Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur ( IIT KGP or IIT Kharagpur) will offer a B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (B Tech in AI & DS) to prepare its graduates who will work in the field of artificial intelligence in the next 20 years, the director of the institute said in his address at the 69th annual convocation.
The Director, V.K. Tewari, said the institute has been offering postgraduate programmes in the field of artificial intelligence. Now, they will offer a B.Tech programme in this advanced discipline. Industry refers to artificial intelligence as the fourth industrial revolution, following the introduction of steam, electricity, and computers, according to an IIT professor.
President Draupadi Murmu, who was the chief guest at the occasion, spoke about the principles of equality and justice in her address to the graduating students.
“In 2020, we decided that every student who will enter IIT Kharagpur will have at least one course on artificial intelligence…. We have our centre of excellence in AI (artificial intelligence). Although we are giving postgraduation specialisation in different areas, including AI, we want to start BTech in artificial intelligence and data science as well,” the director said in his address.
“I know our graduates will work in the field of artificial intelligence in the next 20 years.”
This newspaper reported on March 3, 2018, that IIT Kharagpur had set up a centre of excellence on artificial intelligence that covered education, training, research, incubation and entrepreneurship. An IIT professor said industry refers to artificial intelligence as the fourth industrial revolution, the first three being the advent of steam, electricity and computers.
“So it has become inevitable for the institute to launch a BTech programme in AI. The institute has developed deep expertise in the overall area of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data sciences and its applications through the centre,” the teacher said.
Tewari said by 2030, IIT Kharagpur would be among the top 10 higher educational institutions in the world. He had on the occasion of the institute’s 71st foundation day on August 18, 2021, acknowledged that some institutions that “are below IIT Kharagpur are also superseding” the country’s oldest IIT and this, he said, “is a cause of concern”.
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President Draupadi Murmu said in her address that everyone should possess the right to access technology, which should be used to promote social justice and equality rather than exacerbating differences.
“We believe that everyone should have the right to access technology. We think that the use of technology must be for promoting social justice and equality, rather than increasing the disparities in the society,” the President said.
She pointed out that not a single educational institution in India is among the top 50 educational institutions of the world.
“The race for ranking is not more important than good education. But good ranking not only attracts students and good faculty from all over the world, but also enhances the reputation of the country,” she said.
IIT Kharagpur, being the oldest IIT, should make efforts in that direction, she said. Director Tewari said over 3,200 students were awarded degrees during the convocation
