Hummingbird News Desk
GUWAHATI, 13 OCT: President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday inaugurated a supercomputer facility at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati and launched several other projects during her maiden visit to Assam since assuming office.
Called Param-Kamrupa, the facility will be able to conduct advanced research in various scientific fields. She also inaugurated a high power active and passive component laboratory called SAMEER at the institute.
The President was accompanied by Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister of state for health and family welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar and Assam health minister Keshab Mahanta.
“I am glad that IIT Guwahati has made the region and the nation proud as seen from its achievements in the national and international sphere, in a short duration of its existence. Since it is the only IIT in the region, it has the responsibility of nurturing other institutions in the region, work with state government and defence forces, provide technological solutions to the region to prevent natural calamities from recurrin,” said Murmu, who is on a two-day visit to the state.
Param-Kamrupa is a state-of-the-art supercomputer set up under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM). With this facility, IIT Guwahati will be able to carry out research on weather and climate, bioinformatics, computational chemistry, molecular dynamics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data science, etc.
The SAMEER laboratory will be used design and development of high-power microwave passive and active components. This facility will provide a platform for scientists to carry out research and development activities in different areas of high-power microwave engineering.
“I am confident that Param-Kamrupa facility will be put to use in the best possible manner to broaden our understanding and knowledge about various technological topics. The SAMEER laboratory will enable R&D assisted critical applications in defence sector and other industries. The massive effort by the State government to establish multiple medical colleges across Assam will ensure that the gap in the doctor-population ratio will be bridged significantly and it will open doors for medical research, especially for the treatment of cancer as well as other non-destructive testing,” Murmu said.
Welcoming the President, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, “With the inauguration of multiple research and medical facilities by Her Excellency Hon’ble President of India, Smti Droupadi Murmu, the state of Assam and IIT Guwahati has taken a great leap on healthcare and research fronts. IIT Guwahati is tirelessly working towards assisting the Government of Assam in Defence, Healthcare, Disaster Management, Skill Development, Promoting Women in R&D, and Entrepreneurship Sectors, among others.”
Highlighting IIT Guwahati’s ties with the regional authorities, Prof. Sitharam, said, “The Institute has undertaken multiple initiatives with the Assam Government for the benefit of citizens at large, Some of these projects include Water resource and Management, Disaster Management, Administrative college training, SITA – River Hydrology, Geology and socio-economic projects, and various other projects related to Oil and Natural gas and Wildlife sustainability.”
Jagadish Mukhi, Assam Governor congratulated the State of Assam for its proactive roles in improving the healthcare sector and guided the doctors from medical colleges of Assam and IIT Guwahati to play a leading role in resolving broad community healthcare problems.
He said, “The Supercomputing facility inaugurated at IIT Guwahati shall be utilized for large data analysis, solve complex calculations related to disease prediction and analysis, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, drug delivery studies, and contribute significantly in nation building.”
Highlighting Assam’s progress, Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said, “Assam is at a threshold of growth and prosperity and multiple sectors that can influence the immediate socio-economic prospects of the state are being prioritized. I am very glad to share with you that as part of this grand vision of the Hon’ble PM of India Shri Narendra Modi ji we are implementing several major infrastructure, medical technical and educational projects. As a unique initiative the Government of Assam in collaboration with IIT Guwahati is setting up a multispecialty Hospital at IIT Guwahati campus, which will be a hub for advanced training and capacity building for human resource in health care.”
He further said, “We are thankful to C-DAC, MEITY, DST, NIV, SAMEER, ICMR for funding major projects in the state of Assam that will lead to strengthen S&T cooperation, IT infrastructure, combat cyber threats, identify new collaboration opportunities in advanced electronics manufacturing for the benefit of the region and the country. I am immensely thankful to the Hon’ble President for making his maiden visit to the state of Assam and I am sure this intellectual gathering at IIT Guwahati will remember this special day.”
Tags: #IITGuwahati #SuperComputer #ParamKamrupa #SAMEER #DroupadiMurmu
