-VLFM); 136 Dual Degree; 157 MSc (2-Year); 27 Double Major; and 664 undergraduate degrees (560 BTech; 104 BS (4-Year)) were awarded in the convocation.

In keeping with the flexibility that the IIT Kanpur academic program is known for, 233 Minors degrees were awarded in this Convocation. In addition, by spending one additional year at the Institute, 136 undergraduate students graduated with a Master’s degree along with their Bachelors while 27 of the undergraduate students graduated with a Second Major. Moreover, 80 prizes and medals were given, out of which, 21 students were awarded the Outstanding PhD Thesis Award in the second session of the convocation.

The graduating students were conferred the degrees by the Chairperson, Senate in the event. All the students were issued the digital degrees through an in-house blockchain-driven technology developed at IIT Kanpur under the National Blockchain Project. Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the blockchain-based digital degrees. These digital degrees can be verified globally and are unforgeable. The same technology is being used to implement land records in some states.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has been a premier institute for research and innovation over the years. The convocation is not just an event for awarding degrees but also a testimony of the work done in various fields of research and innovation by IIT Kanpur. In the recent years, the institute has established two new departments: Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering with the aim of becoming a vital contributor to the nation’s growing clean and renewable energy sector, and Department of Cognitive Science as a foray into an interdisciplinary study of the mind. The formation of additional two new departments, namely, Department of Space Science and Astronomy and Department of Design has been approved by the Senate recently. The institute also launched e-Masters degrees for various programs and is going to set up a first-of-its-kind School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) for revolutionizing medical education in India.

Kanpur December 15– In a Foundation for Innovation and Research in Science and Technology (FIRST-IITK), IIT Kanpur has developed a portable soil testing device that can detect soil health in just 90 seconds through an embedded mobile application.

The rapid soil testing device will assist individual farmers for obtaining soil health parameters of agricultural fields with recommended dose of fertilizers. The technology titled Portable Soil Testing Device “Bhu Parikshak” is transferred to an agritech company named AgroNxt Services Pvt. Ltd.

This first-of-its-kind novel invention is based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy technology that provides real time soil analysis report on smart phones with an embedded mobile application named Bhu Parikshak available on Google Play Store. The device can detect six important soil parameters namely – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Organic Carbon, Clay contents and Cation Exchange Capacity.

It also recommends the required dose of fertilizers for the field and crops. The mobile application is made user friendly through the user interface which is available in local languages, such that even a class 8th pass person can easily handle the device and the mobile application. The device can test upto 1 Lakh soil test samples, which is the highest testing capability of a soil testing device among its predecessors.

The technology is transferred to Agronxt with an objective of manufacturing the device through bulk production, eventually benefiting the farmers.

The technology licensing agreement was formally signed between IIT Kanpur and AgroNxt Services on 11th December, 2021. The MoU exchange ceremony was graced by Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur and Mr. Rajat Vardhan, Director AgroNxt Services. Prof. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Prof. A R Harish and Mr. Ravi Pandey from IIT Kanpur also joined the agreement signing ceremony.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “Farmers are our caretakers. But they face a lot of hardships. One such hardship is getting their soil tested and wait for the results for days. That will not be a hassle anymore. I am delighted for the team from IIT Kanpur for developing such a novel device that will assist individual farmers in assessing the health of their soil in almost no time. This is another step towards achieving the goal of technology self-reliance that IIT Kanpur thrives for.”

The invention is developed by a team of inventors at IIT Kanpur, consisting of Prof. Jayant Kumar Singh from Department of Chemical Engineering, Mr. Pallav Prince, Mr. Ashar Ahmad, Mr. Yashasvi Khemani and Mohd. Aamir Khan. The idea for the invention arose from the general observation of the common problem faced by farmers, wherein a farmer has to wait upto a fortnight for getting the soil health cards from distant district soil testing laboratories, which takes a considerable workforce and time.

The portable and wireless soil testing device requires a mere 5 grams of dry soil sample for detecting macronutrients present in the soil. Once the soil is poured into the 5 cm long cylindrical shaped device, it connects itself with the mobile through Bluetooth, and starts analyzing the soil for 90 seconds. After the analysis, the results appear on the screen in the form of a soil health report, which is accessible on Bhu Parikshak cloud service with unique ID. The report also comes with a recommended dose of fertilizers.

Highlights
The portable soil testing device developed by IIT Kanpur is named Bhu-Parikshak .

It is a first-of-its-kind device that can detect soil health in just 90 seconds .

The device can test upto 1 Lakh soil test samples, the highest testing capability recorded in such devices so far.

Kanpur, November 18: CRUBN, an IIT-Kanpur incubated company which provides state-of-the-art blockchain solutions for government and business entities across the globe, has teamed up with Centre for Smart Governance, a premier software development agency of the Government of Karnataka, to develop a permissioned blockchain network as a decentralized trust and efficiency layer for all e-Government Procurement (e-GP) systems across the country.

 

E-Government Procurement (e-GP) systems cater to the procurement and tendering requirements of various government departments and organizations.

Though e-GP systems have contributed to enhanced efficiency and transparency in government procurement, there is potential for further advancement of the existing systems.

