Gandhinagar: As many as 11 PhD scholars of the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have been selected for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) scheme in the May 2021 cycle. The Institute now has a total of 21 PMRF scheme fellows.
PMRF candidates are selected through a rigorous selection process at the national level. Besides the mandatory GATE and degree requirements with a minimum CGPA of 8 or equivalent, the candidates are judged on the metrics of research exposure, publications, performance in international competitions (like Math Olympiad, ACM ICPC Programming Contest), grades, and recommendation letters. The selection also demands a strong research proposal, and due weightage is given to publications in reputed journals/conferences as well.
The PhD scholars who have bagged the PMRF fellowship this year include: Alok Kumar Thakur, Earth Sciences; Gokul Krishna B, Physics; Indra Mani Tripathi, Earth Sciences; Malay Vyas, Mechanical Engineering; Rishiraj Adhikary, Computer Science and Engineering; D Sharda Devi, Electrical Engineering; Shruti Singh, Computer Science and Engineering; Suraj Shamrao Borate, Mechanical Engineering; Surbhi Khewle, Chemical Engineering; Uthara Brahadeesh, Cognitive Science; and Vivek Kumar Singh, Materials Engineering. They are working in various areas of interdisciplinary research and development at IITGN.
Lauding this noteworthy stride of IITGN PhD scholars, Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IITGN, said, “It is indeed a very proud moment for the Institute to see that our PhD scholars are increasingly bringing laurels for the Institute. IITGN offers the best possible support to its research fellows with excellent faculty, state-of-the-art research facilities, and global exposure that helps them realise their full potential to reach their career goals. We look forward to seeing them achieve success and contribute to society through their research and innovations.”
Launched in the year 2018-19, the PMRF scheme is one of the most prestigious research fellowships in the country that has been designed for improving the quality of research in science and technology in various higher educational institutions in the country, thereby realising the vision of development through innovation. The selected candidates’ performance is reviewed through a national convention.
