Young innovators from across the country converged at the National Institute of Technology Tiruchi (NITT) on Monday for the Smart India Hardware Hackathon 2018 (SIHH-2018) on the theme of ‘Value from waste.’

The national-level grand finale of the five-day event at NITT, one of the 10 nodal centres across the country to host the Hackathon, will witness six teams drawn from Nagpur, Coimbatore, Pune, Hyderabad, Udaipur and Chittoor, slogging round-the-clock to come up with working prototypes.

Their projects will be evaluated by panel of experts from institutions and industry.

The participating teams at the 10 nodal centres would provide solutions to the challenges of a digital world, said Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, inaugurating the event through video-conferencing from New Delhi. Having missed the industrial revolution, India cannot afford to miss the digital and artificial intelligence revolution, he said.

The HRD Minister termed the Hardware Edition of Hackathon 2018 the largest inter-institutional competition from which the next Google or Texla-like idea will emerge.

India stands 60th in the world innovation index and counts on its creative innovators to break into the top 25 nations by 2023, he added.

Partha P. Chakrabarti, Director, IIT, Kharagpur and Chairman of Hackathon, 2018; Anand Deshpande, Chairman of Persistent Systems; Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; and R. Subramanyam, Secretary, MHRD, also addressed the participants.

Earlier, during the formal inauguration of the event locally at the Institute, Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, said the topic of Hackathon 2018 syncs well with Tiruchi where, she said, the City Corporation has executed waste management projects successfully through public-private partnership.

N. Ravichandran, Commissioner, Trichy City Corporation explained how the Supreme Court ruling that made waste management a mandatory responsibility of every citizen has helped in raising awareness.

Mr. Ravichandran listed projects under execution for generating biogas from waste and degradation of plastic materials that not only generated revenue but also brought relief from pollution to residents.

Six teams from different parts of the country, with different project ideas, will exhibit their prototype working models which will be evaluated by panel of experts from institutions and industry.

Among the notable projects are ‘Automatic drainage cleaning system’ by Team Logistic; smart drainage cleaning system by Team Electrical Levellers; self-powered biogas plant with solar tracking by Team Lokmanya; design and fabrication of garbage picker machine by Team The Gladiators; smart washbasin by Team Water Cops; and marble slurry and waste plastic brick by Team Slick.

All the projects were focussed towards furthering the Centre’s Swachh Bharat initiative.

National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tata Motors Ltd. for the introduction of innovative programs in education and research. Taking their first steps towards a long journey of technological collaboration, both entities will be working in areas of mutual interest, with an aim to meet the future engineering needs of the academia and industry.

The MoU envisages joint R&D projects over a period of five years for the development of new technologies in various engineering domains. The MoU was inked in the presence of Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT Trichy and Mr. Gajendra Chandel, Chief Human Resource Officer, Tata Motors Ltd. The main objective of this MOU is to promote interaction between NIT Trichy and Tata Motors in mutually beneficial areas and to provide a formal basis for initiating interaction between NIT Trichy and Tata Motors.

Speaking on this occasion, Professor Dr Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT Trichy, said, “We are excited about partnering with Tata Motors to collaborate in pioneering engineering technology for mobility. This association will enable joint research in key areas, which will find a place in the future products of Tata Motors, as well as allow for advanced training of students to get hands-on experience in the current projects of Tata Motors. The exposure would also help the faculty and students to orient themselves towards the latest practices of the Automobile industry and hone their skills in accordance with the evolving requirements of the industry. We see the program as an opportunity for us to develop a talent pool among the students of NIT-Trichy, that would have the edge over others in terms of acquisition of advanced knowledge and be industry-ready.”

Speaking on this association, Mr. Gajendra Chandel, Chief Human Resources Officer, Tata Motors, said, “The automotive industry in India is continuously evolving with a rapid shift towards emerging technologies such as digital, big data, AI, AR, VR etc. which means taking connected vehicles, electric vehicles and driverless vehicles from just concept ideas to mainstream reality. In conjunction with the changing market dynamics, we understand the need to articulate a clear roadmap for incubating a talented, competent, and innovative workforce. Through this MoU, we intend to have a multi-dimensional partnership with NIT-Trichy, which will help us bolster our competitive edge and develop next-gen engineering skills, not only within the company but also that of our academic partners with proficient faculty, in line with our vision & mission to create a future-ready organization.”He further added, “This partnership will help us bridge the gap between academic excellence and business requirements, to create an industry-ready workforce. This initiative also supports the Government’s ‘Make in India’, ‘Skill India’ and ‘Startup India’ program, preparing the Indian industry to compete at a global platform.”