This partnership aims to ease the hassle of the existing systems by making the more than 50 operational e-GP systems across the country interoperable, which, up till now, work in silos.

Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT-K said, “We have a dynamic space within the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) that helps in breeding innovations. All the incubatees of the SIIC have been contributing to the country in various means, and in time of crucial need. I am delighted for the team of CRUBN, who have come forward to help in developing a key blockchain network across the country that would enrich the existing e-governance systems. This will help IIT-K in realising the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in state-of-the-art technologies and making India a technology super power” .

This blockchain network will be used for validating the claims of suppliers along with their identities. The proposed system will connect all the e-GP systems through a network, which will help retrieve and validate relevant supplier data between various e-GP Systems that are in use within India.

The proposed system will also digitize Bank guarantees by powering them using the trust-based automation of Blockchain. When fully operational, this system will be a pan-India system that would reduce the time and cost associated with public procurements made using e-GP systems.

Highlights of the project:
• The blockchain network will be governed by the terms and conditions decided by the consortium of the e-GP Systems across the country.

• The blockchain system can be used as the national de-duplicated supplier data store.

• Any e-GP system can depend upon the trust that Blockchain guarantees to authenticate supplier details. This will potentially save enormous costs associated with tender processing and make the process simpler and efficient.

• Bank guarantees will also be pushed to this system in a tokenized & privacy-preserving manner to maintain integrity.

• Tokenization of Bank guarantees would mean that they will become a more acceptable instrument of transaction than they are now.

With its vision to empower India in technological self-reliance, IIT Kanpur has been undertaking various projects and initiatives. CRUBN was incubated at IIT Kanpur, for phase-III of National Blockchain Project, funded by the National Security Council Secretariat and envisioned to build e-governance solutions using blockchain technology.

IIT Kanpur’s C3i Center funded by the SERB (Science and Engineering Research Board) is India’s first cyber security research and education centre in the field of cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. Further, the C3i Hub (The Technology Innovation Hub funded by DST’s National Mission on Cyber Physical systems) established at IIT -K helps in empowering the research, education, start-up ecosystem, and industrial collaboration in the field of cyber security.

About CRUBN:
Incubated at IIT Kanpur, CRUBN was started by the researchers, engineers, and leaders who created, innovated, and adopted cutting edge blockchain technology under the aegis of the National Blockchain Project, IIT Kanpur. CRUBN provides state-of-the-art tools and technologies exclusively designed and adapted for Indian e-governance scenarios.

About Centre for Smart Governance:
Centre for Smart Governance develops futuristic ICT solutions for Governments using traditional and emerging technologies such as blockchain, cybersecurity, data analytics, etc. It has built solutions that cover both social as well as economic sectors. CSG’s vision to strengthen eProcurement systems across the country using blockchain is supported by CRUBN, an IIT Kanpur incubated company which provides state-of-art blockchain solutions for government and business entities across the globe.

Kanpur, U.P.– IIT Kanpur signed an MoU with the Institute of Engineering (IOE) at Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal for academic cooperation and research partnership.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Yogesh Joshi, Dean of International Relations, IIT Kanpur and Prof. Shashidhar Joshi, Dean of Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University.

IIT Kanpur and Tribhuvan University have had a long history of mutual cooperation and this MoU aims to further strengthen the partnership.

The MoU signing ceremony was held during the visit of a delegation from Tribhuvan University which also included Prof.Sushil B Bajracharya, Vice Dean, IOE; Prof. Peshal Dahal, Registrar, TU; Prof. Triratna Bajracharya; Prof.BholaGhimire and Prof.Indra Acharya.

As per the signed MoU, IIT Kanpur and IOE will cooperate in the exchange of faculty and researchers, exchange of students, joint research and joint activities promoting science, engineering and humanities education.

On its visit to the IIT Kanpur campus, the delegation was also taken on a tour of the facilities of the Institute. The delegates visited the Centre for Energy Regulation, the Environmental Science building (thermal storage and air conditioning facilities) and the laboratories of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. They were also shown the air strip and the Flight Lab facilities at IIT Kanpur.

Both IIT Kanpur and Tribhuvan University are now looking forward to a fruitful partnership and organizing joint activities to further their aims.

Kanpur, October 26: IIT Kanpur and JK Cement Limited has inked a pact to work together on a Super Specialty Hospital at the campus as part of the Institution’s ambitious initiative to establish School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT).

IIT Kanpur and JK Cement Limited, a leading cement company in the country, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the area of setting up a Super Specialty Hospital. JKCL has consented to support the initiative with funding of Rs. 60 Crore as part of its CSR.

The MoU is part of the IIT Kanpur’s endeavor to bring about a paradigm shift in approach towards medical research and innovation in the country. IIT-K proposes to establish School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT). It also proposes to establish Centers of Excellence (CoE) on futuristic medicines and a Super Specialty Hospital as part of SMRT.

