Kanpur, August 10 – Indian Institute of Technology ( IIT-K) has won the prestigious Best Entrepreneurial Skill Training Project award for its ‘Tech for Tribal’ program at the inaugural Van Dhan Annual awards of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

“Tech For Tribals’ an initiative aims at the holistic development of tribals with a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through self help groups (SHGs) operating through Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs).
The awards marked the 34th Foundation Day of TRIFED on 6th August 2021.

IIT -K’s technology business incubator, Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology (FIRST) has setup two Project Management Unit (PMUs) in Chhattisgarh and Kerala under the TRIFED-supported Tech for Tribals project. The incubator is popularly known by its brand name, Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC).

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “We are proud to be associated with the ‘Tech for Tribals’, a unique program to make tribals of this nation Atmanirbhar. It focuses on bridging the gap between tribal entrepreneurs and urban markets. The technological transformation brought out by IIT-K’s contribution to this unique initiative has emerged as a beacon of change impacting the tribal ecosystem. I am sure through such interventions, tribals will rise above all challenges to become self-reliant”.

CEO of Foundation of Research & Innovation in Science & Technology (FIRST), IIT Kanpur, Dr Nikhil Agarwal commented, “Through ‘Tech for Tribals’, we at FIRSThave trained tribal entrepreneurs to amplify the impact of their businesses. It has helped put tribal entrepreneurs on the path of commercialisation. This recognition will motivate the team and add to their efforts for the benefit of the program’s beneficiaries.”

Prof. Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, Professor-in-Charge, Innovation & Incubation, IIT Kanpur applauded the PMU team for their efforts, “The recognition has motivated our team to deliver passionately for the upliftment of the tribal communities. We believe that ‘Tech for Tribals’ carries the tremendous potential to further strengthen the impact and outcomes of beneficiaries, compounding the nation’s social impact. We shall continue to deliver with unparalleled dedication across tribal communities in India.”

Under the Tech for Tribals program, IIT Kanpur is developing course content relevant to Tribal and Rural Entrepreneurship in Value Addition and Processing of Forest Produces. The PMU team has implemented major interventions that have contributed towards the sustainability of the SHGsthrough skill-building efforts. Tech for Tribals is a game-changing, a unique project that aims to transform 5 crore Tribal Entrepreneurs with an objective of imparting entrepreneurship skills to tribal forest produce gatherers enrolled under the VanDhan Yojana. The trainees will undergo a 30-day program over six weeks comprising 120 sessions with an overarching objective of bridging the gap between tribal entrepreneurs and urban markets.

• IIT-K is implementing ‘Tech for Tribals’ initiative in Chhattisgarh and Kerala to bridge the gap between tribal hamlets and global markets digitally
• ‘Tech for Tribals’ run by IIT-K’s technology business incubator, Foundation of Research & Innovation in Science & Technology (FIRST), provides hands-on training to tribal entrepreneurs through course content relevant for the BoP Entrepreneurship in Value Addition and Processing of Forest Produces and shall support over 6000 beneficiaries under the program
• The award was presented on the 34th Foundation Day of TRIFED

ABOUT THE CENTRE
Established in the year 2000, Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur, is one of the oldest technology business incubators with many successes under its belt. In 2018, the leadership brought the incubator’s operations under Foundation of Research & Innovation in Science & Technology (FIRST), a Section-8 company promoted by IIT Kanpur. The multifaceted, vibrant incubation ecosystem nurtured over two decades continues to fill all the gaps on the road to convert an idea into a business.
With pathbreaking innovation brewing at FIRST’s startups, the incubator aims to create impact at the bottom of the pyramid. FIRST has developed the experience base and ecosystem that become critical ingredients in developing early-stage, technology-focused startups disrupting paradigms across the domains such as agriculture, healthcare, aerospace, energy, water, and education.

Kanpur August 8 – Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) is establishing the ‘Chandrakanta Kesavan Centre for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions’ to assist policy makers with practical solutions to the problems of climate change.

India as a signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement will need to develop, adapt and implement technologies to reduce emissions and grow sustainably.

The aim of the Centre will be to spearhead the development of technology and policy solutions to help India and the world combat climate change. Detailed description of the centre can be seen on https:/iitk.ac.in/see/ckcepcs/.

An agreement to establish this center was signed on July 15th, 2021 between IIT Kanpur and Sudhakar Kesavan, an alumnus of the Class of 1976 from IIT Kanpur.

