SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRM University): Latest News, Events, Photos & Campus Reports

SRM Universiy, AP is a multi-dynamic university, which offers courses ranging from engineering, medicine, liberal arts to management. Their vision is to emerge as a world-class university that is globally connected, nationally relevant and regionally transformative. Read here to know more about the university.

IEEE conducts three day international virtual hackathon at SRMIST

Date: April 13, 2021

The Department of IEEE at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur conducted HackTrix, a three day international virtual hackathon with an add-on Conference recently.  Students choose from eight diverse tracks to pit against each other as they revolutionized their chosen field. The event turned out to be the perfect place for participants to foster their learning skills. The flagship hackathon, 'HackTrix', was presided over by leaders and veterans of their respective fields as the judges’ panel. 

Participants were from Australia, Germany, USA, Canada, Russia, Turkey, Mexico among others. With a vision to coordinate splendid mentalities, IEEE SRM Student Branch constantly tries to incorporate Discussion, Demonstration & Development, and encourage technological advances in new arenas and promote application-based knowledge. Winners of this mega event were TRIX4 as the Winners of HackTrix; Commit Cats for First Runners Up; Second Runners Up goes to Code Linguists and, an Honorary mention was awarded to Ctrl-Alt-Elite.

Judges include Alon Grinshpoon, CEO and founder of echoAR; Mr. Soham Dixit - Alumni of SRMIST and winner of “Smart India Hackathon 2018” and “Airbus Hackathon (Aerothon 2019)”; Mr. Akshay Saini, Founder & CEO of Boiling News, with us on the esteemed panel of the event. He's been with Paytm as an SDE and currently with Uber; Mr. Satya Iyengar; Mr. Devasheesh Saxena is the Principal Architect and Global Delivery Leader for Digital Business for QuEST Global. 

For the Mentors’ panel, we had Ayon Roy who has been a mentor in 70+ hackathons; SDE1 at Hackerrank, Aditya Agarwal, then we had TR Rohith who is a Software Engineering Intern at Bajaj Health; Jahanavi Bhagat, a mentor at Tesseract Coding and Praveen Kumar Puroshattam an ex-Microsoft MVP. That’s not all, we also had over with us Sahil Rahman, a mentor at Future Blink and Anustup Mukherjee who is a mentor from Dark Horse. That’s not the end, we also had international members joining us, Bormotov Dmitrii who is a mentor from Flow Health and Michael Pautav, mentor from Deem incorporated.

From the IEEE SRM SB Web Dev domain, we had Ahmed Mawia, Harsh Gour and Shaurya Bhandari as our mentors. Mr. Ahmed Mawia is a full stack developer with understanding of software development concepts. He is currently experimenting with blockchain technology and the decentralized web. He was the winner of VIT HACKATHON held in 2020 and was the Web Dev Leader at IEEE SRM SB. He is also an SDE INTERN at FIBONALABS and got selected as a MENTOR FOR GIRLSCRIPT SUMMER OF CODE 2021. Mr. Gour is an experienced developer and a SD Intern with FibonaLabs and the Web Development Lead for IEEE SRM SB while Mr. Snehil is a Software intern at Shoopy, a full stack engineer and a Unity Game Dev. We also had Aditya Jyoti Paul from IEEE SRM SB R&D domain as our mentor. 

SRM student becomes first Indian woman to qualify for Olympics

Date: April 13, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology's (SRMIST) student Nethra Kumanan has become the first Indian woman to qualify for the upcoming Olympics. She will be representing India in sailing and confirmed her berth in the Tokyo Olympics recently.

She qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by coming first at the Laser Radial event in the Mussanah Open Championship, a joint Asian and African Olympic qualifying event. A second-year engineering student of SRMIST, she has represented the country at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games in Incheon and Jakarta, respectively. 

She became the first Indian woman to win a World Cup medal in sailing when she clinched a bronze medal at 2020 Sailing World Cup in Miami, USA. She will now become the first Indian woman sailor to represent the country at the Olympics. This 23-year-old professional sailor is a resident of Chennai and has made her Institution proud. She trains in the Canary Islands, Spain.

SRM and Taiwan collaborates for Smart Pandemic Prevention Technology

Date: March 30, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur in collaboration with National Chung Cheng University (CCU), Taiwan has come out with a Smart Pandemic Prevention Technology. The Taiwan-India Joint Collaboration Effort has been made on alleviating the effects of the ensuing global pandemic problem. CCU and SRMIST have shared smart and advanced technologies resulting in the implementation and deployment of the Smart Pandemic Prevention System (SPPS) which includes smart face recognition, thermal body temperature monitoring, and real-time social contact analysis. 

