Latest news with #SumanChakraborty
The Hindu
a day ago
- Science
- The Hindu
IIT Kharagpur, IIST exploring collaboration in medical technology
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) and the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) are exploring the possibility of collaborating in the area of medical technology for space-related applications, IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said here on Sunday (August 10, 2025). The IIST's work in mission-class hardware design, start-up incubation and strategic collaborations position India not just as a participant, but as a leader in global space innovation, Prof. Chakraborty said, delivering the convocation address at the 13th convocation of IIST held at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiyamala. Recent achievements of the IIST students have been admirable, he said. 'The IIST is the crucible of India's space leadership, a place where dreams take the form of rockets, satellites and future-ready solutions,' he said. Space, Prof. Chakraborty said, is no longer the domain of a few, but the shared ambition of the entire planet. Yet, India has a unique advantage, he said. 'We know how to do more with less. We innovate not just for prestige, but for people. Space technology today is not an isolated vertical. It is a grand convergence, a meeting point of artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, climate science, philosophy, medicine and even law,' he said. Referring to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan 3 mission as a sparkling example of interdisciplinary excellence, Prof. Chakraborty urged the IIST students to envision 'movements' that make India a hub for responsible, inclusive space innovations, and policies that enable fair access to space resources. M. Mohan, Director, LPSC, said after the recent success of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, ISRO is embarking on the development of complex systems for major missions. Among these, he listed the next-generation launch vehicle, Bharatiya Antriksh Station, Chandrayaan-4 sample return mission, Gaganyaan and Venus mission, which call for advanced manufacturing technologies for mass production of the systems. IIST Chancellor B.N. Suresh underscored the importance of self-reliance, stating that imports need to be reduced in strategic areas that were key enablers of national security. ISRO Chairperson V. Narayanan addressed the students in virtual mode. IIST Director Dipankar Banerjee presented a report on the academic activities. At the convocation, a total of 309 degrees were awarded, which included 124 BTech degrees, 17 BTech + MTech/MS dual degrees, 130 MTech and MS postgraduate degrees and 38 PhDs.
India Today
a day ago
- Health
- India Today
IIT Kharagpur creates new dean position to focus on students' mental well-being
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, IIT Kharagpur has appointed a dedicated dean to oversee students' mental health and overall well-being. The move comes in the wake of four suspected student suicides in campus hostels since Chakraborty, a professor at the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, assumed charge as the Dean of Students' Well-being on August 5. According to IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty, the role has been created exclusively to support students emotionally, help them navigate challenges, and encourage their holistic the Dean of Student Affairs,who primarily handles academic and administrative matters the new dean will focus entirely on mental health concerns. 'He will not just be a figure in an office; he will engage with students directly, both in groups and individually, acting as a friend, teacher, and mentor,' the director said. Professor Chakraborty is already familiar with student concerns through his involvement in BTech induction programmes. The director emphasised that the position is likely the first of its kind in Indian institutes, reflecting a growing awareness of the need to actively address emotional well-being alongside to questions about whether the creation of the post was linked to the recent deaths, the director said the institute's priority is to ensure that no student feels overwhelmed by pressure. He noted that while academic and extracurricular programmes continue with the same vigour, socio-economic changes may have affected students' mental states. The administration, he added, has also been engaging with parents regularly to ensure students feel supported, even during Kharagpur currently houses around 16,000 students across 21 hostels. The most recent incident occurred on July 18, when fourth-year mechanical engineering student Ritam Mondal was found dead in his hostel room. Three other hostel residents have died in similar circumstances since the start of the year.- Ends
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
In a 1st among IITs, Kharagpur gets student well-being dean
KOLKATA: Arun Chakraborty, professor at Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences at IIT-Kharagpur, Friday became the institute's first dean of student well-being. TOI had earlier reported that IIT-Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty announced the appointment during the induction programme for the new BTech batch on July 26. The post was created to ensure students' mental health issues are not left unaddressed, especially after four student suicides on campus in seven months - the latest being fourth-year mechanical engineering student Ritam Mondal, who was found hanging in his hostel room on July 18. "This is possibly the first time in any IIT that a person of a dean's status has been assigned solely to look after students' overall well-being," said the director. "Our institute has a huge number of students, and it is necessary to have a designated dean of student well-being to give special emphasis to welfare activities." Chakraborty told TOI that while the role was challenging, it was essential. "We do not want any tragic incidents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Every student can approach us at any time. Even the smallest issues will be addressed. I've told students I am available 24x7 - they should not panic; we are here like parents," he added. IIT-Kharagpur has 21 hostels housing 16,000 students. While there is a dean of student affairs, the director pointed out that "student affairs" and "student well-being" are distinct. The new dean will focus on identifying and addressing personal issues, while dean of student affairs will handle administrative matters like accommodation and discipline. Measures already in place at the college include the AI-driven mental wellness platform SETU, a restructured counselling centre, "campus mothers," student task forces, and stress management workshops.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
