Around 1,000 participants from Tamil Nadu, representing students, teachers, farmers, artisans, professionals, and researchers, will attend. Another 200 Tamil students from Central Universities will join visits to Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya.

This year’s event coincides with the Maha Kumbh Mela (Jan.13 to Feb.26), allowing participants to take a Shahi Snan and visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The theme focuses on Sage Agasthyar, highlighting his contributions to Siddha medicine, Tamil literature, and cultural unity. Activities include exhibitions, workshops, and visits to key sites like Subramania Bharati’s ancestral home and BHU’s Tamil Department.

The Sangamam, launched in 2022, continues to revive and celebrate the rich cultural heritage connecting Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

The revamped website, www.volunteerguide.in, now features detailed profiles of over 100 NGOs, including their missions, contact details, and volunteering needs. Designed to streamline Chennai’s fragmented volunteering ecosystem, the platform has already connected over 3,000 users and garnered 35,000 views. Plans for expansion to Pondicherry, Coimbatore, and Bangalore are underway, with efforts to connect with NGOs in these cities.

The Global Shapers Chennai Community also showcased initiatives like a paper bag project empowering women from Chintadripet, a peer mentorship program for first-generation female earners, and an envelope-making initiative with the Lions Club supporting individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, a bilingual Tamil-English picture book developed in partnership with Yein Udaan, aims to enhance financial literacy in underserved communities.

The zero-waste event drew over 100 attendees, including representatives from prominent organisations like Bhumi, Siragu, Ability Foundation, and Goonj. Through projects like the Volunteer Guide and other community-driven efforts, the Global Shapers Community continues to champion volunteerism, education, and empowerment as catalysts for social change.

Recognising this gap in the market, Asfaq Jalal, a 20-year-old student from IIT Madras, collaborated with his friends Amal and Jai to develop the mobile app QPo Shareride. This innovative app helps commuters easily locate available share-autos nearby and request rides with just a few taps on their smartphones.

The App also benefits auto drivers, by enabling them to identify areas where passengers are waiting, making it a win-win situation for both commuters and drivers.
Launched on Aug.15, QPo Shareride allows users to download the app from the Play Store and sign in to access its features. Commuters can choose their nearest pickup hotspot, see real-time locations of available autos, and raise ride requests to nearby drivers.

The drivers will be intimated about the potential customers in the areas near the allotted location spots. This allows the drivers to easily connect with potential passengers.

The app currently covers the route stretching from Madhya Kailash to SIPCOT and includes notable landmarks (such as popular malls and hotels), where commuters typically struggle to find transportation.

Asfaq and his team embarked on this project in early January, collaborating with CSE department students from the St. Joseph’s Institute of Technology, OMR. Their passion for entrepreneurship and innovative solutions drove them to come up with this project. With a dedicated team of around 15 students, they have garnered considerable recognition for their project.

“We are very enthusiastic about startups in general,” Asfaq shares. “We decided to work on this idea because we saw a significant need for an app to navigate throughout the city. So far, we have more than 30 share-auto drivers onboard and more than 200 users from the commuters’ side. With ongoing developments and positive feedback from users and drivers alike, we are optimistic about the future of QPo Shareride. We look to improve the app’s features to transform urban mobility in Chennai. If things go well, we plan to pitch this concept to investors,” he adds.
In a city where getting around can be difficult, the QPo Shareride app offers a smart solution, making commuting easier and more efficient for everyone.

Sathish Kumar delivered the annual report. A special address was given by Raman Kumar. Presidential address was presented by Professor Dhanavel who urged everyone to strive for excellence and contribute positively to society. The keynote address was given by the chief guest, Prof. Balaji Narasimhan – Department of Civil Engineering and Chairman of the Engineering Unit at IIT Madras. He motivated students to strive for excellence and innovation, emphasised that teachers play a crucial role in helping students reach their goals, and spoke about the importance of managing stress effectively. He also encouraged the children to give a round of applause to their teachers and parents, acknowledging their unwavering support and dedication.