A presentation of the results of the “Taiwan-India Joint Collaboration in Smart Pandemic Prevention System” was held online, presided by Vice Chancellor (Interim) of SRMIST Dr. C. Muthamizchelvan and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Science) of SRMIST Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar along with Dr. Mu-Min Chen, Deputy Representative of TECC, Dr. C. T. Wang, Director of Science and Technology, TECC, Dr. Chadaram Sivaji, Director of International Bilateral Cooperation Division, DST, India.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) and Taiwan Education Center (TEC) had invited the Taiwan-India Joint Research Center on Artificial Intelligence organized by the National Chung Cheng University (CCU) and IIT Ropar along with the SRMIST to jointly create a Smart Pandemic Prevention System (SPPS) which is currently deployed on the campuses of both CCU and SRMIST, with the possibility of extending it to hospitals and other hot-spot areas where pandemic prevention is of utmost importance.

The Taiwan-India Smart Pandemic Prevention System has four main features, including automatic body monitoring and recording, smart face recognition, along with face mask recognition, and social contact analysis. Not only did the students of CCU and SRMIST work together in the latest AI technology, but also actually the system on both campuses, benefiting the employees of both universities with safe entrance/exit control. Automatic body monitoring was achieved using a thermal camera, but the students and professors worked on making the software checking more accurate. This helped reduce the number of employees that were needed for checking body temperatures at each and every entrance/exit on campus.

Face recognition adapted the latest deep neural network model such as MTCNN and MobileFacenet, with optimizations for Indian faces. Face tracking was achieved using the SORT algorithm. An edge-based version was also developed on the Nvidia Jetson Nano board.

Given the data from the body monitoring and face recognition, social contact analysis was performed for site-specific, as well as, person-specific. Most systems deployed worldwide require mobile phone data for tracking. Our system did not require such data and effectively analyzed the social contacts in specifically monitored areas. The above-described three features of the smart pandemic prevention system helped not only the people on the two campuses, but also helped corroborate the relations between Taiwan and India. 

SRM hosted Defence Service Hackathon for students

Date: March 23, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur hosted a Defence Services Hackathon, the first-of-its-kind in the country. It was hosted by SRM Innovation and Incubation Center, SRMIST. The aim of this hackathon was to involve students and researchers in developing solutions for real time problems faced by our armed forces. 

A total of 54 teams involving 200 students, researchers and faculty members, participated in the Defence Hackathon. 12 problem statements ranging from use of AI/ML for Inventory management, Surveillance, Anti-infiltration obstacle systems, to novel firefighting systems in high altitude, Landslide arrester and tracked snow removers were selected and worked upon putting across their ideas/solutions. The teams were supported by more than 15 mentors with a range of expertise. 

WINNERS

RUNNERS

JURIES SPECIAL PRIZE

Jury also awarded a special prize to Mr GK Prateek, 7th grade student from the KRM Public School. Chennai for his solution.  The 10 top teams will have an opportunity to join SIIC, as incubatees, for developing prototypes and support also would be extended for developing their own startups.  

Dr. T. K. Varadarajan, Nodal Officer, DGQA Facilitation Cell, Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor, provided support and guidance throughout the initiation, planning and execution of the robust hackathon. He highlighted the efforts of two SRMIST alumni startups Big Bang Boom Solutions and Torus Robotics who are working together with DRDO and IDEX for providing solutions. The valedictory was graced by Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar AVSM, VSM; Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He said, “Students and researchers should apply latest technology to solve challenges faced by the Armed forces, especially the Navy.”

He reminded the audience that all branches of the armed forces are now technologically highly intensive and depend heavily on technology and the impact of winning future wars is dependent on the strategic use of latest technology. The event was presided over by Vice Chancellor (Interim) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan. He announced that SRMIST would soon come up with the next hackathon identifying researchers who could provide ideas/solutions to real time problems faced by the naval staff. Dr Ananth Kumar, President of the Institute Innovation Council SRMIST delivered the vote of thanks. 

SRM launches new online degree programs for students

Date: March 20, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur has launched new online degree programs approved by UGC in response to high demand for online education to boost GER and Employability. This is done through the Directorate of Online Education.

The launch of online degree programs approved by UGC are MBA specialization in  Finance/ HR/ Marketing/ Business Analytics, MCA, BBA specialization in Digital Marketing, BCA specialization in Data Science. SRMIST has developed an online delivery robust cloud based technology stack, called SRM Online Learning Platform. It provides the flexibility to learn from anywhere, anytime supported by live interactive sessions and powerful online assessment system.

Master of business administration (MBA) is a two year internationally accepted experiential master degree program designed specifically for professionals who want to develop leadership skills, strategic capabilities and competencies that enables them to contribute higher order value in Industry. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and statistics and many. It follows the four quadrant approach of the National Mission on Education Through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT).

Master of computer applications (MCA) is a two year master degree program that aims to equip graduates with the advanced tools, technologies and applications in the IT industry to meet the constantly growing requirement of IT professionals.