The Centre is named in the memory of his mother Dr. Chandrakanta Kesavan who was a role model for Indian women in science. She received her PhD in Acoustical Physics from Allahabad University in 1942, was a Fulbright post-doctoral scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked as a pioneering acoustical engineer and administrator at All India Radio, India’s national broadcaster. Sudhakar and Alka Kesavan have pledged USD 2.5 M for supporting various activities of the Centre.

The Centre will be an autonomous organization within IIT Kanpur. It will be anchored in, and work closely with, the Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering (www.iitk.ac.in/see). The Centre will focus on policy, communications, education and outreach efforts aimed at implementing technology and science-based solutions in the country at large, outside the academic world. The center will become a platform to bring eminent academics, technologists, researchers and policy makers from across the world together to discuss and address these issues.

At the launch of the center, Mr. Kesavan said “I owe a large debt of gratitude to IIT Kanpur. The five years I spent at IIT Kanpur were an extraordinary experience in every way. The educational experience was enriching, the faculty was extraordinary and the bonds of friendship with my classmates are as strong today as they were then. I am honoured to be a part of the Institute’s endeavours in creating impactful initiatives to tackle the climate change. I believe that the Chandrakanta Kesavan Centre for Energy Policy and Climate Solutions will add a fresh dimension in policy, communications, education and outreach efforts so that technology and science-based solutions can be effectively implemented in society. I believe that the Centre will be the preferred space for those seeking solutions and advice on matters related to energy technology, adoption strategies as well as policy and climate issues pertaining to decarbonization. I am also very pleased that Prof Ashish Garg, Head of the Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering has agreed to serve as the first Centre Coordinator”.

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director, IITK said “In the light of growing importance of sustainable energy and climate change, this center will promote and develop appropriate technology and policy solutions to help India and the world combat address challenges in energy and climate change. To demonstrate IIT Kanpur’s commitment to sustainable growth I have asked the Centre to develop a plan for IIT Kanpur to become carbon neutral within the next five years. The Centre’s broader aim is to develop low carbon solutions, provide the knowledge to build an appropriate policy framework, and engage with various stakeholders to help mitigate the challenges caused by the climate change, towards attaining a sustainable living. The Center will also act as the resource hub for policy makers and technologists.”

The Centre also aims to conduct a Master’s programme with a specialization in ‘Energy Technology and Policy’, e-Masters in ‘Energy Technology, Economics and Policy’ for working professionals and communicate and engage with governments, businesses, and NGOs.

About Chandrakanta Kesavan, 1918-2004

Chandrakanta Kesavan, nee Chandrakanta Narain, was born in 1918. She was one of the first generation of girls who went to school instead of being privately educated at home. She attended Indraprastha Girl’s School situated adjacent to the Jama Masjid in Shahjahanabad, Delhi.
She finished school at age fifteen and then began attending Hindu College in Kashmiri Gate on the outer edge of the walled city, next to Civil Lines. Hindu College was the college in Delhi at the time that allowed women admission into the B.Sc. degree because Science was seen as a male preserve. This was 1933. There was just one other girl in her class and their lecturers were so embarrassed by their presence that they refused to look at them or take their questions.
After completing her undergraduate degree, she moved to Varanasi to do a Master’s degree in Physics at the Banaras Hindu University, founded just two years before she was born, in 1916. She stayed in the University’s women’s hostel, which was so unusual at the time that when asked, her father would say that she was living with an aunt.
From there she moved to Allahabad University for her doctorate in Physics in 1938. The university hosted the most distinguished physics department in the country with faculty that included Dr. Meghnad Saha and Dr. K.S. Krishnan. Her field of research was acoustical physics. One of her viva voce examiners for her dissertation was the Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman.
After completing her Ph.D., she interviewed for and got a job as a lecturer in a women’s college in Lahore, where she taught for two years. Her career in higher education traversed all the great universities of north India at the time: Delhi, Banaras, Allahabad and finally, Punjab.
She returned to Delhi to join the Dictionary Office, a government institution involved in producing the encyclopaedic survey of India’s resources, The Wealth of India. After that she joined the Research Department of All India Radio in the late 1940s, bringing her expertise in acoustics to bear on the functioning of India’s sole broadcasting organization. She remained a pioneering acoustical engineer for the rest of her career, publishing research papers and participating in the administration of India’s national broadcaster.
In 1952, she was awarded a Fulbright fellowship for post-doctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. She spent a year in the US, working and travelling before returning to her work at All India Radio.
She served on the Board of Governors of Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi, for more than three decades

Kanpur (India)August 5- The Academic Senate of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur(IITK) has approved a comprehensive Students Entrepreneurship Policy.