About NIT Trichy:

National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, commonly referred to as NIT -Trichy, is an Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, established to provide instruction and research in various branches of engineering and technology for the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge in such branches. NIT Trichy is ranked the best among NITs and runs 10 undergraduate and 28 postgraduate and Ph D programs.  NIT Trichy excels in teaching, research and consultancy,  supported by eminent Faculty, successful alumni, industry partners and world-class Infrastructure catering to more than 6500 students

About Tata Motors

Tata Motors Limited (BSE: TATAMOTORS), a USD 42 billion organisation, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, buses, trucks and defence vehicles. Part of the USD 100 billion Tata group, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa, and Indonesia through a strong global network of 76 subsidiary and associate companies, including Jaguar Land Rover in the UK and Tata Daewoo in South Korea. With a focus on engineering and tech-enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top in passenger vehicles with 9 million vehicles on Indian roads. The company’s innovation efforts are focused on developing auto technologies that are sustainable as well as suited to evolving market demands. With design and R&D centres located in India, the UK, Italy and Korea, Tata Motors strives to pioneer new products that fire the imagination of GenNext customers. Internationally, Tata cars, buses, and trucks are sold in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS, and Russia.

Photo Details: The signing of the MoU by Dr.Mini Shaji Thomas,  
Director, NIT Trichy and Mr.Gajendra Chandel, Chief Human Resource  
Officer, Tata Motors Ltd.

K.Alagesan is the Director Production in Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Ltd.,Bangalore which is also the first public sector Unit of independent India.He has been a Director of the company since 29/01/2016 and has now been entrusted with additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director with effect from 01.06.2018.

Mr K.Alagesan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Production Engineering from REC,Trichy (NIT,Trichy).He also holds Diploma in Advanced Management and Diploma in Human Resource Management from IGNOU,New Delhi.

He has over 36 years of experience in various fields of Production and Project managements in ITI.He,along with the outgoing Chairman and Managing Director,Sri S Gopu,spearheaded the company to report a record profit of Rs 102 Crore for the last financial year 2017-18,which is a record by itself, as the company is showing profit after a gap of sixteen years.

He is the recipient of the performance awards from then CMD,Director(Production) and Unit head of Bangalore Plant for his outstanding contributions. He has received distinguished Alumni award from NIT,Trichy in April 2016.

Prof.Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT Tiruchirappalli congratulated him for his appointment.

Trichy, May 25, 2018: IEEE, EPICS Purdue inks a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Trichy, for building upon their shared interests and experience, to work together to encourage students to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of technology and its uses in improving their local communities by way of establishing a curriculum.  Specific goals for the collaboration are:

• To develop a 3-5 year plan to include the EPICS framework into their curriculum.


• To review submitted proposals for the EPICS in IEEE collaboration and promote the project by providing needed resources and guidance.

The MoU signing was conducted in the presence of Prof Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT Trichy and Prof.S.K.Ramesh, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, California State University, Northridge in his capacity as Vice President, IEEE Educational Activities and President, IEEE-HKN(the Electrical Engineering Honor Society).

Speaking on the occasion, Prof.Ramesh, who also happens to be an alumnus of NIT Trichy, said “EPICS in IEEE is an IEEE Foundation Signature Program that helps advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM) learning by providing real-world learning experiences that attract young people to the engineering profession. This new collaboration with India is part of a pilot program spearheaded by EPICS in IEEE and Purdue University. As part of the EPICS in IEEE curricula, students from partner institutions will team up with local non-profit organizations and apply technical knowledge to solve engineering-based problems that will improve the lives of their communities in India. EPICS in IEEE leaders will provide oversight for the implementation of the new curricula and ultimately provide guidance for the development of new pedagogies to enhance student learning in engineering”.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Mini Thomas said, “EPICS is a classic case of empowering students and impacting communities. It is twin occasion of MoU with EPICS and also inauguration of the activities of the IEEE student branch for 2018. It is a proud moment that both these activities are happening in the presence of our alumnus who is representing IEEE, EPICS. Students and staff are already engaged in community service in many ways. This MoU with IEEE, EPICS will give a great push to these activities in terms of engaging students in developing grass root level technology to cater to the community needs. Unlike metro cities, the community around this Institute is quite rural and backward and hence lot of scope for intervention. Across the road, there is whole lot of SME community that could be impacted” she said