Bachelor of Business Administration with specialization in Digital Marketing (BBA DM) is a three year undergraduate program aimed at providing numerous career opportunities to the students in the digital world by equipping them with the bundled knowledge of digital marketing, content strategy planning, business administration, finance, social / business / market analytics.

Bachelor of Computer Applications with specialization in Data Science (BCA DS) is a three year undergraduate program aimed to provide a skill oriented curriculum on data science to meet the growing demand of the IT industry. The program is designed with personalized learning contents with motivation towards self-directed learning experiences. 

SRM signs MoU for Ayurveda research

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (formerly known as SRM University), is considered to be the leading institute in India. SRMIST is ranked 3rd under the category of Private/ Self Financed Institutions in India by ARIIA Ranking 2019. Currently, there are nearly 38000+ domestic and 1000+ international students in the university. Almost every day, the campus is buzzing with some new events or happenings. Read on to know about the most recent news – 

Date: March 09, 2021

A Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed between SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kattankulathurand KP Manish Global Ingredients Private Limited, Chennai recently. The purpose of this MoU is to develop Herbal Extracts and Herbal/Ayurvedic formulations and to perform pre-clinical and clinical studies. The MoU aims to carry out research and development activities in the field of Medicinal Plants along with carrying out basic research in Pharmaceutical Chemistry/API. Developing innovative ingredients in the field of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals is another objective.

The following activities will be carried out between KPM and the Interdisciplinary Institute of Indian System of Medicine (IIISM), Directorate of Research and College of Agricultural Science of SRMIST - Herbal Extract & Formulations, Agriculture – Medicinal Plants, Pharmaceutical API, Joint Research Projects, Joint Research Publication, Exchange of Knowledge and Sharing of Facilities.

The parties agree to share their respective important R&D facilities in order to promote academic and research interaction according to the rules and regulations of each party. SRMIST will upgrade the faculties where and when required for the project.

SRMIST is carrying out academic activities such as teaching and training students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as carrying out research leading to M.Tech. and Ph.D. degrees, besides undertaking industrial consultancy and sponsored research and has highly qualified teaching faculty and well equipped infrastructure such as land, building, computer, canteen, library, laboratories, workshops, etc. KP Manish is into Pharma, Nutra and cosmetics ingredients distribution. KawmanPharma is into manufacturing of Pharmaceutical API and SattvaVaid Nature’s is into development of herbal extracts and formulations.

Present for the MoU signing were KP Manish Global Ingredients Private Limited’s Mr. Jeevan Ganesh, Dr. K. K. Vijayakumar, Mr. ShrenickModi, Mr.Vishal Jain, Mr. Deepak Jain, Dr. V. K. Gupta and Chairman of K. P. Manish Global Ingredents Mr. Parasmal Jain. From SRMIST were Vice Chancellori/c Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Registrar i/c Dr. S. Ponnusamy, Director (Research) Prof K. Ramasamy, Dean (Research) Prof. B. Neppolian and Coordinator -IIISM Dr. R. C. Satish Kumar.

Mistress of Ceremony from Anglo-Indian Community

Date: March 06, 2021

From humble beginnings came a woman with fervent commitment that led in the creation of a name for herself like never before. Dr. Anderleen Diana Lazarus began her career as a kindergarten teacher and gradually over the years took the necessary steps to pursue higher studies so as to escalate her rank in the professional world. To take up teaching profession was definitely her first choice but was ardent to teach at a college/university.  So as to follow her dreams she took bold decisions and walked confidently in search of career building opportunities.

She gave up her permanent position as a middle grade teacher in one of the leading aided schools in Tamil Nadu. She worked harder and harder to find her own identity both in academia and non-academia. She says her heart has no bound of joy when she thinks of her journey as a KG teacher to PG teacher. Yes, Dr. Diana Lazarus serves asAsst. Professorin a large private university in Chennai. She recently completed Ph.D. in ELT (English Language Teaching). She is also an author, poet, EFL trainer, calligrapher and the most sought-after woman MC in Trichy and its neighboring districts particularly by the English-speaking community.

As you know, master of ceremonies, abbreviated MC or emcee, is the official host of a ceremony, staged event, conference, convention, or similar performance. Generally, such a domain in her cluster was predominantly taken up by men for reasons best known to a few. Dr. Diana has carved a niche for herself in the role as Mistress of Ceremony. She hails from an Anglo-Indian family in Golden Rock, Trichy and therefore a command over the English language comes natural to her. She has emceed about a dozen Anglo Indian weddings and 45 other ceremonies and programs across the society in many districts in Tamil Nadu. Even in academia she is the most sought-after MC for all major events organized at her place of work and across campuses. She also was awarded The Best MC by Chroma – The Business Game Changer team. She is the first women MC in her cluster to have emceed so many events and won people’s hearts in a short span.