VThe policy recognizes the importance of fostering innovation and entrepreneurial spirit amongst the students in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) and National Innovation and Start-up Policy (NISP).

The policy introduces the path-breaking concept of “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Credit” which will enable students to pursue their innovation and entrepreneurial aspirations as part of their academic journey while pursuing their degrees. The policy allows undergraduate students in 3rd year and the postgraduate students immediately after completion of the minimum course work to gain academic credit while pursuing entrepreneurial activities.

The students can also avail semester leave to pursue their ideas by using facilities both inside and outside the campus. It empowers all the stakeholders, with aclear goal of promoting entrepreneurial spirit, and yet not diluting the academic standards and pedagogical goals.

The policy provides tremendousimpetus to the vibrant entrepreneurship eco-system which already exists at the Institute
Policy Highlights:
• Part of academic curricula
• Open to all eligible students
• Minor in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Semester leave to pursue Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Academic credit in Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Found and register their own companies
• Industry mentoring & funding
• Patenting and IP management
• Deferred placement

IIT Kanpur has been at the forefront of Innovation and Entrepreneurship housing the largest ecosystem within the Asian region comprising of 11 Incubators, 5 State-of-the-Art Prototype, and Tinkering Laboratories, and an advanced Science & Technology Park. This ecosystem currently supports and nurtures more than 100 start-ups and has been successful in graduating more than 50 start-ups including a few unicorns.

This ecosystem will play a significant role in accelerating and implementing the current policy and benefiting the student and research community on campus.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “The challenges of modern industry require students to evolve from passive learners to creators and innovators. This requires universities to be venues where entrepreneurship is fostered in young people, a place where creative ideas spark that can lead to innovations of the future, contributing to realizing India’s real innovation and entrepreneurship potential.

Many of the recommendations of the National Innovation and Start-up Policy for Students and Faculty 2019 are already in place and actively operating at IIT Kanpur. The Institute also has a Faculty Entrepreneurship Policy under which faculty members of the Institute can start a company while continuing as regular employees of the Institute.

A robust Students’ Entrepreneurship Policy will allow our students to keep pace with the demands of a rapidly developing world. We are one of the first Central Funded Technical Institute to frame such a comprehensive policy.”

Given the definitive rise in the number of technology start-ups in India in the recent past, especially by young entrepreneurs, with a background in professional and technical fields, several promotional initiatives in this direction are slowly but surely making a visible impact on society. The new policy adopted by the Academic Senate of IIT Kanpur will be transformative and will pave the way for a vibrant eco-system where students can take up innovation and entrepreneurship activity in a systematic manner during their tenure at the institute.

Highlights

• The CoE will facilitate an interdisciplinary approach to public health and strengthening health systems.
• Medical and engineering professionals will be able to pursue courses in digital health to nurture a nuanced skill set.
• The initiative aims to make affordable healthcare accessible and blur borders in the pursuit of innovation in healthcare.

Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (India)- Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute (sGPGI)of Medical Sciences, Lucknow and Indian Institute of Technology ( IIT )Kanpur signed an MoU to advance innovation in accessible healthcare through indigenous solutions.

Under the MoU, the institutes will set up a Centre of Excellence in Telemedicine and Healthcare robotics to nurture smart healthcare with an overarching objective of strengthening healthcare systems. areas.

The MoU signing ceremony, held on 29th June 2021 was graced by key members from both institutes, including Prof. R. K. Dhiman, Director, SGPGI and Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar while addressing the gathering stated, “Through this initiative, two leading institutions of India will join hands to uphold their vision of a robust, indigenous healthcare system, focused on promoting interdisciplinary innovation.

The MoU is a timely step in the right direction to enable an exchange of ideas across engineering and medicine, as professionals from IIT Kanpur will receive the opportunity to collaborate with specialized doctors at SGPGI, Lucknow.”

Through this MoU, IIT Kanpur and SGPGI Lucknow have agreed to establish an R&D set up for promoting telemedicine aided by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and 5G, and point-of-care testing and diagnostics. An integrated network of mobile health vans in rural areas and smart kiosks in urban locales will ensure last-mile connectivity to ascertain availability of emergency healthcare services.

Commenting on the initiative’s vision, Prof. R. K. Dhiman said, “We will jointly launch courses in various fields of Digital Health which is not available in any engineering and medical educational institutions in the country at the moment. Current Corona pandemic has made telemedicine technology very popular and useful tool to bridge the gap between care providers and citizen so there is a need to develop indigenous technology platform and systems in large scale which can be affordable and made available widely.

