ROURKELA: At least 1,717 degrees were conferred at the 20th convocation of the National Institute of Technology- Rourkela (NIT-R) here on Saturday. While hard copies of the degrees were given to the passed-out students, blockchain-based digital degrees were also awarded under which certificates and transcripts have been uploaded on the digital wallet ‘DigiLocker’ as part of the Digital India initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Steel Authority of India Limited chairman Soma Mondal said, “The occasion is a celebration of the successful contribution of all stakeholders to the glory of the Institute and culmination of another stage of academic pursuit by the students. NIT-R has created magnificent physical facilities and a rich legacy of academic excellence.”
She told the students to follow their passions with a practical approach and aspire to become a trendsetter and a leader.
Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd CMD Om Prakash Singh told the students, “You all have been trained and groomed to be successful engineers. To navigate the path of engineering life you must have up-to-date technical knowledge, communication and interpersonal skills, leadership quality, analytical ability, creativity, enthusiasm, knowledge of micro planning and the ability to quickly recover from difficulties. Go out to explore the world.”
NIT-R director and chairman of the Board of Governors of the institute Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao presided over the convocation ceremony.
He said, “The institute has completed its glorious journey of 60 years. We are continually moving forward with our vision to become an internationally-acclaimed institution of higher learning that will serve as a source of knowledge and expertise for society and be a preferred destination for undergraduate and graduate studies.”
A total of 767 BTech, 17 BArch, 41 Dual Degree (BTech and MTech), 41 integrated MSc (5 years), 151 MSc, 23 MA, 26 MBA, 525 MTech, two MTech (by research) and 124 PhD degrees were awarded at the convocation. The occasion was also marked with the presentation of Institute Gold medals and Distinguished Alumnus awards.