The Hindu : IITians chart out a new vision

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

IITians chart out a new vision

OVER 400 alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, from across the country and overseas converged in the Capital on Wednesday for their annual get-together: Vision 2020 Conclave.

Aimed at sharing their views and ideas in formulating the way forward for their alma mater, the former students examined what the IITs have achieved over the years and put together a vision for the Institute in the new millennium.

Vision 2020 Conclave, organised at the Ashok Convention Hall, started with a welcome address by the president of IIT (Delhi Alumni), Sudarshan Chawla, who said: "The overwhelming participation from the alumni members is encouraging and reflects the pride and aspiration for our alma mater. We want IIT to be among the world's best five engineering institutions. Although the brand IIT has done the country proud, most of the recognition has come its way through its alumni who have excelled in diverse fields. It is time now to sow the seeds of a new vision."

The get-together is also aimed at encouraging dialogue between the alumni and academicians of IIT, Delhi, to help pave a path forward for the Institute.

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PROTESTING AGAINST what they described as the Government's anti-youth policies, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) on Tuesday initiated a rather unique mode of protesting.

Its members all over the country highlighting the problem of increasing unemployment polished shoes and cleaned car windows. According to the spokesperson of NSUI, Kuntal Krishna, the protest was well received and even several onlookers joined in to lend a helping hand.

The programme which was organised on Tuesday was part of a series under which NSUI has planned several protest rallies of a similar kind for the country. The protestors were carrying banners saying, "I am unemployed, I don't feel good."

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WHILE MATHEMATICS for many might continue to be a bad dream come true, for students at Delhi University participating in the recently organised mathematical meet `Anant', maths is clearly nothing short of an "unprecedented fantastic experience".

Organised by the Department of Mathematics, PGDAV College, the session saw the presentation of popular talks by the Keshav College Principal, K.P. Chinda, on "Integration" wherein he highlighted the historical aspects of calculus and its applications. Another interesting talk included a presentation on the concept of "Aakash" by the former Principal of PGDAV College, Mohan Lal.

Also organised at the meet was a rather keenly contested quiz competition, and crossword puzzle competition, which was won by Samidha Khurana of PGDAV College.

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IN THE first such initiative by any college in Delhi University, St. Stephens's College has made available computer facilities for the visually challenged. The project undertaken by the Social Service League of the college became operational after its formal inauguration this month at the college library. The facility enables visually challenged students to use computers to read and write, making possible independent study. Inaugurating the facility, Manocha of the National Association for the Blind, said that the latest system was "the best possible gift that could be given to an educated person who is visually impaired".

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MEANWHILE, IT was celebration time on the North Campus of Delhi University when the first batch of 28 students of the School for Media Studies successfully completed their course this month.

The students were awarded certificates by television personality Vinod Dua and on the occasion, the Principal of St. Stephens's College, Anil Wilson, launched the features magazine `Worth Words' produced by the students.

A joint venture with the School of Convergence, a premier institution imparting education in print, electronic, and new media and film-making, and St Stephen's College, the part-time course was open initially to students of the college.

"Within a year of its launch, the programme claims to have become so popular that we are happy it is now being opened to all students of Delhi University colleges," said the Director of the School of Convergence, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.

The course aims at providing an integrated programme to equip students with basic and essential skills that tomorrow's media professionals must possess. It is unique in many ways combining the curricula of print, radio, television, film theory and studies and the new media. It combines theory and practical training.

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

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