Chennai: Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are "temples" that develop scientific temper among students and shape humanity's future, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said here on Monday.
"IITs are not only educational institutions. In the post-Independence era, our leadership envisioned 'Temples of Future', to create a scientific temper among the youngsters of the country and the niche community of our students. Students will study and get degrees and have their own career but IITians are not meant only for that," he said.
"India has a culture of giving back to society and India innovates for the betterment of society. Due to the technical strength of IIT Madras, India will be rolling out indigenous 5G by the end of 2023," added Pradhan.
Pradhan said, "By end of 2022, with your (IIT Madras) contribution and innovation, India will be rolling out 5G Indigenous technology in all parts of the country. By end of 2023, all the six lakh villages in India will be connected with Internet through optical fibre cables.... How to use that and what is the public good?"
"Just imagine... the countryside agriculture produce of Tamil Nadu will get a market in New York. The Thanjavur paining will get a market in Paris. The special paddy of Tamil Nadu will get a market in China. It is possible within the next few years due to your innovation and this innovation is not going to be a commodity of isolation to be used only in India," he added.
On Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, he said it will address quantum data - Data is the new oil and oil decides the geopolitics and economy of the globe today. "We all are believing that data is the new oil. I see a time in the near future when the entire world will come to IIT Madras to analyse their data. We have that capability," he added.
He released the Strategic Plan 2021-27 of IIT Madras which proposed an ambitious growth phase for the institute and dedicated Mphasis Centre for Quantum Sciences and Kotak IIT (M) Save Energy Mission today. Pradhan also inaugurated an indigenous GDI engine developed by IIT Madras and supported by TVS Motor Company and a low-cost vegetable cart incubated at the institute.