She fondly remembers her first program in 2001 and how gradually over the years she became the people's choice. She always makes the programs/events interesting with a lot of creativity and customization to meet the client's needs; as well as pays attention to keeping the audience happy. She was recently honored with the title "Dr. D - The Ever Happy MC", one more feather to her cap. Dr. Diana is definitely giving out a strong message to upcoming MCs in terms of innovation, style, role and contribution and is a role model to upcoming women MCs. She says she became a MC merely by "need of the hour" as most of her senior MCs have aged gracefully, migrated and a few took to heavenly abode. She stepped in to fill the vacuum with an intention of “giving back to the society" and now it's no turning back! She is always booked way in advance for weddings/events/ceremonies.

Dr. Anderleen Diana Lazarus is undoubtedly a MC with passion and is certainly Golden Rock's pride says a senior Anglo-Indian resident of Golden Rock, Trichy.So here is a message to the women across the globe, stay strong and keep progressing to fulfill your dreams. It is “you” the go getter for “yourself”. Blame none, work hard to celebrate your success in complete ownership! Happy Women’s Day to All.

Admissions open for Science & Humanities, Medical & Health Sciences programs at SRM

Date: February 25, 2021

Admissions are now open to various programs at the Faculty of Science and Humanities (FSH) at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur and for Medicine and Health Sciences programs at SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Centre (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur. Visit www.srmist.edu.in. 

Under the Faculty of Science & Humanities, SRMIST offers various Undergraduate and Postgraduate programs from the College of Science and Humanities, School of Management, and School of Law. Several UG and PG programs are also available for students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences that have the College of Pharmacy, College of Physiotherapy, College of Occupational Therapy, College of Nursing, School of Public Health among others.

The soft launch of application forms for Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Faculty of Science and Humanities was held at the Institute’s premises in the presence of SRMIST’s Pro VC (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, Director (Admissions) Dr. K.S.Lakshmi, Director (Communications) Mr. R. Nandakummar, Assistant Director (M&H) Venkata Ramakrishnan, Assistant Director (S&H), Dr. Vivek Shivhare, Dean (FSH) Dr. J. Jothikumar,  Dean (Law) Dr. C.A. Gurudath, Dean (Dental) Dr. N. Vivek, Dean (SHP) Dr. Padma Venkat, Dean (Pharmacy) Dr. V. Chitra, Dean (Physiotherapy) Veera Goutham and Dean (Occupational Therapy) Dr. U. Ganapathy Sankar.

FSH and SRM MCHRC has several disciplines that prepare students to fill that growing need and take advantage of that growing opportunity. Admissions to any of these programs will be based on the eligibility, Board examination marks, Department level examination conducted by the respective schools in SRM and one-to-one interaction. 

Candidates applying should have secured a minimum aggregate of 50 percent in the Board Examination. Indians and Non-Resident Indians can apply. 

Last year, there were an overwhelming 1.52 lakhs of candidates who participated to gain entry to India's No.1 multi-stream university. 

SRMIST has an enviable track record of 5500+ Job Offers for the graduating batch 2020-21. Around 625+ Top-notch companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Siemens, PayPal, Accenture, Capgemini, Hewlett Packard, TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, ABB, L&T, Ford, TVS, Schneider, Renault Nissan, Cerner, GT Strategies, Ford, Bioclinica, and Zifo among many others, visit SRMIST every year to recruit our students. The university offers a wide range of scholarships to the tune of Rs.35 Crores making studying in the university affordable to all.

SRM bags best outreach program award

Date: February 23, 2021

SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital has bagged the ‘Best outreach programme award’ from The Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry (IAPHD). The college has been recognised for its best outreach activity and is honored with U Sumithra & Ramanath Bhat - Best outreach programme award. 

The department of Public Health Dentistry at the SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital participated in this category for the year April 2019 to March 2020. The event which made its entry in this category was the “World Health Day” which was celebrated at the department recently.  The World Health Day is marked with global awareness on the prevention and control of diseases. This day was observed by the department under the guidance of Dean Dr. N. Vivek and Vice Principal Dr. KT Magesh.

This event was an attempt initiated by the Department of Public Health Dentistry, where doctors and interns focused on undertaking oral health awareness programmes to different age groups as prescribed by WHO. Programmes such as word puzzles, games, and storytelling which emphasize oral health were held at various schools, communities, and old age homes. In addition to this health promotion, activities on oral and general health with an added benefit of free screening and treatment of basic oral ailments were carried out on the field. Additional referral system for complex procedures was also undertaken.

A compilation of various activities on account of this day was sent to the IAPHD and SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital was selected as one of the best outreach programmes under U Sumithra & Ramanath Bhat - Best outreach programme award among all colleges in India.

