Shaping the future IIIT-Una’s convocation ceremony to honour students’ achievements

The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Una will hold its seventh convocation ceremony on Saturday, announced Institute Director Prof Manish Gaur while addressing the media on Friday.

He said Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), will grace the occasion as the chief guest, while Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur will attend as the guest of honour. A total of 135 BTech degrees and one PhD degree will be awarded at the ceremony.

Prof Gaur noted that in a short span of just 10 years, IIIT-Una has made significant achievements, with 85 per cent of its graduating students placed successfully. He added that the highest annual package offered to the 2024-25 batch stands at Rs 31.5 lakh, a testimony to the growing reputation of the institute.

Highlighting the institute’s academic and research initiatives, Prof Gaur said a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Drone Technology has been established in collaboration with Garuda Aerospace. The centre will focus on innovation, research and development in areas such as agriculture, surveillance and disaster management, while also offering advanced training, fostering AI-driven research and supporting UAV-related start-ups in line with the Government of India’s Drone Shakti Mission.

The director further stated that IIIT Una has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to promote skill training and entrepreneurship under the PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana. Under this initiative, 1,000 students will be trained in trades such as cyber security, electronic equipment repair and website development. The institute has also been registered as a training provider on the SIDH Portal.

He added that IIIT-Una has commenced a Cyber Physical Systems Lab in collaboration with the Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub at IIT Ropar, while also being recognized as a Quality Improvement Program Centre by the All India Council for Technical Education. This recognition allows the institute to admit 10 scholars each for ME/MTech and PhD programmes with stipend support. Many of the institute’s alumni, he said, have successfully established innovative start-ups, thereby contributing to both society and the economy.

Prof Gaur also mentioned that IIIT-Una has introduced smart laundry services across all its hostels, ensuring convenience for students, and has future plans to install a 100 KW solar rooftop plant to promote sustainability on campus.