The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi took several initiatives and made breakthrough in research and innovations during the COVID -19 pandemic.
Telling about these initiatives the Director of IIT Mandi Prof. Ajit K Chaturvedi said, “The year 2020 threw several challenges before all of us due to COVID pandemic but IIT Mandi excelled in academics, innovations, international linkages, placements and business incubation, besides developing several products towards self reliance and sustainable eco-system.”
Prof. Chaturvedi said, “To minimize the risk of COVID-19 we had suspended all academic and other activities and opted for virtual classes and held 8th Convocation and welcome ceremony for new comers by virtual mode.”
Highlighting this aspect Dean Academics Dr. Pradeep Parameswaran said, “The institute quickly adapted to the online mode of teaching once the national lockdown started in March 2020. The regular teaching activities of the institute are continuing in this mode at present and we have established 15 smart class rooms.”
“Face masks from waste PET bottles and low-cost smart ventilator were developed, research on comparing disordered proteins in COVID-19, research on tracking the spread of COVID-19 in India via social networks and developing UV-C disinfection box are some of the innovations made by the researchers during this period” said the director.
“Along with this, IIT Mandi also played a key role to help tackle COVID-19 in the Himachal Pradesh by signing a MoU with Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Hospital Nerchwok and extended its support to set up a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory for diagnosing Corona virus. The laboratory has helped the authorities in ramping up the testing process by analysing up to 1000 samples per day for the detection” , he said .
Apart from this Dr. Varun Dutt, Associate Professor, School of Computing & Electrical Engineering, IIT Mandi, along with his B.Tech students developed a website for the military personnel and their families visiting the army canteens to maintain social distancing in the canteen. The team also developed and installed an automatic thermal screening machine in the DC office Mandi to track the infection.