SRM hosts International conference on “Business Finance and Management Sciences”

Date: February 20, 2021

The Department of Corporate Secretaryship and Accounting Finance, College of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur organised two days International Conference on “Business Finance and Management Sciences” recently. In these two days the Conference Scholars, Academicians and Researchers have presented 68 papers and conference proceedings with 174 papers had been released during the conference.

On the inaugural day of 18th February 2021, the Chief Guest address had given by the Prof. Mwaf Dandan from Albalqua University, Jordan, has highlighted about the ‘Indo Arab Issues’ and impressed upon the trading relations between India and the Arab region which engages in reforms and transformational changes in the economy; also the strong political understanding and goodwill between the people, and provided tremendous potential to have economic engagement in a higher level.

Dr. S. Vengadamani, Director, Global School of Business, AMITY, Chennai, emphasized that how the Covid -19 had created an impact on the life of common men and he made to learn the difficulties which happened during the pandemic situations, and that has been appealed through conference to have courage to mitigate any issues.Miss Olaga B Aaron a transgender activitist, who precisely pointed out how the Covid -19 affected the life hood of the transgenders and appealed to the common public through this conference to understand pandemic situation, furthermore made us to learn a lot about them.

On the Second day of the conference Prof. Muhammed Ahamed Tsuani from Bayero University, Nigeria has highlighted the economic relations. Nigeria is considered as highly vulnerable to the global economic disruption caused by COVID-19, particularly due to the pronounced decline in oil prices and spikes in risk aversion in global capital markets. Nationally, 40 percent of Nigerians (83 million people) live below the poverty line, while another 25 percent (53 million) are vulnerable. By COVID-19, many of these 53 million vulnerable people could fall into poverty. The magnitude of the health impact depends on the duration and the domestic spread of the outbreak, while the economic impact hinges on oil prices. CA. K Harikaran, Chartered accountant, who opened up for the young students how to make changes in the society and delivered the methodologies to adopt the changes. Especially he stressed on the students from the background of commerce that they are having plenty of opportunities in the corporate world. 

Dr. J. Jothi Kumar, Dean, and Associate Dean Dr. A. Duraisamy, College of Science and Humanities, SRM IST had released the proceedings during the inaugural day. During the couple of days of conference the experts from the reputed college and universities were invited to conduct the technical sessions. In which the scholars, academicians and students made discussions and deliberations on the various topics covered in the conference. Dr.K.Selvasundaram, Head of the Department delivered welcome address and Dr.A.Irin Sutha, the Coordinator of the conference outlined the main theme of the conference.

SRM inks MoU with TANUVAS for joint research

Date: February 12, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS). The signing was between the Department of Food Process Engineering, School of Bioengineering, SRMIST and College of Food and Dairy Technology, Koduvalli, TANUVAS. 

As per the MoU, both institutes will have a broad scope to carry out faculty and student exchange programmes to carry out training and research activities for a shorter duration. The area will be extended to joint research activities to explore opportunities to undertake research projects and seek research funding from external funding agencies. This agreement will also facilitate joint academic events such as short courses, seminars, workshops, or conferences based on mutual interests and available expertise in both the institutions. Both institutes can share and carry out joint research in technology for distance and computer-based learning.

The MoU was exchanged between Dr. C. Balachandran, Vice Chancellor, TANUVAS and Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan , Pro Vice Chancellor (E&T), SRMIST in the presence of  TANUVAS officials Dr. P.Tensingh Gnanaraj, Registrar; Dr. Cecilia Joseph,  Director Research; Dr. V. Appa Rao, Dean Research and Dr. Premnath Manoharan, Professor & HoD Food Processor Engineering. SRMIST officials Dr. S. Ponnusamy, Registrar; Dr. T.V. Gopal, Dean College of Engineering and Technology; Dr. M. Vairamani, Chairperson, School of Bioengineering, and heads of the departments and faculty members.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Dr. C. Balachandran, Vice Chancellor, TANUVAS said, “The outcome of this MoU may bring new innovative ideas and solutions for the growing demand and recurring issues of the Food Processing and Health sector in India. Both the universities can now share knowledge, technology, and faculty exchange programs. We need engineers when it comes to technology hence the scope is more in this sector.”

Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Pro Vice Chancellor (E&T), SRMIST said, “Gone are the days when we worked as individuals, now it is important that we work with others with institutes/ universities. Such collaborations open up new avenues and will benefit both parties.”

International conference on Nanoscience & Nanotechnology inaugurated at SRMIST

Date: February 01, 2021

The inauguration of the 6th International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICONN 2021) at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur was held virtually. The Biennial International Conference was organised by the Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRMIST in association with Shizuoka University-Japan, National Chiao Tung University (NCTU)-Taiwan, GNS Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) Science-New Zealand, University of Rome Tor Vergata-Italy, RMIT University-Australia, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)-India, Asian Consortium on Computational Materials Science (ACCMS), Indian Physics Association (IPA), Materials Research Society of India (MRSI), Indian Carbon Society (ICS)-India and Springer Nature.

