
IIT Kharagpur is all set to celebrate its 72nd convocation on Saturday, where the institute will confer degrees to 3,936 students of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and professional programmes.
This year will also mark the graduation of the institute’s first batch of B Tech pass degree programme – 10 students – which was introduced last year. It is an exit degree for students who fail to score a grade point of 6 – the minimum required to secure an honours degree. “We have also introduced a double major programme this year,” said Prof Gargi Das, Dean of Engineering and Architecture, during a pre-convocation press meet on Friday.
The double major programme offers one main subject and a major in another subject. The course requires a student to complete one-fourth of the total credits needed for specialisation.
Additionally, an interdisciplinary dual-degree programme offers four specialisations: artificial intelligence, financial engineering, engineering entrepreneurship, and petroleum studies.
Students can also opt for microcourses spanning law, engineering, etc., among 25 such courses, said Das.
The number of women graduates surged 12 per cent, from 821 to 919 this year.
The number of graduates from interdisciplinary departments such as artificial intelligence, management and intellectual property law has also gone up.
“Starting this year, we are admitting students under the sports category. One person has been admitted for lawn tennis and 12 under Science Olympiad excellence – this shows that we are prioritising diversity in the students’ body,” said Das.
Furthermore, IIT Kharagpur announced that the integrated health science and technology programme has a faculty. IIT Kharagpur has also launched an undergraduate programme in biomedical engineering and has proposed a postgraduate degree programme in medicine.
Professor Suman Chakraborty, director, IIT Kharagpur, stated that they have applied for the MD (Doctor of Medicine) programme. “In 2001, we started with the School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), which has been providing the flagship programme called MMST. This is an M Tech type of degree for MBBS doctors,” he said.
According to the director, the MD programme was proposed in collaboration with the railway hospital, with a major focus on medicine.
A tender will be floated in the next few days on CT scan, MRI, and other advanced medical imaging things, the director told the press. “We have deployed a research unit on portable and affordable MRI. The machine is being designed and will be indigenously built by IIT Kharagpur and other collaborators.”
In the meantime, Chakraborty added, the ministry has given them a directive to kickstart the hospital’s operation in PPP (public-private partnerships) mode.
“Our first objective is to increase the number of hospital beds to 220. Once we become independent, that’s the minimum we will require. Even though we have a capacity of 400 beds, we are thinking step by step,” said the director.
IIT Kharagpur has also launched the ‘Imagination Lab’ which is aimed at helping students and faculty ideate.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage. Experience Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness. Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances. Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including: State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies. Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues. Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More