NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu approved the appointment of Directors for eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), said the Ministry of Education in its statement.

The nomination of directors for eight IITs, including Palakkad, Tirupati, Dharwad, Bhilai, Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar, Goa, and Jammu, was accepted by President Murmu on Monday. Professor KN Satyanarayana from IIT Madras has been appointed at IIT Tirupati, while Professor A Seshadri Sekhar, who was previously employed by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras, has been named the director of IIT Palakkad.

Professor Rajiv Prakash of the IIT (BHU) has recently been named the director of IIT Bhillai, and Professor Rajat Moona has been named the director of IIT Gandhinagar.

Other appointments included Professor Venkappayya R Desai (IIT Dharwad), Professor Pasumarthy Seshu (IIT Goa), Professor Manoj Singh Gaur (IIT Jammu)Professor Shreepad Karmalkar (IIT Bhubaneswar). 

IIT Madras' Strategic Plan 2021–27 was unveiled earlier on Monday by Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan. The strategy included a committed Mphasis Centre for Quantum Sciences & Kotak-IIT (M) Save Energy Mission as well as an ambitious growth phase for the Institute.
He also praised the Mphasis team for fostering the expansion of the Center for Quantum Information, Communication, and Computing (CQuICC). and introduced the "Kotak IITM Save Energy" Mission, which was established with CSR financing support from Kotak to assist MSMEs in reducing energy usage.

He also conferred the diploma certificates to select students of the BSc program in Data Science. The Minister also unveiled a low-cost vegetable cart created at IIT and funded by TVS Motor Company as well as the indigenous GDI engine (M). The event was attended by the director of IIT Madras, Prof. V Kamakoti, Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula, Prof. A Ramesh, Prof. Abhijit Deshpande, and IIT Madras students.

In addition to other research facilities like the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre and the first 3D-printed house on campus, the Minister paid visits to the 5G Test Bed, Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Development Centre, Rocket Factory of IIT Madras-based Start-up Agnikul Cosmos, Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, and the IIT Madras Incubation Cell.

Speaking at the event, Pradhan congratulated everyone on the official opening and launch of these programmes to promote academic excellence and the development of the nation.

He said "IITs are not only educational institutions; they are also the temples that foster a scientific mindset and help to shape the course of human history. He added that our society has high standards for IITs. We need our IIT graduates to carry the development and growth torch. He claimed that soon, the entire world would visit IIT Madras to take advantage of the Brain Research Center. Ideas like 3D printing technology can revolutionise the construction industry, help with eviction concerns, and give the impoverished a life of dignity ".

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