GUWAHATI: The year 2020 has been a year of innovations related to COVID-19 for Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G), aligning with the new normal.
From a virtual convocation, online classes, virtual placements and virtual internships to ensuring the safety of students, staff and faculty with COVID19 protocols on campus, the institute has put in every effort to overcome unprecedented challenges of the pandemic year.
Virtual convocation
Addressing the 22nd convocation in September through a virtual-reality platform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the students of IIT Guwahati to innovate for the future of the new normal.
“Convocation is a special day for every student. But this year, it is a different experience in the time of pandemic. The pandemic has changed the way convocations are conducted. The future of the nation is in what youth think today. Your dreams will shape the reality of India in the future. This is time for you to be Future-Fit and Future-Ready,” the Prime Minister said in an inspiring speech.
The Prime Minister expressed happiness over 300 young fellows being awarded PhD degrees at the convocation and requested them to continue their research for the betterment of the country.
Virtual learning
During the pandemic, IIT Guwahati has focused on high quality online education and conducted regular online counselling and yoga classes. A helpline portal was also launched. The institute has been imparting online education for all its courses and has initiate evaluation of the students also via online mode.
Virtual placements
The phase I of the placement session commenced in virtual mode from December 1, 2020. Around 127 Companies from various sectors participated in the virtual recruitment process.
The institute also organised the virtual summer internship hiring process for pre-final year students in September 2020. Around 51 companies participated in the process this year.
Innovations to stop the spread of COVID
Among the institute’s innovations to tackle COVID-19 include self-check kiosks, multiple diagnostic kits, low-cost UVC LED systems for disinfecting surfaces, spray-based antiviral coating and personal protective equipment, developing vaccine, low cost intubation boxes, drones for spraying disinfectants, software for safe air travel and farmers welfare.
“IIT Guwahati has been in the forefront in the fight to stop the spread of novel coronavirus and has been providing scientific and technological support, extension of sophisticated instrument facilities as well as involved in the immediate development of life-saving equipment to the state,” a statement issued here on Wednesday said.
“Since the initial days of the COVID-19 outbreak, IIT Guwahati has prepared hand sanitisers across departments and academic centres for public distribution,” the statement said.
Researchers from IIT Guwahati, along with others from the country and experts from the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, have used data science models to analyse and predict the total number of COVID-19 infected people for different states in India.