The event will be held until 3rd February 2021 and is aimed at providing a platform for researchers and scientists to assess recent trends and developments in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for promising applications. Scientific sessions include Low-dimensional and 2D materials, Surfaces, interfaces and thin films, Nanocomposites and catalysts, Multifunctional nanomaterials, to mention a few. 

There will be over 70 sessions with eminent speakers from renowned international institutions such as University of California, Berkeley-CA, Tokyo Institute of Technology-Japan, The Australian National University,  Canberra-Australia, University of Cambridge-UK, University of Maryland-USA, Institut für Experimental physik,  Berlin-Germany and also from premier Institutes of India such as IISc Bangalore, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai, Anna University-Chennai, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)-Kalpakkam. 

About 2400 participants are expected to be part of this mega event. The welcome address was delivered by Dr. D. John Thiruvadigal, Convener, ICONN 2021, SRMIST, followed by the presidential address delivered by Vice Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. His address was focused on emerging research and development (R&D) in the field of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.  Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) of SRMIST Dr. C Muthamizhchelvan released the proceedings of the ICONN 2021 conference.

The inaugural address was delivered by Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Govt. of India, CV Seshadri, Chair Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur. In his address, he spoke on the initiatives and schemes framed by DST, to develop R&D infrastructure in various institutions across the country through funding research projects. 

Prof. Ramamoorthy Ramesh, University of California, Berkeley, CA, announced SRM-ICONN Award of excellence in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology to Prof.  Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Govt. of India, CV Seshadri Chair Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Kanpur. Vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. S. Ponnusamy, Controller of Examinations, SRMIST. 

SRMIST is also honouring eminent scientists with SRM-ICONN Innovation Award, SRM-ICONN Outstanding Woman Researcher Award, with SRM-ICONN Young Researcher Award. Around 300 students across India have registered for this program. 

Inauguration of the Covishield Vaccination drive at SIMS Hospital

Date: January 21, 2020

SIMS Hospitals (SRM Institutes for Medical Science), Vadapalani, one of the leading multi specialty hospitals in Chennai, joins India’s biggest vaccination drive against COVID 19 with ‘Covishield’ vaccine.Inaugurated by Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, the ‘Covishield’ Vaccine will be provided free of cost to about 1500 healthcare workers as well as frontline workers of SIMS Hospital, in this phase-I of vaccination drive. Using their Government identity cards, health workers can register themselves to avail the free dose of ‘Covishiled’ vaccine. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu said, “Building trust and confidence to motivate people to get vaccinated for good against COVID 19 is very important. I personally got the immunization vaccine administered to emphasize the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. I am truly elated that the health workers who have already got vaccinated against COVID 19 are responding well to the vaccination too. Once the beneficiaries get their first dose of vaccine, they are still required to maintain all COVID 19 safety measures like wearing a mask and sanitising their hands and diligently come for their second dose of vaccination without missing it”.

Mr Ravi Pachamuthu, Chairman, SIMS Hospital, Vadapalani said, “It brings me great pride that SIMS Hospital is part of this historic effort and has joined India’s biggest immunization drive against COVID 19 with ‘Covishield’ Vaccine. I feel proud to mention that SIMS Hospital has treated more than 3500 COVID patients in the past 10 months. Now, I am happy to share that eminent Doctors, Heads of Departments, including myself were among the first to take the Covishield Vaccine at SIMS. We sincerely thank the Tamil Nadu Government and the Central Government for giving us this opportunity to benefit a lot of people to get back to their normal lives and help them regain their livelihood”.

SRM Institute of Science & Technology partners with iSchoolConnect Technologies 

Date: January 11, 2020

SRM Institute of Science & Technology, a prominent Indian higher education institution, recently announced an exclusive partnership with iSchoolConnect Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a USA and India-based company that uses AI technology to provide study abroad assistance.This unique partnership will benefit all study abroad aspirants at SRM Institute of Science & Technology. It will provide them access to expert consultations and unique AI tools which will empower them in pursuing their higher education abroad.

Regarded as one of the top educational institutions in India, SRM Institute of Science & Technology hosts thousands of students who later move on to pursue higher education. To encourage students to pursue the best possible educational options both in-country and abroad, SRM Institute of Science & Technology has several programs in place. Some of those international objectives include their Semester Abroad programs, Dual degree program, and alike. To broaden their sphere of international education assistance, the partnership with iSchoolConnect came into existence. On the Institute’s behalf, this initiative is being led by Mr. Kartar Singh, the Director of International Relations at SRM Institute of Science & Technology, and his team.

