IIT Kharagpur gearing up for a battle of brains

12 November 2012

biswabrata goswami
KHARAGPUR, 12 NOV: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, is all set to host its most prestigious annual techno-management fest from 1 to 4 February 2013, and has invited students from all over the globe to put their ingenuity and aptitude to test at an unparalleled level of competition.
The largest fest of its kind in Asia, it offers the participants a wide spectrum of events to prove their mettle, while the huge amount of prize money is reflective of its grandeur.
The annual techno-management event, which started in 2004, saw a total participation of over 50,000 students and a prize money of Rs 60 lakh in the last edition held earlier this year.
With the agenda of providing a national-level platform for the students to showcase their technical and managerial prowess, Kshitij comprises over 40 events encompassing nine diverse genres, including the field of robotics. Kshitij organises guest lectures, featuring eminent personalities from the all over the world.
In the past, dignitaries like Nobel laureate Sir James Mirrlees, co-founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, inventor of the USB Ajay Bhatt, as well as critically acclaimed actor Naseeruddin Shah have addressed audiences at Kshitij. Kshitij also undertakes several social initiatives each year in association with the country’s foremost NGOs.
The numerous globally known certifications like ACM, ASME, IMechE, IEEE and ASHRAE associated with the event, stand testimony to the quality of participation in the festival. The ACM, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious certification in the field of computer science, is associated with popular night-long coding competition "Overnite".
Events like aircraft-designing competition, Laws of Motion, are certified by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Online events like Woodstock and Forex, dealing with real time stock market and foreign exchange transactions are simulated and played with virtual money.
Kshitij will be conducting workshops throughout the country, where participants will get to learn and enhance their skills in the field of robotics.
“With due respect to the power of practice in acquiring proficiency, Kshitij organises a series of workshops both during and before the fest at various places in the nation. The hands-on workshops are a one in a million experience along with a chance to learn with technical experts of the field themselves,” said Mr Raunak Mukherjee, one of the general secretaries of the fest.
From the lights of the MIT Sensetable to cue balls of Augmented Reality, exhibitions bring another dimension to this techno-managerial symposium.
“This time, we will bring several new technological events and social events. Collaborated with the CRY, we will organise programme on the protection of children’s right. This apart, several new things on vehicles and boats have been included in the events,” Mr Mukherjee said. The fest is being patronised by the UNESCO.