IIT-Kharagpur setting up digital 'Hall of Fame'

A sophisticated digitalised 'Hall of Fame' will be set up by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) at a cost of Rs.10 crore to document the evolution of the IIT system and record contributions of everyone associated with it.

In addition, a leadership development centre - the Vivekananda Centre for Human Excellence, Thought Leadership and Holistic Development - will also come up inside the IIT-Kgp campus at an investment of Rs.15 crore.

Both the ventures will take two to three years to complete.

"We are going to set up a 'Hall of Fame' to document the IIT system. We will remember every one who contributed to this system. We will harness the best of the digital technology to document every person we can remember who built IIT," Parth Pratim Chakrabarti, director of IIT-Kgp said during the institute's 63rd Foundation Day.

Conceptualised by IIT alumnus Tapan P. Bagchi, the unique archive has received an initial seed funding of Rs.1 crore (from Bagchi and another former student Vijay Kumar).

Kumar has granted Rs.1 crore for the leadership development hub.

"The centre will boost all-round growth of the students. There will be stress on meditation and spiritual growth too," Chakrabarti said.