NIT Raipur celebrated Foundation Day

Raipur, Dec 2

National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur celebrated its 20th Foundation Day on 2nd December 2024. Its rich legacy dates back to 1956 when it was established as the Government Engineering College. The Institute officially earned the distinguished title of National Institute of Technology Raipur on December 1, 2005.

Shri. B. L. Agrawal, MD, Godawari Power and Ispat Limited, was the Chief Guest of the event. Shri. Vijay Kumar Chablani, CGM, CG Telecom Circle was the Guest of Honor. Dr. K. K. Shukla, Director, MANIT Bhopal was the Special Guest. The event was presided over by Dr. N. V. Ramana Rao, Director, NIT Raipur. All the HODs, faculty Member’s, staff, Alumni, students and Families were also present during the event.

The celebration began with the welcoming of guests and dignitaries and the lighting of the lamp accompanied by the National song of India. Dr. Nitin Jain, welcomed Shri. Chablani, Dr. Shukla and Dr. Rao with saplings. Dr. Sameer Bajpai, Professor, civil engineering department, welcomed Mr. Agrawal with sapling and offered a warm welcome to the attendees with his speech. Moving ahead, a documentary featuring the legacy of the Institute, its impressive placement and PPO records, and the various achievements of the students, faculties, and alumni were also presented.

Dr. Prabhat Diwan, Professor, Department of Applied Geology, warmly welcomed the guests, dignitaries, and attendees on Foundation Day. He emphasized NIT Raipur’s transformation from GEC to a leading institute excelling in UG, PG, and PhD programs and highlighted advancements in teaching, innovation, and research under visionary leadership, with initiatives like the Innovation Cell and seed grants fostering impactful student ideas.

Dr. Rao highlighted the institute’s journey of nurturing talent and achieving excellence. He praised the faculty and students for their contributions to technical advancements and solving real-world problems. Celebrating the institute’s legacy, he urged everyone to embrace new ideas, work hard, and dream big. Acknowledging the role of alumni, Dr. Rao expressed pride in the institute’s progress and thanked the community for their unwavering support in building a brighter future.

Dr. K. K. Shukla, Special Guest expressed his gratitude for being part of the Foundation Day celebration and lauded NIT Raipur’s remarkable 19-year journey as an NIT. He emphasized the institute’s legacy of academic and research excellence, highlighting its collaborative efforts with alumni and sponsored research projects. Proposing the launch of multidisciplinary programs like ECM, Dr. Shukla acknowledged the institute’s commitment to innovation and progress and concluded by wishing NIT Raipur continued success in shaping a brighter future.

Mr. Vijay Kumar Chablani, an alumnus from the 1988 ECE batch and Guest of Honour, expressed his gratitude to NIT Raipur for its pivotal role in shaping his career. Recalling his transformative journey, he shared his experiences of technological advancements in telecommunications, from manual telephony to wireless networks. Encouraging students to embrace growth opportunities and build lifelong connections, he remarked, “Zindagi ke rang manch mein nibha kirdar apna ki parda gir bhi jaye toh taliyan bajti rahe”.

Mr. B.L. Agrawal, a distinguished alumnus from the 1976 batch, shared anecdotes from his college days, recounting his journey from being a backbencher to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He also spoke about overcoming language barriers, learning through failures, and his ventures in establishing cement and power plants and inspired students to approach every task with dedication, highlighting the importance of persistence and adaptability in achieving success.

This was followed by the Awards Ceremony. The Best Department Award was awarded to the Civil Engineering. The Best Researcher Award was bagged by Dr. Dilip Singh Sisodiya, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering. The Young achiever alumnus award was given to Dr. Divya Agrawal, and the Distinguished Alumnus award was given to Dr. Anita Gupta (Jain), and Dr. Arvind Kumar Mishra. Further, the student achievers were recognized by providing scholarships and awards.

Next on the schedule were the cultural performances by Raaga – The Music Club of the institute, and Nrityam – The Dance Club of the institute. The event ended with a vote of thanks. Finally, the program concluded with national anthem.