Chennai, Sep 15: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has expressed its willingness to assist the Jammu and Kashmir government in using blockchain technology to establish the authenticity of local products and help curb adulteration and counterfeiting.
Director IIT Madras Prof V Kamakoti said the institute has recently signed an MoU with the Uttar Pradesh Government for an initiative based on blockchain technology, under which a QR code can be generated for products to establish their authenticity and help prevent adulteration and counterfeiting.
Interacting with journalists from Kashmir during a PIB tour of Chennai, Prof Kamakoti said IIT Madras is ready to extend the technology to Jammu and Kashmir if the UT Government approaches the institute with a formal request.
Replying to a question from a Greater Kashmir correspondent on the challenge of adulteration and counterfeiting of Kashmiri products such as carpets and saffron, he said the technology was still at an early stage but IIT Madras was willing to assist J&K in developing and implementing it.
Prof Kamakoti also highlighted the institute’s innovative School Connect Programme, through which career counselling and guidance are provided to school and college students, familiarising them with national and international educational and career opportunities.
He said IIT Madras could extend the School Connect initiative to Jammu and Kashmir as well, provided the UT Government or School Education Department approaches the institute.
The IIT Madras Director also spoke about Vidyashakti, another initiative under which trained teachers provide academic guidance and support to students. He said the programme could also be introduced in Jammu and Kashmir subject to a formal request from the UT government and signing of an MoU.
Rashmi Udhay Kumar from Communication Office of IIT Madras said that any education institution of Jammu and Kashmir can approach the institute through mail address school-connect@study.iitm.ac.in with a request for School Connect programme.
SETTING NEW BENCHMARKS IN R&D-BASED EDUCATION
IIT Madras is setting new benchmarks in research and development-based education by combining its extensive on-campus academic programmes with innovative outreach initiatives aimed at making quality higher education accessible to students across the country.
Prof Andrew Thangaraj of the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, said the institute is not only offering hundreds of courses on campus but has also developed outreach programmes for students who could not secure admission through the conventional JEE route.
“Through funnel-type programmes, students from across the country can enrol in university-level courses and pursue quality education,” Thangaraj said while interacting with a group of journalists from Kashmir and Varanasi currently visiting Chennai as part of a PIB tour.
He said the National Programme for Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) is one of the major outreach initiatives of IIT Madras. The programme, launched in 2014, offers certified online courses, with examinations conducted offline. Under the SWAYAM platform, more than 10,186 courses have been offered, recording over 4.16 crore enrolments without fees, while 57.2 lakh certificates have been issued so far.
The institute’s other outreach initiatives include BS programmes in Data Science and Applications, Management and Data Science, Electronic Systems, and Aeronautics and Space Technology, providing learners with opportunities to pursue specialised programmes through flexible modes of education.
Meanwhile, the IIT Madras campus also reflects its emphasis on environmental sustainability. The green campus has extensive forest cover, while bicycles are widely used by students and staff for internal movement, helping reduce vehicular pollution and maintain a cleaner environment.
Interacting with journalists, another official of the institution said that IIT Madras is contributing in every sector of the country including space sciences, maritime and shipping industry, defence sector with engineering and technology remaining the core of all practices.
