The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has honoured Professor Sudhir K Jain with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Professor Sudhir K Jain, currently the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has received the IIT Roorkee Distinguished Alumnus Award for his excellence in his leadership role in academia. Professor Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, conferred the award to Professor Jain today, August 10. IIT Roorkee is celebrating its 175th year of celebration this year.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is among the highest honor given to alumni of the University of Roorkee (UOR), or IIT Roorkee, to recognize their outstanding contributions in academic or research excellence, excellence in engineering or technology innovation, excellence in leadership in the government or public sector or private sector, entrepreneurial excellence or excellence in service to the society.
Expressing his pleasure on the occasion, Professor Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director IIT Roorkee, said: “Prof. Jain has made sustained efforts to inculcate the spirit of excellence among the faculty and students of IIT Gandhinagar. Now BHU is benefiting from his rich experience. I am sure his leadership will take BHU to greater heights."
Professor Jain was the Director of IIT Gandhinagar for more than 12 years. The BHU Vice-Chancellor was conferred the Padma Shri in 2020 and the Distinguished Alumnus Award (DAA) of the California Institute of Technology in 2022.
As the first Director of IIT Gandhinagar, an IIT Roorkee statement said: “Professor Jain experimented with numerous ideas in curriculum development, student affairs, faculty recruitment, and faculty management.”
“Under his leadership, the Institute developed several initiatives to inculcate and promote excellence among faculty and students. With his innovative approach and energetic leadership, IIT Gandhinagar has carved out a distinct identity in the IIT system,” it said adding that Professor Jain's work has also had a tremendous impact on Earthquake Engineering practice and education in India. He was instrumental in the development of several important seismic codes in India and has contributed to the training of numerous professional engineers and college teachers in Earthquake Engineering.
While receiving the award, Professor Jain said: “I am grateful to IIT Roorkee in so many ways in which it has shaped my life. This award is a recognition of whatever I could achieve as a result of the path that Roorkee put me on. I cherish my time at Roorkee which has not only given me an education in the widest sense of what education may mean, but also given me some extraordinary mentors and friends.”
