Abhay Karandikar, Member, NITI Aayog, and former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has said that India has evolved from a centre for frugal innovation into an emerging deep-tech powerhouse through sustained policy support and investments during the last decades.
Transformative national initiatives such as the National Quantum Mission, IndiaAI Mission, India Semiconductor Mission, National Supercomputing Mission, BioE3 Policy, Green Hydrogen Mission and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation have created unprecedented opportunities for young researchers and innovators, he added.
He was delivering the convocation address at 14th convocation of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram in Vithura on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Karandikar urged the graduates to become lifelong learners and uphold the values of excellence, integrity and service while applying science and technology for the betterment of society and nation building.
He also emphasized that while artificial intelligence is transforming scientific discovery, human curiosity, creativity, ethical judgment and integrity will continue to remain indispensable.
Vijayalaxmi Deshmane, Chairperson of the Board of Governors, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, presided over the ceremony. S. Murty Srinivasula, Director, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, conferred degrees upon 210 BS-MS students, 58 PhD students, 21 Integrated PhD students, 28 MS (Research) students, 6 BSc students and 78 MSc students.
Ananthakrishna P. received both the Institute Gold Medal for All-Round Excellence and the Director’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence. The Institute Cultural Award was presented to Paarth Manoj for outstanding accomplishments in extracurricular activities.
Presenting his report, Prof. Srinivasula highlighted the institute’s remarkable progress in research, innovation and academic excellence. He added that IISER Thiruvananthapuram secured 51 externally funded research projects worth nearly ₹29 crore during the last year and established new centres to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary research, including the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Startups, and the Centre of Excellence in Energy, Sustainability and Climate Change.
Such initiatives, he pointed out, has further strengthened IISER Thiruvananthapuram’s position as one of India’s leading institutions for science education, research and innovation.