About NIT Trichy: National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, commonly referred to as NIT Trichy, is an Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, established to provide instruction and research in various branches of engineering and technology for the advancement of learning and dissemination of knowledge in such branches. NIT Trichy is ranked the best among NITs (NIRF 11 among technical Institutions) and runs 10 under graduate and 28 post graduate and Ph D programs. 

About IEEE: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Incorporated (“IEEE”), was founded in 1884 with Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison among its charter members. IEEE, a not-for-profit corporation with its corporate headquarters at New York, is the world’s largest engineering organization, with over 420,000 members in more than 160 countries, focusing on advancing the theory and practice of electrical technologies, electronics, power engineering, robotics and automation, computer engineering, computer science, and other related technologies, and advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.

About IEEE, Student Branch: At present, IEEE SB of NIT-T has about 50 active student members from both Engineering and Science disciplines. Starting from its inception, the SB of NIT-T is very active in organizing various technical activities like seminars, short-term courses, workshops, etc., for the benefit of students to stay abreast of current technology and networking.

About Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS): EPICS Program was initiated at Purdue University in 1995 to fulfill the complementary needs of engineering undergraduates and the community. Under this program undergraduate students earn academic credit for their contributions to long-term team-based design projects that deliver technology-based solutions to problems identified by non-profit organizations in the community. Key features of the EPICS model include the following attributes: community partners, long term student participation, variable credit hours, multidisciplinary teams, start-to-finish design experience.  (https://engineering.purdue.edu/EPICS)

PurdueUniversity was founded in 1869. The West Lafayette campus offers more than 200 majors for undergraduates over 70 masters and doctoral programs. Purdue enrolls the fourth largest international student population of any university in the United States.

National Institute of Technology-Tiruchi (NIT-T) has bagged University of the Year award at FICCI Higher Education Summit held in New Delhi on Thursday. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT-T, received the award presented by Anil Sahasrabuddhe, Chairman, All India Council of Technical Education, in the pres-ence of M. M Sharma, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. A NIT-T press release said that it had achieved a hat trick at the FICCI Educations awards. In 2015, the institute was recognised for excellence in social respons-ibility category. In 2016, it won two awards for excellence in employability and visionary idea. According to the release, FICCI adopts an elaborate two-stage screening process in selecting top institutes for
the awards. Consulting firm Ernst & Young is the knowledge partner for FICCI. The first stage consists of online application which leads to short-listing based on merits of the institute, followed by a final jury evaluation which is based on face-to-face presentation before a high powered jury chaired by R.A. Mashelkar, an eminent scientist. The institute scored high on many of the yardsticks set for the University of Year award, having undertaken a major academic transformation a couple of years back and figuring almost on top of the list in terms of research publications. NITT was ranked 11th amongst all technical institutions, including the older Ills and 1st amongst all NITs in the Ministry of Human Resource Development's National Institutional Ranking Framework during 2017.