In a first among IITs, Kgp campus gets dean of well-being to take care of students' wellness
Kolkata: Arun Chakraborty, professor of the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences at IIT-Kharagpur, on Monday became the first dean of student well-being at the engineering college, stressing the initiatives launched for students' welfare. TOI had reported that IIT-Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty had announced the appointment during the induction programme for the new BTech batch on July 26. This post was created to ensure any student's poor mental health, if any, did not go unaddressed, especially after four youths ended their lives on the campus in seven months. The last victim was fourth-year mechanical engineering student Ritam Mondal, who was found hanging in his hostel room at Rajendra Prasad Hall of Residence on July 18. "This is possibly the first time in any IIT in the country that a person of a dean's status has been solely assigned to look after students' well-being. As our institute has a huge number of students, we feel it is necessary to have a designated dean of student well-being to give special emphasis on all the welfare activities of students," the director told TOI. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Arun Chakraborty told TOI the new role was challenging but he looked forward to carrying it out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo "This move was a necessity to focus on the youths' well-being and the smooth running of the initiatives taken for them. We do not want any more tragic incident on the campus. We will ensure every student can approach us at any point of the day and night. Problems will be addressed immediately. I have spoken to students and told them however small a problem they might face, I am available for them 24×7. They should not panic. We are there to support them as parents. They are like our children," he said. IIT-Kharagpur has 21 hostels accommodating more than 16,000 students. The institute already has a dean of student affairs. But, director Chakraborty pointed out, that 'student affairs' and 'student well-being' were separate responsibilities. "It is practically not possible for the dean of student affairs to look into an individual's well-being. "The dean of student well-being will be responsible for anything and everything leading to the well-being of students and it will be easier to identify students' issues and address them. The job of the dean of student affairs will mainly be administrative work related to students, such as their attendance, accommodation, disciplinary matters," he added. Several IITs, including Madras, Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur, too, have a dean of student affairs each. Among the measures taken to help out the Kharagpur students are AI-driven mental wellness initiative SETU, restructuring the counselling centre, introduction of 'campus mothers', forming students' task forces at hostel wings and conducting workshops on stress management. The institute had earlier assigned two associate deans to look after students' physical and mental health. An assistant warden at each hostel is also designated to look into students' welfare, particularly at hostels. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
IIT-Kharagpur adopts 3-language formula with stress on Bengali
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur has gone tri-lingual under current director Suman Chakraborty, with an emphasis on Bengali, to promote the importance of regional language and to communicate with non-faculty staff, including housekeepers, gardeners, and maintenance crew, "effectively, without any language barrier". Chakraborty himself has English, Bengali and Hindi on his name plates outside his office and bungalow. He is the first director to put up his name in Bengali. Chakraborty said, "I did it symbolically, to initiate a cultural transformation and to reflect a change in our thoughts, following the three-language formula mentioned in the National Education Policy 2020. I also asked the professor-in-charge of the Rajbhasha Vibhag to ensure there is a proper representation of English, Bengali, and Hindi in all the prominent places of the campus, including auditoriums, buildings, departments, and the Hijli Detention Camp, where there are frequent visitors. " He said, "The Hijli Detention Camp is known as the birthplace of IIT Kharagpur. But it looks odd that the immense contribution of our revolutionaries is not written in Bengali." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The director feels that since IIT Kharagpur is a cosmopolitan campus with students and faculty members from across the country, English and Hindi have been the medium of communication and instruction. "Bengali has been neglected for long. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jennifer Garner: From Farm Girl to Hollywood's Sweetheart Watch More Undo We must remember that the institution is in Bengal and there are many local non-teaching staffers who can read and write only Bengali. Our natural interaction with them is in Bengali, which is the regional language and mother tongue for many of us. Some of them may understand Hindi but cannot read it. Therefore, Bengali must be included in our communications and writings displayed for visitors to know about the campus." The director issued an order saying the tri-language policy will be implemented during foundation st-one laying ceremonies of infrastructural projects during the platinum jubilee celebration, which is set to begin from Aug 18, the foundation day of the institute. "The writings on the foundation stones will reflect the tri-language policy. It will promote our regional language as a medium of instruction and communication, and do away with the linguistic barrier," Chakraborty said.