A significant moment was the recognition of academic achievers and top performers by the dignitaries, who presented the prestigious endowment awards. The cultural event commenced with ‘Nrityanjali’, and was followed by various charming performances: ‘Rock to the Rhythm’, a thought-provoking Tamil skit ‘Vanam valarpom valam peruvom’ and ‘Vizhi tirandhadhu vazhi terindhadhu’,  dance ‘Seasons Symphony’ and the song ‘Echoes of Dreamers’, English skip ‘The Enchanted Quest’, Hindi song ‘Prakrithi aur Insaan’, play with a modern twist on Shakespeare’s King Lear, French song ‘Aux Champs-Élysées’, instrumental medley ‘Madhuralap’ and the fusion dance ‘Awakening the Light Within.

The recent campaign ‘Zero is Good’ by Chennai Traffic Police has kindled the curiosity of motorists. However, discerning citizens would concur that it takes more to attain that magic figure than just responsible driving.

• Zero potholes – Chennaiites boast of living in the driest metro city, yet one spell of rain and, as if by magic, roads disappear and after a few hours reappear with a completely new face. Strangely, some potholes are the size of craters. One gets a feel of mountain biking even on plains. In contrast, roads in Bali are akin to airport runways. They make suspension on vehicles superfluous. Why not concretise the roads that are prone to frequent wear and tear? Deploy the Flying Squad road patch-up crew to fix the potholes within a few minutes after their appearance. Potholes are easier to spot than loopholes, isn’t it?
• Zero roads without footpaths – As recently as last week, an intercity bus whizzed past on the ECR barely missing my right arm by an inch. I think, more than anything else, it’s providence that saved me from a ghastly accident. The cardinal questions are, ‘Has the outlook of road development authorities widened along with the proposed widening of roads? Has the space for pedestrians been factored in?’ it’s a problem of too much walkway (at Pondy Bazaar) or too little of it (at Durgabai Deshmukh Road) where walking is a near tight-rope experience. One has to be an equilibrist to navigate ultra-narrow sidewalks. Remember, as with everything else, moderation is key.
• Zero cars on Monday – Roads during non-peak hours are no different from those during peak hours. If every Monday is declared as ‘No Cars Day’, we can give roads a respite from handling lakhs of 1600-odd kilos of eco-unfriendly vehicles. We can relive the joys of days immediately after independence when the tarmac was, thankfully, visible compared to the present where every inch of the road is occupied by slow-moving traffic. With cars off the roads, it will be easier for Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to manage traffic and undertake road repair projects.
• Zero unmarked speed breakers – It’s next to impossible to discern speed breakers, especially on dimly lit roads. Why wait for an untoward incident to paint the speedbreakers? If tons of paint can be spent beautifying the Napier’s Bridge like a chessboard, it’ll take only a fraction of it to make the speed breakers conspicuous to the young and old alike.

Zero would be better when it encapsulates a broader meaning of the term and is not merely restricted to accidents.

The Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS), IIT Madras, is working with the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) on multiple capacity and capability improvement programs. As many as 69 investigating officers (IOs) have been upskilled in performing scientific crash investigations to identify the root causes of the crashes. A total of 40 children and 80 schoolteachers and parents were introduced to gamified activity-based learning of road safety to improve their knowledge and cognition on being an informed road user. 

The awareness campaign for ‘Zero Accident Day ‘(ZAD) was inaugurated at the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) Depot by R.Sudhakar, IPS – Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), in the presence of Dr.Alby John Varghese, IAS – Managing Director of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian – Head of CoERS, Bandi Gangadhar, IPS – Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) South, P-Kumar – Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) North and V.Baskaran – Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) East. 