This will promote entrepreneurship and develop a rural health system which can be deployed far and wide to strengthen the health system. The future holds the key for hybrid healthcare system for which the bond between engineering and medical discipline needs to be strengthened. In that context the timing of handshake between the two major institutions is appropriate which is going to yield immense benefit to the society.”

Role of IIT Kanpur

Any telemedicine system is about creating a network of expected beneficiaries and medical experts and integrating them together in a digital platform. A cost-effective platform consisting of hardware sensors and
IOT controller devices needs to be developed for collecting patient health data. The system has to be integrated with cloud servers and mobile apps. In this regard, the role of IIT Kanpur will include:

• Development of such portable IoT enabled health care systems along with point-of-care testing and diagnostics.

• Designing customized mobile vans and kiosks equipped with AI-based diagnostics.

• Integrating multi-lingual avatars with systems to give patients the feel of the presence of a doctor or a care giver. The avatars would especially be essential for patients with mental health disorders and elderly care.

Role of SGPGI, Lucknow

SGPGIMS, Lucknow has set up a School of Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics in the year 2006 with the objective of teaching and training healthcare personnel and clinical engineers tools and strategies of ICT-enabled health care. It has received a major Grant-in-Aid from Ministry of Electronics & IT, Govt. of India in 2007 to elevate the school to a National Resource Centre in Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics which was continued for five years. Later from the year 2007 till date the facility and trained technical human power has been supported by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India to develop and manage the National Medical College Network as the national resource centre. With the collaboration with IIT Kanpur & the Centre of Excellence, the engineering aspects of clinical application of digital technologies can be addressed. Backed with two decades of experience in application-oriented telemedicine research, development, and deployment, SGPGI’s collaboration with IIT Kanpur will foster synergies to cultivate an ecosystem at the intersection of technology and healthcare through capacity development.

Kanpur: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) today announced the launch of four new e-Masters programs to enable seamless remote learning during this pandemic. The e-Masters programs will provide an online learning environment that will deliver course content completely online and help upskilling of working professionals with industry experience and expand their career options. The four eMasters include programs in Communication Systems, Cybersecurity, Power Sector Regulation, Economics & Management, and Commodity Markets & Risk Management. The programs can also be sponsored by corporates for their employees.
The programs are expected to commence from mid-August. The admissions to the programs will take place in July. The details regarding eligibility, admission and fees will be announced soon on the institute website.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “In order to be effective and remain relevant in the evolving scenarios, professionals are required to continually upgrade their knowledge and keep up with the latest developments in diverse fields. It has, therefore, become imperative to provide access to a complete ecosystem of knowledge. IIT Kanpur is introducing e-Masters degree program to address the said requirement. The e-Masters program is expected to help employed personnel from industry and various other backgrounds enhance their skill sets and improve their employability. The program will also help people enhance their qualification by obtaining a formal degree in state of the art areas.”

The e-Masters in Cyber Security addresses the increasing need for securing information in the digital world. The demand for professionals trained in cybersecurity tools is expected to be more than 1 million from defense, banking, retail, power, transportation, computing, and related fields. With the strongest expert group in cybersecurity as faculty drawn from the Center for Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure, and the Technology Innovation Hub in Cyber Security, working professionals would be able to equip themselves with skills necessary to be successful in roles that involve securing networks against attackers.

The new e-Masters in Communication Systems would arm working professionals with a comprehensive appreciation and knowledge of modern digital communications systems. The program will address the need for trained professionals given the rapid developments in the field of communications with 5G, 6G and Edge Computing being introduced in the country.

The e-Masters in Power Sector Regulation, Economics and Management would be a multi-disciplinary program providing a conceptual understanding of power sector regulation from an engineering, economic and regulatory perspective covering electricity markets, regulatory process, etc. This would be beneficial to working professionals from engineering, management, finance, economics, law, and public administration.

The e-Masters in Commodity Markets and Risk Management will tap the growing demand for commodity derivatives specialists.The rising share of commodity derivatives trading and India’s rising role in global commodity markets requires trained experts to navigate the highs and lows to emerge successful. The e-Masters will provide sustained training opportunities to the budding traders, commodity market specialist and experienced professionals. The program aims to catalyse investors’ awareness and invites the big commodity giants to sponsor candidates for the course.

The e-Masters would be completely online program with well-designed Industryrelevant course content, assignments, and projects, designed and deliveredby the best faculty at IIT Kanpur. Candidates enrolled in the program will have to complete a certainfixed number of courses in a flexible time period. The program will also include two weeks of on-campus practicaltraining involving lab sessions, demonstrations, and labvisits that will give them hands-on exposure to cutting-edge areas and developments in technology.