The MoU was signed between Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT-K and Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director JK Cement Ltd., Shri Nidhipati Singhania (Vice President, JK Organisation & Director JK Cement Ltd), Shri Madhavkrishna Singhania (Dy Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement Ltd), Shri Ajay Kumar Saraogi (Dy Managing Director & CFO, JK Cement Ltd) and other senior management persons of JK Cement Ltd were present. From IIT-K, Professor S. Ganesh (Dy Director), Professor Jayant Singh (Dean, Resources and Alumni), Shri Kapil Kaul (CEO, IITK Development Foundation) were also present.

The proposed hospital has been named as “Yadupati Singhania Memorial Super Specialty Hospital” to honor the contribution of Shri Yadupati Singhania a 1975 BTech Civil Engineering alumnus of IIT Kanpur and a business leader par excellence with contributions to the growth of business in Kanpur and India. Under his stewardship, JKCL has grown to be one of the leading cement manufacturing company with a capacity of 15 million tons in the country with a market capitalization of over 3 billion dollars and giving employment to several thousand across the country.

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT-K said “We are extremely grateful for the generous contributions of JKCL towards establishing a super specialty hospital which will benefit both the residents of Kanpur as well as those from other parts of the country. The proposed hospital will be associated with the School of Medical Research and Technology and will play an important role in driving IIT Kanpur’s innovations in medical research and technology”.

The hospital component of the SMRT would be operated by a section 8 company named as ‘Foundation of Medical Research and Technology (FMRT)’ registered under Companies Act, 2013.

The SMRT project will be completed in two phases. The Phase I of the project will include setting up of a 400 bed Super Specialty Hospital, Academic Block, Residential, Hostel and Service Block with a total built-up area of approximately 7,00,000 sqft.

The Phase I of SMRT will also set up Centers of Excellence (CoE) for pursuing R&D activities in futuristic medicine. The Phase I of the project is tentatively planned to be completed over the next 3-5 years.

The Phase II of the SMRT project will see the hospital capacity grow to 1000 beds, expansion in clinical departments, centers, research areas, inclusion of paramedical disciplines, alternative medicine, hospital management, sport medicine, and public health programs.

The Phase II of the SMRT project is planned to be completed over a period of 7- 10 years.

Kanpur, October 12:As part of its decadal review of academic programs and associated curricula, IIT Kanpur today announced a comprehensive revamp of its curriculum, laying down a new template with path-breaking features. The transformative steps were part of the Undergraduate Academic Review Committee Report 2020-21 (UGARC 2020-21)that was approved by the IITK Senate in its meeting held during October 6-7, 2021.

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “At IIT Kanpur we have always believed in supporting our students through a curriculum that not just enhances their skills but produces 21st century engineers and entrepreneurs who are agile and updated with the latest technological and academic innovations. The revamping of the existing curriculum, introduction of courses relevant to today’s changing world and the revised grading system is in continuation of our steps in this direction and in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (2020) of the Government. A key aspect of the revamp is much needed flexibilityto the system enabling it to adapt to the changing academic landscape across the world.We are hopeful that these features will enable IIT Kanpur to be the preferred institute for its programs both nationally and internationally.”

IIT Kanpur already offers one of the most flexible academic programs with options of Double Major, Minor and Dual Degree with option of Masters degree in different department.

The revamped curriculum will introduce new degree options including the Honours degree and options of new inter-departmental degree programs. It will also extend the scope of learning to include Social-Sciences, Communication, Humanities, Economics, Management, and Environment (SCHEME). The Core Courses will be restructured to give greater flexibility to the core curriculum.

Technology will drive teaching and pedagogy to take learning to the next level. Further, the program will also enable counting of designated online courses done by students on MOOC platforms to be counted for credits.

The transformational template for undergraduate education will include innovative and disruptive features such as new opportunities for student exchange across institutions for the Masters part of the Bachelors-Masters Dual Degree program, direct admission for talented students via globally acclaimed Olympiads, academic credits for approved entrepreneurial activities and learning done in the industry set up, and an exit option degree for those students who want to leave the program in the middle.

The existing grading scheme has been made more granular with a fine-grained mechanism of student evaluation. It also envisages more avenues for guidance and counselling with a strong focus on ethics. Also included with the revamp will be ground-breaking reforms in the rules governing termination of undergraduate programs with an Exit Degree, due to inadequate student performance, in line with recommendations of the National Education Policy (2020).

The academic programs and the associated curricula at IIT Kanpur undergo a comprehensive review every ten years. The present review for the decade beginning in 2020-21 was initiated in November 2018 and was completed in September 2021 after a detailed consultative process involving the various stakeholders including the alumni. The review process began with exhaustive deliberations within a committee comprising 17 members drawn from the various academic departments as well as the student community. This was followed by a round of discussions in the departments, the Senate and an Open House involving the faculty at large as well as the student representatives.

The Final Report, taking into account the feedback received from the departments, the Senate, and the Open House, was placed before the Senate for discussion, where it was subsequently approved.

Highlights

• New degree options including Honours degree and Inter-departmental degree programs
• Scope of learning expanded to include Social-Sciences, Communication, Humanities, Economics, Management, Environment (SCHEME)
• Direct admission to talented students via globally acclaimed Olympiads
• Academic credits for approved entrepreneurial activities and learning in industry set-ups
• Counting of online MooC courses towards credits
• Exit Degree option for students with inadequate performance