The Student Centre for Innovation in Engineering and Technology or SCIEnt prides itself on being the first multi-disciplinary innovation centre in our campus. It was inaugurated almost two years ago, on the 24th December, 20I5. SCIEnt is an initiative by the alumni batch of 1990, who wanted to give back to their alma mater. The student head for SCIEnt. Adithyan a 4th year mechanical engineering student says is open 24/7 for all students on campus - undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD students from all departments, Including architecture."
Any student can use the Impressive range of equipment that are available at the lab, which is located behind the Sports Centre by the road leading to CCD. "Currently, students can register under two schemes to make use of the facilities provided at the SCIEnt explains Adithyan. Scheme One involves registering with the lab for 24/7 access to all the tools and services available at SCIEnT. This would be especially advantageous to students pursuing personal projects or if they want to try out an idea they had just had. Scheme Two Is for students who wish to register for a project under SCIEnt which, In addition to giving them full time access to their equipments, will also make the students eligible for mentorshlp and funding from the alumni. To register for this scheme, an abstract, outlining the idea must be presented to the alumni. who will not it and check its feasibility. If the alumni approve of the project, the student will receive adequate guidance and monetary help from the alumni. Reviews to show the progress of the project will be held every two weeks. An addi-tional clause exists under the scheme, where a student, if she/he wishes to market n product developed in SCIEnT, could receive initial angel funding from interested alumni. It Is to be noted that for registration under both the schemes, one can visit SCIEnrs Facebook page, www.facebook.com/scientnitt, or their website, www.scient.nitt.edu. 'The thinking behind SCIEnt has always been that any student can experiment and test their innovations without the fear of failure: he present facilities include equipment needed for projects in both circuital and non-circuital branches, from GPS, GSM and WIFI transceiver modules, LCD displays and Raspberry Pis to bench grinders, a chop saw, jig saw and a lathe. A list of their entire inventory has been published on their website. Outside of providing a workspace and resources, the SCIEnt team also hopes that students gain knowledge through the facility. "Members of SCIEnt have received extensive training from industrial personnel on how to use the machinery and equipment In SCIEnT. Soon, such training will be extended to all students," says Adithyan.

For more information, contact Adithyan at +919551870990.

Dr. (Mrs) Mini Shaji Thomas is currently the Director of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (NIT, Trichy). Dr. Thomas was the founder Director of the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), JamiaMilliaIslamia (JMI), from 2014-2016, and Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, JMI. She was the Central Public Information officer (CPIO) of JMI from 2008-2014 and the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering from 20052008. Dr. Thomas was a faculty member at Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi (now DTU), and at the REC (now NIT), Calicut, Kerala before joining Jamia. She graduated from University of Kerala (Gold Medalist), completed her M. Tech from IIT Madras (Gold Medalist, Siemen’s prize) & PhD from IIT Delhi, India, all in Electrical Engineering.  

Dr. Thomas has done extensive research work in the area of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Substation & Distribution Automation and Smart Grid. She has published over 130 research papers in International Journals and Conferences of repute, has successfully completed many research projects. Dr. Thomas has set up the first of its kind SCADA laboratory and Substation Automation (SA) Laboratory at JMI, with Industry involvement. She, as the founder coordinator, drafted the curriculum, started a unique, first full-time, M Tech program in the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, JMI, in 2003 in Electrical Power System Management,  which has courses on power automation and  novel hands-on training. For these contributions, Dr. Thomas won the IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) Meritorious Achievement Award 2015 for 'Design and Development of curriculum and laboratory facilities for professionals and students in the electric utility industry". She is the author of the text book 'Power System SCADA and Smart Grids' by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis, USA and is a 'Distinguished Lecturer' of IEEE Power & Energy Society.  

As the founder Director of Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Jamia, Dr. Thomas had created an environment of Innovation and Entrepreneurship which has led to the setting up of a Design Innovation Centre, a Livelihood Business Incubator, doubling the number of patents filed, winning prizes at many innovation competitions and incubating a few student startups. 

  Dr. Thomas received the ‘Career Award’ for young teachers, Govt. of India, won the IEEE Power and Energy Society Outstanding Chapter Chair award 2013, IEEE  Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Innovation award 2008, IEEE Outstanding Volunteer award 2005, IEEE Outstanding Branch counselor award 2002 and Power and Energy Society (PES) Outstanding Chapter Engineer award.   She is a certified trainer for ‘Capacity building of Women managers in higher education’, by UGC and has conducted many training session for Women empowerment. 

Dr. Thomas is very active in Professional societies and she is among a handful from Asia Pacific to be on the global boards of IEEE. She is currently a board member of IEEE PSPB (Publication Services and Products Board), a member of PES LRP (Long Range Planning) committee. She was a board member of IEEE EAB and served as the vice chair of IEEE MGA Board and was the Asia Pacific student activities coordinator.  She has experience of over a decade in international boards and committees of the IEEE.   Dr. Thomas has traveled extensively around the globe, delivered lectures in prestigious universities and has interacted with technical experts from all over the world.