Convocation is the celebration and culmination of the academic efforts and rigour of our students. The Convocation ceremony is a much-revered ritual. The 22nd Convocation of IIIT Bangalore was special in many ways. July 3rd was the first in-campus ceremony that the institute has hosted since July 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first Convocation after Prof. Debabrata Das took over as the Director of IIIT Bangalore. The newly built Auditorium in Ramanujan Block was all set to confer degrees to the 2022 graduates.
The Academic procession marked the beginning of the IIIT Bangalore Convocation Ceremony. A highlight of this year’s convocation was the participation of the Brass Band of the Elite Corps of Military Police (CMP) of the Indian Army whose Regimental Centre is headquartered in Bangalore. The procession led by the Registrar, Commodore SR Sridhar and Dean(Academics) Prof R Chandrashekar comprised the graduating students and it started from the Aryabhata Block way up to the dais of Amanthran.
The ceremony was graced by Chief Guest, Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director, NIMHAMS and Guest of Honour, Mr. S.D Shibulal, Co-Founder, Infosys Ltd and Co-Founder, Axilor Ventures The ceremony was presided over by the Chairman of the IIIT Bangalore Governing Body Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan.
The ceremony that took place on the beautiful green campus of IIIT Bangalore saw 294 students graduate from the institute. The students were from various academic programs – Doctor of Philosophy (10), Master of Science by Research (23), Integrated Master of technology CSE (46), Integrated Master of Technology ECE (19), Master of Technology CSE (157), Master of Technology ECE (20) and Master of science Digital Society (19), 68 students who graduated were female and 226 were male.
The highlights of the ceremony included celebrating students’ achievements, with awards and medals. The Institute Gold medals were awarded to the best graduating students- Soham Das, Amogh Johri and Gayatri Raman. Ms Ananya Appan was awarded the Late Sri. N. Rama Rao Medal for Student of the Year. Since the founding of the Institute in 1998, IIIT Bangalore has enjoyed 100% placement every year, on account of the strong support of the industry and the growing base of talented alumni. It is relevant to mention that more than 15 students have received an annual salary package of more than half a crore (INR) and one student has received a salary package of two crore (INR) per annum.
Addressing the students Dr Pratima Murthy said, “I hope you were able to turn the challenges into opportunities. Getting a reward for your effort is fine. It is equally important to take cognizance of what you bring to the society. Regarding the tele mental health initiative, e-Manas that the country has rolled out, will take us much further and the strength of the collaboration between NIMHANS and IIIT-B will continue.”
Speaking on the occasion Mr. SD Shibulal said, “One of the most important concerns for you students today is regarding uncertainty and last 2 years this concern has only increased. Uncertainty and change are here forever. But to take a decision under these circumstances is the most crucial.”
While congratulating the students on their graduation, Prof. Debabrata Das, Director, IIIT Bangalore, said, “IT has made substantial and revolutionary contributions to medical care, financial business, education etc. With the current challenges of economic growth, pandemic and geo political scenarios, we see numerous career opportunities and progress for our graduates. Our students have received employment offers from leading technology firms like Apple, Amazon, Adobe, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce to name a few. In line with the recommendation of the NEP 2020, now we are planning to roll out multidisciplinary degree programs in partnership with other complementary institutions. We will also roll out online post graduate level degree programmes, soon.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, IIIT Bangalore said, “I am truly happy to be at IIIT Bangalore to share the joy and excitement of the students. All of the hard work of the faculty and the students have paid off! As the students cross this important milestone in their life and embark on their professional journey, I am sure all of them will contribute significantly to bringing economic prosperity to our beloved country. I am proud of all graduating students who are well-equipped with problem-solving skills and backed by multidisciplinary studies within the IT discipline, which is needed by the industry.”
Convocation Lunch, the Grand Finale
The most important thing to remember when catering for a celebration of this magnitude is to choose the food and beverage that will appeal to a huge gathering of all age groups. An elaborate arrangement for lunch was made in the basement of Ramanujan Block. Spade Integrated Service Pvt. Ltd. was assigned to the entire arrangement of serving 1500 people on Convocation day. Mr. Phalguni Mohanty, Unit Head, IIITB, Food Court, who has 10 years of experience in both banquet and restaurant services supervised the process. There was a wide spread of delicious menu comprising chats, south Indian, North Indian items. Most in-demand food items were chats, jalebi in rabdi and fresh lime soda too were most savoured. If the food spread was a tummy treat, the fruits and vegetable carvings were visual treats that enhanced the look and feel of the atmosphere.
Press on the Sidelines of Convocation
A separate press briefing session was held to convey the high points of the Convocation ceremony and some of the key announcements of IIITB. Around 20 people turned up from the Fourth Estate to be part of the session. The setting up of the Centre for Open Data Research (CODR), ‘Centre for Technology Research and Innovations for Digital Governance (CTRI-DG)’, funded by the Centre for E-Governance (CeG) and the progress of COMET Foundation which is focusing on indigenous 5G/6G wireless standards. The launch of ‘MINRO-Jnanasarani’ was also announced. This initiative garnered enough press coverage for both the 22nd Convocation and the announcements.
