The 60th Institute Day of the National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli (NIT-T) was celebrated on April 28th, 2023 at 10.00 am at the Barn Hall, in the gracious presence of Mr. Sudhanshu Mani, Retd. General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai (Mastermind behind the Vande Bharat Express train) and Dr. G. Aghila, Director of NITT along with Shri Bhaskar Bhat, Chairman of the board of Governors of NIT-T who joined the event online.The event began with the invocation of Thamizh Thaai Vaazhthu followed by the Student Council, President Akhilan welcoming the dignitaries, members of faculty, students, and fellow council members to the gathering.
Following this, Mr. Bhaskar Bhat, Chairman of Tata Sons, and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of NIT-T, delivered the Presidential address. He appreciated Mr. Sudhanshu Mani, by emphasizing the Vande Bharat train as a great example of what India can do, and what engineers and managers as leaders can contribute to the nation. He mentioned in his speech the significant actions taken by NIT-T; especially, the adoption of the New Education Policy (NEP) for its great future. The institute is able to adapt and adopt-unique features for its betterment. Faculty members and students participate at every level to take the institute to greater heights, he added. Appreciating the efforts of the Director Dr. Aghila, her team, and the diverse set of students from diverse parts of the country, he concluded his speech by thanking everyone on behalf of the Board of Governors, who have contributed to the growth of the institute.
The Dean Academic, Dr. Ramakalyan Ayyagari, presented an exhaustive report of the academic achievements of NIT T of 2022-23, including the details of significant publications, sponsored projects, patents, consultancy, conferences, and guest lectures of faculty members from various academic departments. Post the COVID, teaching-learning has been revamped in full swing face-to-face. He highlighted the inauguration of the new lecture hall complex-‘Logos’ and the inauguration of the Centre for Excellence as invaluable additions to the infrastructure. The celebration of International Women’s Day, a Two-Day Workshop on Outcome Based Education for teachers, was also mentioned apart from the significant number of academic and non-academic events held on the campus.
Dr. G. Aghila, Director of NIT-T, in her Address to the gathering further stressed the notable milestones of the institute and congratulated the academic community for creating and fostering a culture of excellence. NIT-T’s commitment to the NEP 2020 has been reinforced by the Master’s program in English Language and Literature, and the open electives in regional and foreign languages, designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in an increasingly globalized world, she noted. Addressing the achievements of the institution as a whole, she announced NIT-T’s naming as a ‘Skill Hub Centre’ under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). She highlighted NIT-T’s first position among NITs for the seventh year in the NIRF 2022 rankings and pointed out that the institute has grown phenomenally in terms of research and consultancy, and infrastructural development. The Director thanked the alumni for their persistent contribution to the establishment of the Heritage Centre with an aim to create social impact. NIT-T also inducted 41 new faculty members last year, and created a record in the history of the institute, with 1977 graduates receiving their degrees in the convocation held in August 2022.
The Institute Day address was delivered by the chief guest Mr. Sudhanshu Mani, (Retd. General Manager, Integral Coach Factory, Chennai (Mastermind behind the Vande Bharat Express train), who invoked the former President of India and the eminent scientist Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s motto, “Dream is not the thing that you see in sleep, but is the thing that doesn’t let you sleep.” Projecting the Train 18/Vande Bharat Express as the epitome of India’s culture of innovation and excellence, he stressed that the progeny of every development has been a technological enhancement. He presented the audience with a history of the Train 18 project, and how the idea of a high-speed train has now provided the nation- Athmanirbhar - a sense of pride and ownership and has made it compatible enough with other developing countries across the world. No achievement is possible, until you bypass mistrust and corruption, and inculcate an environment of gender sensitization among the workforce, he added. Further, he motivated the audience, by advising them not to doubt their abilities if they fail in something, as failures are the stepping stones for success. He concluded by re-stating the example of Vande Bharat as an aspirational symbol of resurgent India, an India which can create products of its own, and also presented the book, “My Train 18 Story,” authored by him on the people behind the Vande Bharat train to the Director.
Following his address, the student and faculty achievers of the academic year were felicitated by the chief guest. Also, 40 alumni awards were awarded to the best outgoing students of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. After the felicitation of students, the best performers faculty, and staff members of all cadres were felicitated. Awards for the best performing departments were announced in which the Department of Civil Engineering and the Department of Physics, respectively won the titles in engineering and non-engineering categories. Teams behind various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities were felicitated further; ‘Festember,’ ‘Pragyan,’ ‘NIT Fest,’ and ‘Amrutavarshini Club.’ The Student Council for 2023-24 was introduced by the incumbent President of the Student Council, Navati Trinesh. The Vice President of the Student Council Jessie Andrea, proposed the vote of thanks, expressing her gratitude on behalf of the organizers for making the event a success, and the event concluded with National Anthem.