The Consulate General of India, New York organized talk by Prof. Sudhir Jain, Director, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar on ‘Role of IITs in Meeting India’s Societal Needs’ at the Consulate on Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

Consul Sugandh Rajaram welcomed the guests and introduced Prof. Jain to the audience. Prof. Jain during the talk emphasized on the vital role played by the Indian Institutes of Technology in India’s social and economic development. He outlined the many contributions of the IITs, including research projects implemented by its rural development centers that serve the economically underprivileged, as well as social activism and the philanthropic contributions of its successful alumni.

In this context, he pointed to several projects developed by IIT Gandhinagar students, such as an electronic cane and mobile apps for the blind, and an agarbatti (incense sticks) machine to reduce workload and improve productivity of workers who are mainly the slum women. IIT Gandhinagar, he said, places special emphasis on developing social responsibility. Some of the notable projects include mentoring young girl students from neighbourhood schools to motivate women to study engineering, and IIT developing educational programs for the children of construction workers. He informed that the institute has created a safety center to promote safety in the country, as nearly 150,000 people are killed and many more injured in accidents every year. He added that it would also establish an archaeology center and Sanskrit studies program to popularize traditional knowledge and the country’s rich cultural heritage.

The programme was attended by large number of members of the academic community and ended with Q&A session.