A slow-motion glide through hyperspace marked the 58th convocation of IIT Bombay, the institution that is widely regarded as the aspirational mecca for hundreds of thousands of young Indians. Animated digital avatars of faculty members put their hands together for recorded applause, while personalised e-avatars of students mouthed the convocation pledge in a ceremony that sought to “recreate the sense of achievement and pride of passing out of India’s premier engineering institute,” said an official note.
In its latest incarnation, the word avatar adds yet another layer to its storied history, while deftly shifting allegiance from the world of the divine
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