The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K), hosted its 55th convocation in which, like last year, the students were awarded blockchain-based digital degrees, on Wednesday.
The 1360 students who got degrees on the occasion included PhD students (116), 10 MTech-PhD (joint degree), MTech (144), BTech (556), MBA (53), MDes (14), 25 MS (by research), PGPEX-VLFM (40), 144 in MSc (2 years course), double major (24), dual degree (108), 21 from MS-PD (MS part of the dual degree) and BS (105).
These blockchain-based digital degrees would be accessible to the students through Indisi Wallet app.
“Our team at IIT Kanpur developed blockchain and self-sovereign identity (SSI), which allows students to manage and store their digital degrees as verifiable credentials in digital wallets installed on their devices. These credentials cannot be forged, are globally verifiable, sensitive to user content and can be disclosed selectively. It also addresses issues of global privacy and security concerns and upholds the underlying principles of the envisioned data protection bill,” said professor Manindra Agrawal, one of the coordinators of the National Blockchain Project said.
Professor Agarwal said the SSI would help make the process seamless, secure and preserve privacy too. Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, founder and chairperson of Narayana Health, was the chief guest on the occasion.
“IIT-K has led many life-saving medical innovations and initiatives over the years. I hope that the students who received their degrees today would reflect the same ideals as inculcated at IIT-K and would try to make this world a better place,” Dr Shetty said in his virtual address.
{{/usCountry}}“IIT-K has led many life-saving medical innovations and initiatives over the years. I hope that the students who received their degrees today would reflect the same ideals as inculcated at IIT-K and would try to make this world a better place,” Dr Shetty said in his virtual address.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from degrees, 51 categories of prizes and medals were given to students. Besides, 21 students were given the ‘outstanding PhD thesis’ award.
The President’s gold medal went to Shashwat Gupta from the computer science and engineering department, the director’s gold medal (4-year UG programme) went to Priydarshi Singh from the aerospace engineering department, the director’s Gold Medal (5-year UG program) went to Prateek Yadav from the mechanical engineering department. The Ratan Swarup memorial award went to Atin Vikram Singh from the electrical engineering department. The Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma medal was given to Rupesh R Chafle from the materials science and engineering (MSE) department.
“Convocation is an occasion to celebrate the learning and to take pledge to practice the values and ethos, going ahead in life. I wish everyone who received degrees and awards, the very best and hope that they would contribute to a better world,” said Dr Radhakrishnan K Koppillil, chairman, board of governors (BoG), IIT-K, who presided over the convocation.
Professor Abhay Karandikar, director, IIT-K said, “The convocation is one such occasion that all students eagerly wait for. It is a momentous annual occasion for the institute as well as we celebrate the learning of those who are going out into the world to do greater good for the nation and society, at large.”
The dress code for this year’s convocation was traditional cream-color kurta and white pyjamas for male students, and traditional cream-color kurta and white churidar or leggings for women students.