IMPHAL, January 23: The first convocation of the National Institute of Technology, Manipur, established in 2010, was held today at its campus in Langol, Imphal West. Altogether 60 students belonging to different engineering departments were awarded with B. Tech degrees.
Addressing the function as the chief guest, Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh said the faculty members of the National Institute of Technology, Manipur should perform their duty with commitment and determination to produce students of quality.
If this institution produces quality students, many students, companies and entrepreneurs from various states and other countries would rush to the NIT, Manipur greatly benefitting students in this institution, he said.
The Chief Minister stated that the institution was constructed at Langol to make it more convenient for students from outside the State in reaching the institution from the airport. The Lamphel area could be declared as `an institutional area` because various institutions such as ICAR, ICM, and NIT etc are located here, he added.
He encouraged those gathered to join hands and work hard to make the institution a well-known and the best institution in the North East.
Education minister Moirangthem Okendro said the Chief Minister is giving a lot of focus to the NIT for developing it into a successful institution, adding that the Education department was also giving attention to all the issues of NIT.
Speaking at the function, Emeritus professor of INSA & Homi Bhabha Chair professor of the Department of Atomic Energy, Prof Bikash Sinha said `just the concept of a market economy will not do for a prosperous and confident India of tomorrow` and that a strong economic base can be achieved by a substantial progress of Science and Technology.
To sustain advance scientific development, one has to innovate appropriate cutting edge technology, he said, adding it simply won`™t be enough to fell victims of fashionable slogans without actually producing appropriate technology.
Professor Sinha said: `There is a nagging short-sighted view that technology and technology alone is good enough. One must not overlook the central issue that it is science; the urge to explore the universe, the unquenched thirst to discover that drives technology.`
Meanwhile, NIT director Dr Sarungbam Birendra Singh in his speech stated that NIT has been through a wonderful journey in the last four to five years during which the institute has grown steadily from the year of its establishment in 2010.
He said considering the strategic potential that such an institute possesses in initiating and sustaining an era of resurgence in technical education, the Ministry of Human Resources has also conferred the status of `Institute of National Importance` to all the NITs.
This status comes with added responsibilities and the faculty members and students are putting their best effort to live up to the expectations, he added.
He further highlighted that NIT Manipur started out with only 68 students enrolled in the first batch of 2010 but over the four years, the intake has grown about eight times.
The number of students in the 2014-2015 batch at the undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD levels are 526. The PhD programme was introduced in January 2013 and the number of PhD scholars at present is 41. The faculty strength at the end of December 31, 2014 was 53 including 20 regular posts and the non-faculty staff strength was 60 including five regular staffs, he said.
Dr Birendra Singh said NIT, Manipur has made a slow but steady progress in the past years and several new programme were introduced and NIT is the first institute in Manipur to offer full time PhD programme in Engineering.