IIT Bombay celebrated Teachers’ Day on campus by commemorating the birth anniversary of India’s legendary philosopher, educationist, and statesman, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.

Even as the Institute paid homage to Dr. Radhakrishnan, it also celebrated the invaluable contributions of teachers and the enduring legacy they leave behind. IIT Bombay paid tribute to their dedication, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to nurturing future generations and acknowledged the transformative power of teaching.

The Chief Guest for this year’s celebrations was IITB alumnus, the esteemed Prof. Arunava Majumdar, Dean, Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, and Jay Precourt Professor, Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

The function kicked off with a welcome address by Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay. In his address to the attendees, Prof. Chaudhuri commented, “Recognition of excellence is a societal commitment as it helps in boosting the overall performance of the system collectively. IIT Bombay is proud that many of its faculty members and students have been performing excellently to take us to greater heights.”

The event then took an even more delightful turn when Prof. Suhas P. Sukhatme, Former Director of IIT Bombay, and an eminent teacher, researcher, and mentor, spoke about the impactful role that a teacher plays in all the facets of the development of the student. There were many cheerful moments when he reminisced about his coveted student, none other than Prof. Arunava Majumdar, and recalled their pleasant association during the latter’s student days. It was a treat to hear Prof. Sukhatme deliver very passionate messages, while also regaling the audience with many an anecdote.

Prof. Majumdar then addressed the attendees and spoke about the qualities that make for a memorable and inspiring teacher. While paying rich tributes to his teacher, Prof. S P Sukhatme, he said, “The respect that students have for their teachers is really about whether the teachers could inspire curiosity in their minds. When a student completes a course from such an inspiring teacher, he or she gets a sense of accomplishment. It gives a confidence that they can now tackle some issues and problems that they could not before. That sense of accomplishment is what marks a good teacher.”

The Institute also celebrated the teaching excellence of its own faculty on the auspicious occasion by conferring the Professor S.P. Sukhatme Excellence in Teaching Awards to its faculty members. Prof. Majumdar presented the award named after IIT Bombay’s own legendary Professor S.P. Sukhatme to 15 faculty members as a recognition of their contributions to the field of teaching and research.

The list of the awardees includes:

– Prof. Pradeep Amboor Madathil, Department of Aerospace Engineering
– Prof. Kumar Singh, Department of Earth Sciences
– Prof. Suneet Singh, Department of Energy Sci. & Engineering
– Prof. Shishir Jha, Centre for Policy Studies formerly with SJMSOM
– Prof. Amartya Mukhopadhyay, Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science
– Prof. Tanmay Bhandakkar, Department of Mechanical Engineering
– Prof. Avijit Chatterjee, Department of Aerospace Engineering
– Prof. Dipankar Saha, Department of Electrical Engineering
– Prof. Saravanan Vijayakumaran, Department of Electrical Engineering
– Prof. Uday Khedker, Department of Computer Science & Engineering
– Prof. Mandar Inamdar, Department of Civil Engineering
– Prof. Ranjan Panda, Department of Humanities & Social Sciences
– Prof. Salil Kulkarni, Department of Mechanical Engineering
– Prof. Sankagiri Umasankar, Department of Physics
– Prof. Pichai Ramadevi, Department of Physics

The Dr. P. K. Patwardhan Technology Development Award (2022) was awarded to Prof. Bhaskaran Raman, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and  Prof. Kameswari Chebrolu, Department of Computer Science and Engineering in recognition of their innovative R&D work on “SAFE: Smart Authenticated Fast Exam.”

One of the key highlights of the celebration included recognizing the top-performing students of each class. Prof. Chaudhuri felicitated 61 students for their superlative academic performance.

The Teachers’ Day function was attended by several Institute dignitaries including:

– Prof. Avinash Mahajan, Dean (Academic Programmes)
– Prof. Neela Natraj, Dean (Faculty Affairs)
– Prof. Sachin Patwardhan, Dean (Research and Development)
– Prof. Ravindra Gudi, Dean (Alumni & Corporate Relations)
– Heads of Departments, faculty members, staff, and students

Celebrating Excellence and Honouring Innovation: Prof. Nitin Saxena Receives the IIT Bombay International Award for Research in Engineering and Technology

The Teacher’s Day celebrations continued with Prof. Nitin Saxena, FASc, FNASc, FNAE; N Rama Rao Chair Professor, CSE, IIT Kanpur, who was presented with the distinguished ‘IIT Bombay International Award for Excellence in Research in Engineering and Technology.’

The award highlights the collaborative spirit that propels innovation and was established with the generous support of IITB alumnus, Mr. Shantanu Rastogi (B.Tech., M.Tech., EE, Nanotechnology, 2002), and Mr. Sandeep Naik (Managing Director, Head of India and Asia Pacific, General Atlantic).

Prof. Saxena was conferred this award for his research in computational algebra and complexity, including solving a long-standing open problem in algorithmic number theory related to efficiently checking for the primality of numbers. This accolade is a testament to Prof. Saxena’s exceptional contributions to the fields of engineering and technology and adds to the many other accolades he has received over the years. Prof. Saxena is a distinguished recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and currently holds the prestigious N Rama Rao Chair Professorship at IIT Kanpur’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering. His global recognition stems from his highly impactful scholarship, as evidenced by his guidance of 24 Master’s theses, 15 Ph.D. theses, and mentorship of postdoctoral researchers and undergraduates. Prof. Saxena’s expertise has seen him teach diverse courses, even as his passion for mathematical computing continues to inspire young minds.

IIT Bombay extends its heartfelt appreciation to Prof. Saxena for his invaluable work that has resonated globally and significantly advanced these disciplines. In a dynamic presentation, Prof. Saxena delved into the intricacies of algebraic circuit properties and swift algorithms for algebraic inquiries when he presented his paper on ‘Algebra Powers Computation’ during the Institute Colloquium.

Hearty congratulations to Prof. Nitin Saxena on this outstanding achievement!

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As the sun set on the celebrations of Teacher’s Day at IIT Bombay, IIT Bombay recognized the profound significance of educators in shaping minds and fostering future leaders. Teachers are the fulcrum – the very heart and soul – of any institution, and their determination and commitment to imparting knowledge and nurturing growth are unparalleled.

The Institute heartily congratulates its entire teaching community including the many award-winning teachers who exemplify excellence in education. Their dedication and guidance not only elevate the Institute’s academic pursuits but also inspire their students to reach greater heights. IIT Bombay firmly believes that teachers are the most pivotal aspect of the Institute, guiding and mentoring their peers, colleagues, and students on a path of discovery, innovation, and lifelong learning.

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