CoERS organised capacity-building workshops at IIT Madras to drive activity-based learning (ABL) on road safety rules, signages and etiquette for MTC bus drivers, school children, teachers and traffic wardens. In Addition, GCTP has engineered several initiatives at the community level, such as engaging the vibrant youth as stakeholders, reel-making competitions and several flashmobs as part of the campaign.  

Programmes are also underway to engage other sections of society including sensitising e-commerce platforms and their staff, IT firms, and engagements with hospitals, auto-rickshaw drivers, residential associations and slums. Activities to incentivise compliance with road rules such as traffic signals, seatbelts, helmets and stop line programmes are also a part of the Zero Accident Day campaign.

This entire month of the Zero Accident Day (ZAD) campaign by GCTP will be about road safety education and awareness for all road users in Chennai at all age levels. Several activities at the community level, schools, colleges and IT parks are planned in Chennai as an endeavour towards making Chennai roads safe.

This 4-month-long course, offered in hybrid mode through NPTEL online-platform, is ideal for final-year science and engineering students, and anyone with a technical background interested in water quality.

The course organizers are working towards building a water map of India and the world by students, who will contribute to building water literacy. After a detailed introduction to fundamental aspects of water quality, students will conduct practical tests including surveys. They will receive a certificate upon completion which may be credited as part their degree program via their institution.

Registrations for this course, which will start on July 29, will close on July 20. Interested candidates can register through the following link – https://bit.ly/3zgpkMy.

Prof. T. Pradeep and Prof. Ligy Philip from IIT Madras, Prof. Hadas Mamane and Prof. Ram Fishman from Tel Aviv University, and Dr. G. Velmurugan from KMCH-Research Foundation serve as the course instructors, in addition to guest lecturers from IIT Madras, BARC and Purdue University.

Titled ‘A Hybrid Course on Water Quality: An Approach to People’s Water Data’, the course will deliver a comprehensive understanding of important aspects of water quality, analysis of key parameters, and their impact on human health. It will also establish a database of water quality from diverse sources such as households, rivers, borewells, groundwater, and pipeline networks.

The students will have option to attend the lectures online or offline, or in recorded form. Their understanding of the concepts will be evaluated by online assignments and quizzes. Those registering for the practical session will do measurements in the field and lab with hand-held instruments and field test kits, among others. The water quality parameters studied include free chlorine, total chlorine, alkalinity, pH, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), temperature, turbidity, as well as presence and absence of E. coli and total coliforms.

The course has been designed based on a pilot study done during the last summer in different places across Tamil Nadu (such as Chennai and Erode, among others) involving college students. The data from this endeavour was collated to create online data on water quality with spatial coordinates, and inputs from surveys.

Since practical sessions occur at different cities and villages, it is essential to have many participants enrol from a given location and contribute towards building People’s Water Data. Universities and institutes are encouraged to join hands in becoming a centre for the practical session.

More details can be obtained from the course coordinators, Dr. Ramya Dwivedi, email – ramya_coe@icsrpis.iitm.ac.in (IITM) or Ms. Suzan Kagan, email – suzankagan@gmail.com (Tel Aviv University).

As many as 24 MoUs with leading industry partners across multiple sectors were signed to offer skill and employability-focused online programs and internships, accessible to learners across the nation. This takes SWAYAM Plus’ total Industry partners to 36.

SWAYAM Plus, a landmark initiative by the Ministry of Education and IIT Madras, was launched by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on Feb.27.

Since its launch, more than 75,000 learners have benefited from more than 165 courses, of which 33 were aligned to the National Credit Framework across multiple sectors such as IT, Healthcare, BFSI, and Indian Knowledge Systems, among others.

The MoUs were signed on campus recently in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof. R. Sarathi, Dean (Planning), IIT Madras, and Professor In-Charge, SWAYAM Plus, IIT Madras and the leadership teams of the industry partners.

The MoUs cover a diverse range of fields, including Information Technology, Social Sciences, Banking and Finance, Soft Skills, Music, Management, Food Science, and Indian Knowledge Systems and internships ensuring comprehensive coverage of skill development across areas crucial for future employability. Further information about SWAYAM Plus and its initiatives can be obtained from the following website – https://swayam-plus.swayam2.ac.in.

