GUWAHATI : Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has shown multifaceted progress in the year 2022. Breakthrough in research and innovation, installation of PARAM KAMRUPA Super Computer Facility by the Hon’ble President of India, collaboration with state authorities for setting up a medical school to improve the healthcare infrastructure of the North East region, in addition to the agreement with national and international academia and industry, and record-high placements, improved research output, supporting startups to boost entrepreneurship ecosystem and holding ranks among World’s Top 2% Scientists List, implementation of NEP2020, the Institute has progressed in every domain.

Speaking about the progress IIT Guwahati has made in the year 2022, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, “The institute has demonstrated overall progress in every possible areas of academic and research growth while also ensuring that our outreach with the GoI and GoA institutions, industries, PSUs, academia and organizations such as Army, Railways, Telecommunications, ICMR, Water Resources, Disaster Management, International agencies, etc. are significantly enhanced and the institute contributes to nation building.”

Among the top research and innovation from the Institute include:

• Researchers of IIT Guwahati developed a novel low-cost Improved Natural Draft Charcoal Retort (INDCR) with the aim to address the technological and capital investment challenges of Indian charcoal makers. The innovative reactor is proven to produce high-quality charcoal from a wide range of feedstock, and it’s designed to use its own feedstock as heating fuel. This reactor is portable to agricultural fields
• IIT Guwahati researchers manufactured 3D printed urban furniture using local industrial waste to make construction materials. They have also developed cementitious mix compositions, amenable for 3D printing. The innovation is able to cut down concrete use by 75%.
• Researchers from IIT Guwahati found distinctive similarities between the nature of dark matter and neutrinos. The research team found that the origin and production of dark matter can actually be connected to the origin of neutrino mass. The work has been published in the leading international journal, Physical Review Letters
• IIT Guwahati researchers developed a self-healable amphiphobic solid slippery coating that shows self-healing of repetitive (50 times) physical damages in less than one minute, with the embedded slippery property remaining intact. The coating has been successfully developed on various substrates such as glass, aluminium foil, printed paper, plastic and so on
• Researchers at IIT Guwahati developed secure and dependable integrated circuits (ICs) for faster and efficient computing. The team emphasized on hardware acceleration specifications that are often written in high-level languages like in C/C++ and are converted to hardware code
• Innovators at IIT Guwahati created an affordable prosthetic leg suitable for the Indian population. It is suitable for uneven terrain, and even allows one to deep squat or sit cross-legged. It is also adjustable for the different age groups and multiple stages of prosthesis use
• IIT Guwahati researchers designed an electricity-free and affordable ‘Radiative Cooler’ coating material, which is an alternative to the air conditioning system. The coating material can be applied on rooftops and functions both in day and night to dump extra heat into space
• IIT Guwahati researchers developed an ultrasound-assisted fermentation method to produce a safe sugar substitute called “Xylitol” from bagasse, the residue left after crushing of sugarcane. The new method overcame operational limitations of chemical methods of synthesis and time delays associated with conventional fermentation
• Researchers at IIT Guwahati developed a non-toxic and edible coating that was found to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables during laboratory tests. The research team tested the coating on various vegetables and fruits including Potatoes, Tomatoes, Green chillies, Strawberries, Mandarins, Apples, Pineapples, and Kiwis, and found it useful in preserving the shelf life
• Researchers at IIT-Guwahati have developed a new strategy to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs directly to the infected cells of a cancer patient, thereby significantly reducing side effects

• IIT Guwahati Researchers developed AI-assisted model to predict bone repair outcomes for fracture-treatment methods. The AI-based simulation model can potentially help a surgeon choose the right implant or technique before a fracture-treatment surgery

New Infrastructure

• In October 2022, the Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu visited IIT Guwahati and inaugurated ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility and a high power active and passive component laboratory of SAMEER.
• In May 2022, IIT Guwahati signed an MoU with Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), Houston, Texas, USA, to establish the ‘Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology.’
• In May 2022, IIT Guwahati and the Government of Assam signed a MoU to establish ‘The Assam Advanced Health Innovation Institute (AAHII). This collaboration involves establishing a Research Institute and Post Graduate Medical College Offering Advanced Medical Degrees – DNB, MD, PhD, MS and MD-PhD, 350-bedded ‘Connected’ Multi-Specialty Hospital spread over 50000 sq. meter in existing IIT, Guwahati campus
• In August 2022, IIT-Guwahati established the ICMR-DHR Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Device and Diagnostics Innovation and Commercialization to cater the technological needs of rural India with a focus on healthcare delivery to the last-mile population
• On its 29th Foundation Day, the Institute signed an agreement with Karkinos Healthcare Private Limited (KHPL) for research collaboration on cancer diagnostics. Under this, a Centre of Advanced Research on Diagnostics in Cancer (C-CARD), a first of its kind in the nation with an IIT, was established with an aim to work on research related to advanced and affordable diagnostics solutions for non-communicable diseases, primarily cancer for patients from across the nation

PPOs and Placement

• The Institute Students received record 218 PPOs during the Academic Year 2022-23, which was the highest in the last four years with highest PPO of Rs. 1.20 Cr
• IIT Guwahati sets a new record of an all-time high in all fronts of placement. The phase 1 of placements recorded 919 offers with highest offer of Rs. 2.4 Cr. Last year by this time, a total of 843 students were placed.