When asked about their motive for partnering with iSchoolConnect, Mr. Singh states, “Going overseas for higher studies is a growing ambition for many of our students, to gain new knowledge, experience different cultures, position themselves for the new age competences and skills of a dynamic work environment and to chart out their careers. In order to do this they need an unbiased  and comprehensive platform that is responsive and aids them in the entire journey of gaining entry into an institution of their choice. We are happy to be partnering with iSchoolConnect which provides an end –to-end solutions package for our students to meet their aspirations for higher studies abroad.”  

Expanding further upon the nature of their collaboration, Mr. Vaibhav Gupta, the Alliances and Marketing Head at iSchoolConnect says, “The goal of this association between iSchoolConnect and SRM Institute of Science & Technology is to encourage the potential among all students who wish to study abroad and make them aware of the multitude of options that they can explore.”

How will iSchoolConnect guide the students?

iSchoolConnect Technologies has a team of study abroad experts that provide end-to-end assistance to all students who wish to pursue their education abroad. What makes them unique is the cutting-edge AI technology they provide to students that helps them conduct many of their application process tasks online. With this partnership, the students at SRM Institute of Science & Technology will be able to access an exclusive set of benefits that will help them with their study abroad journey. The benefits include:

• Access to iSC’s AI tools- Recommendation Engine, AI Writing Mentor for essays and SOPs, AI Video Interview tool, and much more.

• Personalized one-on-one mentorship sessions.

• Webinars and workshops at regular intervals to guide students.

• Access to the iSchoolConnect Student Community- a not for profit initiative powered by iSchoolConnect which is driven by the students, for the students.

Listed above are just a few among the many ways iSchoolConnect will assist the students at SRM Institute of Science & Technology. With applications for all global universities coming up, iSchoolConnect’s assistance will prove crucial to all students that plan on studying abroad.

SRMJEEE 2021 Registration begins for B. Tech courses

Date: January 04, 2021

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, (earlier known as SRM University) begins the online registration process for its B.Tech entrance exam, SRMJEEE (SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Examination). Qualifying in SRMJEEE provides entry to all the campuses of SRMIST located at Kattankulathur (Main Campus), Vadapalani, Ramapuram, and Delhi – NCR; SRM University, Andhra Pradesh; SRM University, Sonepat– Haryana and SRM University, Sikkim. 

Admissions to B. Tech program is only through the common entrance exam, SRMJEEE 2021, which is scheduled to be held in the second week of April, 2021 in 127 Indian cities and 5 countries (Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain, and Kuwait). Last year, there was an overwhelming 1.52 lakhs of candidates who participated to gain entry to India's No.1 multi-stream university. 

Entrance examination date and joint counselling dates will be announced in due course as per AICTE, UGC and Government notifications.Candidates applying should have secured a minimum aggregate of 50 percent in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry/Biology for all campuses except for SRM University, Andhra Pradesh which requires the minimum aggregate of 60 percent in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics in Class 12 or other equivalent qualifying examinations. The admission would be based on SRMJEEE rank, subject to the eligibility criteria. 

Indians and Non-Resident Indians can apply for SRMJEEE 2021. NRI candidates who qualify in SRMJEEE 2021 and those who also go through regular counselling will be treated as domestic applicants for all the four years. NRI candidates appearing for SRMJEEE 2021 can switch to direct admission under International Category in case of being unable to secure the desired course in the joint counselling by paying International fee.  NRI candidates also have the option of directly applying under the International Admission Category to get admission to any program without taking SRMJEEE 2021 by paying the international tuition and other fees. 

SRMIST has an enviable track record of 8500+ Job Offers with a top salary of Rs 41.6 LPA, the highest pay by any university for the graduating batch 2019-20. Around 625+ Top-notch companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Siemens, PayPal, Accenture, Capgemini, Hewlett Packard, TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, ABB, L&T, Ford, TVS, Schneider, Renault Nissan, Cerner, GT Strategies, Ford, Bioclinica, and Zifo among many others, visit SRMIST every year to recruit our students.  

The university offers a wide range of scholarships to the tune of Rs 35 Crores making studying in the university affordable to all.

ISRO Chairman urges students to innovate at SRM's 16th Annual Convocation

Date: December 28, 2020

"Always keep in mind the challenges our country is facing. Each of these challenges offers an opportunity for innovation," said Dr. K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO, Bangalore and Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India. Addressing students virtually at the 16th Annual Convocation of SRM Institute of Science & Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, Dr. Sivan said, " The job scenario is vibrant today and one must definitely work more than others, know more than others and expect less than others."

About 17,204 students belonging to the Faculties of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Medicine & Health Sciences and Management studies including 129 Ph.D. scholars received their degrees. 244 students were awarded medals for having secured First, Second, and the Third rank in their programmes. The event was held virtually as per the protocol of the Government of Tamil Nadu due to the ongoing pandemic. Based on the restrictions imposed by the State Government only Rank Holders and Ph.D. degree awardees were given their degrees in person at Dr. T.P. Ganesan Auditorium, Main Campus, Kattankulathur. The rest of the eligible graduands attended the event through virtual mode.