This pioneering 24-month program, developed by IIT Madras Departments of Management Studies and Ocean Engineering along with industry partner i-maritime Consultancy, aims to equip global professionals with the skills necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape of maritime trade and supply chain management.

Those with a Bachelor’s Degree having secured at least 60% marks and a minimum of two years of full-time work experience are eligible to apply. The admission process includes an online IIT Madras Admission Test followed by personal interviews for shortlisted candidates. Applications are already open for this program with the first batch commencing in September 2024.

The program offers a unique blend of online learning and on-campus immersion modules, providing flexibility while ensuring a comprehensive educational experience. Over two years, the participants will engage with cutting-edge digital technologies such as IoT, AI, ML, and Blockchain, enhancing their ability to tackle modern maritime challenges and drive career advancement.

The MBA program, extendable to four years, features 900 hours of classroom sessions and project work, totalling 192 credits. Participants benefit from a rigorous curriculum that includes six on-campus immersion modules and extensive access to IIT Madras’ learning resources, including the Digital Maritime Library.

These changes have been implemented following the rigorous recommendations by an Institute Curriculum Task Force, orienting it towards employment, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Institute has updated the Academic System to offer unprecedented flexibility, increased Interdisciplinary learning, hands-on projects and Entrepreneurship Opportunities as early as in Second Year of the BTech Program.

The Total number of credits in B.Tech have been rationalised after extensive feedback from alumni and students, resulting in the wall clock hours of demand per degree reducing From 436 to 400 hours. This allows students greater scope for exploration of professional and entrepreneurial possibilities.

IIT Madras also offers M.Tech. along with B.Tech. in 5 years besides Interdisciplinary Degrees in cutting-edge domains like Nanotechnology, Data Science and Electric Vehicles, among other fields that are in demand by the Industry. These degrees can be pursued seamlessly along with their B.Tech. programs.

Welcoming students to avail these unique opportunities, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras will accord the highest priority for Innovation and entrepreneurship. With more than 380 patents filed in last financial year, IIT Madras has launched an ambitious start-up 100 program – every third day, a start-up will be born at IIT Madras.”

IIT Madras Incubation Cell is India’s leading deep-tech incubator that has nurtured disruptive start-ups like Agnikul, which recently launched the world’s first 3D-printed Rocket Engine, Mindgrove, which designed, manufactured & booted up India’s first commercial RISC V-based secure IoT system on chip and Ather, which is leading the EV scooter revolution in India besides Planys, which pioneered underwater, AI-based remotely operated vehicles, among many others. 

Students can choose about 40 per cent of their courses, which enables customization and personalization. IIT Madras has 18 academic departments and numerous advanced research centers, which allows students to explore diverse interests and build a unique academic profile.

Highlighting these opportunities, Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras has a curriculum that helps the student express their uniqueness while still maintaining a core identity. Competence with a personality. We are delighted that students can rediscover the joy of learning thanks to the flexibilities and features of the new curriculum.”

These major updates have eliminated the need for a branch change option. Further, the Institute has also an ‘Early Exit’ option to pursue alternative paths.

Further, IIT Madras also offers an improved first-year experience with four weeks of extra vacation time for students in the first year, and has also introduced a new ‘recreation’ course. Students have the option of taking an Entrepreneurship elective as early as in their second year.

The academic program at IIT Madras is split into courses, which are academic subjects offered by various departments. Each course has a specific number of credits. The credits represent the ‘weightage’ or ‘importance’ of the course. The Core Courses are mandatory for students of a particular department while elective courses are optional courses that students can choose from a pool. This means students can build their own curriculum.

IIT Madras also has state-of-the-art infrastructure for activities such as sports, research, innovations, entrepreneurship and student clubs.