Rankings

• IIT Guwahati has retained its position in National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) achieving a 07 Rank in the ‘Engineering’ Category this year and ranked 08 in India in the ‘Overall’ Category in NIRF 2022
• IIT Guwahati climbed up 11 places in the QS World University Rankings (WUR) 2023, and is now positioned at no. 384 in the overall ranking in the world, improving from last year’s rank of 395. It is in 37^th place globally in Citations per Faculty with a score of 96.3 per cent, as per the ranking

Launch of new courses

• In January 2022, IIT Guwahati announced the launch of new PG Certificate Programmes in Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning to provide career enhancement and skill upgradation for working professionals as per the requirements of industry and the corporate world
• In February 2022, IIT Guwahati announced the launch of a new BTech programme in Energy Engineering, to be offered by the School of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Guwahati from the academic year 2022-2023
• In February 2022, the Institute launched a Master’s programme in Liberal Arts to be offered by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of IIT Guwahati and commenced from the academic year 2022-2023

Collaborations

• IIT Guwahati signed a new memorandum of understanding with the South Dakota Mines to advance research in two-dimensional (2D) materials, and biofilms. The collaboration enabled both institutions to share resources and leverage research funding opportunities and maximize complex problem-solving with multidisciplinary teams at both institutions
• In February 2022, IIT Guwahati and Government of Assam collaborated to prepare the future course of action related to the development of the region. This collaboration includes the opening of mining department at IIT Guwahati which will help in areas of inland waterways, promoting Assamese traditional jewellery making, innovation in the tea sector, skill training leading to startups and adopting newer technology for enhancing road safety
• In April 2022, IIT Guwahati signed an agreement with Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) to collaborate on training, design, and manufacturing with a core emphasis on underwater technologies. As per the agreement, IIT Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation (IITG TIDF) and IRS will jointly run training and certification programs and workshops
• In May 2022, the Institute collaborated with Assam Survey and Settlement Training Centre to promote the training of ASSTC officers. In this collaboration, IIT Guwahati conducted courses related to drone operation, training, maintenance, data collection, application in various sectors, theory classes on modern land management, and Research and Projects by leveraging their respective expertise in this area
• In August 2022, IIT Guwahati partnered with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to explore solutions to issues related to water, electricity, internet for the AICTE affiliated institutions in North East India
• In October 2022, the Institute signed a MoU with Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) to collaborate on various projects and activities related to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The collaboration envisages fulfilling of some objectives for both the parties in capacity building for mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), case studies, evaluation studies, undertaking research projects/innovative activities, and taking up pilot projects in DRR area
• In November 2022, IIT Guwahati hosted the National Conclave on ‘Science & Technology Empowerment of Tribal Community’ organized in collaboration with by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Govt. of India. The event showcased various initiatives of DST in empowerment of Tribal Communities through Science, Technology and Innovation whilst deliberating on the challenges and opportunities for empowering their lives and livelihoods

On international collaboration front –

• In February 2022, IIT Guwahati and Australian Delegation led by High Commissioner discussed multidirectional collaborations. The delegation discussed several projects of mutual cooperation in various domains such as academics, scholarships, strategic research, trade and commerce, governance, disaster management, cultural exchange, water conservation, and clean energy, with an aim to leave a long-term positive effect on the mutual relationship of both countries
• In March 2022, IIT Guwahati and India Japan Lab (IJL) of Keio University, Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on research projects, developing new certificate courses, joint student supervision, students and faculty exchange visits and joint publication of articles/educational books

Technology Transfers

In October 2022, IIT Guwahati handed over a 3D-printed sentry post to Indian Army as part of the Indigenous Research & Development Program under a MoU signed between the Eastern Army Command and IIT Guwahati for developing cost-effective and sustainable defence infrastructure for the Army. The prototype developed by IIT Guwahati researchers showcases the capability of rapid construction using 3D-printing technology which can be utilised in border areas where traditional construction is challenging due to inclement weather conditions, terrain and altitude limitations.

Faculty Recognition

• In May 2022, Prof. Rakhi Chaturvedi of Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Guwahati, received recognition by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, Government of India, and the British High Commission, New Delhi as among the top 75 Indian Women in STEAM (fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Applied Arts and Mathematics).
• In October 2022, 21 researchers from IIT Guwahati were selected among World’s Top 2% Scientists List created by Stanford University. Led by Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Director, the faculty members from various fields including Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Chemistry, Electrical and Electronics were ranked for their research publications citations & lifetime contribution to their specific fields.

Along with this, the Technology Incubation Hub (TIC) of IIT Guwahati is working tirelessly to provide space for new entrepreneurs and young minds to transform innovative ideas into viable business propositions. TIC if IIT Guwahati has incubated 42 startups with an aim to promote advancement in science and technology, traditional knowledge and biodiversity resources, facilitate a platform for entrepreneurship and incubating research mindset for the development of society, and create an interface among researchers, technocrats, and industries.

IIT Guwahati aims to keep progressing on research, outreach fonts and providing its students with the best opportunities for holistic growth. The Institute wishes you a happy new year!