In his convocation address, Dr. Sivan said, "SRMIST has the honour of designing, developing, and building its own nano-satellite, SRMSAT, in collaboration with ISRO which was launched with the twin scientific objectives of monitoring and estimating carbon dioxide and water vapor in the tropical atmosphere globally. Our Government has already announced space sector reforms for greater participation of non-governmental entities in space activities. Our next PSLV launch will have satellites from start-up agencies as the first product of these reforms. I now invite SRMIST to join hands with ISRO to work on similar projects in the future."

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' initiative is another key area to leverage; ISRO has already initiated reforms to make its digital assets available easily to the industry as well as start-ups for making innovative applications in navigation, earth observation as well as disaster management."India is progressing and it has overcome many challenges. It is the young people who have to put your heads together; to not only discover more challenges but also find solutions. The most important things are taking calculated risks and innovation on how to implement ideas,' he said and added, "You may fail, but each failure will provide valuable lessons. You all must realize that if you are not failing then you are not trying hard."

India aspires to be a nation with sustainable, equitable, and inclusive growth. Today we know the focus areas where we need to prioritize such as high-tech manufacturing and train and attract world-class talent. Speaking on ISRO technological development he said, "ISRO has done the technology transfer of its space-grade lithium-ion batteries to industry. This technology is useful for mass adoption of electric vehicles without remaining perpetually depending on foreign sources. Even in rocket propulsion, ISRO is developing gree propulsion for its human spaceflight missions. In the future, all the propulsive stages may adopt green propulsion."

In his address to students Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Founder Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science & Technology and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha said, "It is an honor for us to have Dr. Sivan Chairman ISRO. In his service, he was the chief mission architect for successfully launching 104 satellites in a single mission of PSLV. It is really an achievement. He has taken our country to a different height in the space research parallel to a few of the advanced countries."

He advised students to be alert and careful in retaining their jobs as there are competitions and challenges. "You need to continuously update your skill, knowledge, and talent in your respective field. The success of our alumni is the success of your alma mater. If you become GMs, CEOs, Chairman of a company or industry, the university looks forward, for your repeated visit, to share your eminence and experience to your juniors here." With the election around the corner, SRMIST's Founder Chancellor urged people to vote right for the right candidate.

Endowment award in the name of Tmt Pachimmal Palanimuthu for the best outgoing MBBS student and Tmt Swarnam & Dr. Krishnamoorthy Endowment award for the best overall outgoing student of SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center was awarded to Ms. Kritika Wadhwa for topping among all students in the final year and in the overall duration of the course in MBBS programme. Endowment in the name of Tmt Lakshmi and Dr. Renganathan for the best outgoing BDS student of SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital will be awarded to K. Shyam Sharma.

The Annual Report was presented by Vice Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. The Convocation was held in the presence of SRMIST’s Pro Chancellor (Administration) Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo, Pro Chancellor (Academic) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Chairman of Ramapuram & Trichy campuses Dr. R. Shivakumar, Pro Vice Chancellor (E&T) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Pro Vice Chancellor (S&H) Dr. R Balasubramanian, Pro VC (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, Registrar Dr. N Sethuraman and COE Dr. S.Ponnusamy among others.

ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Sivan to grace SRM’s 16th Annual Convocation

Date: December 20, 2020

The Annual Convocation of SRM Institute of Science & Technology will be held virtually as per the protocol of the Government of Tamil Nadu due to the ongoing pandemic. Based on the restrictions imposed by the State Government, only Rank Holders and Ph.D. degree awardees will be given their degrees in person at Dr. T.P. Ganesan Auditorium, Main Campus, Kattankulathur. The rest of the eligible graduands are invited to attend through virtual mode.  

About 17,199 students belonging to the Faculties of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, Medicine & Health Sciences and Management studies including 129 Ph.D. scholars will be receiving their degrees in various disciplines. 244 students will be awarded with medals for having secured First, Second and Third rank in their programmes.

The convocation address will be delivered by the Chief Guest of the event Dr. K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO, Bangalore and Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India. Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Founder Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science & Technology and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha will preside over the convocation. 

Endowment award in the name of Tmt Pachimmal Palanimuthu for the best outgoing MBBS student and Tmt Swarnam & Dr. Krishnamoorthy Endowment award for the best overall outgoing student of SRM Medical College Hospital & Research Center will be awarded to Ms. Kritika Wadhwa for topping among all students in the final year and in overall duration of the course in MBBS programme. Endowment in the name of Tmt Lakshmi and Dr. Renganathan for the best outgoing BDS student of SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital will be awarded to K. Shyam Sharma.

The Annual report will be presented by Vice Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. The Convocation will be held in the presence of SRMIST’s Pro Chancellor (Administration) Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo, Pro Chancellor (Academic) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Chairman of Ramapuram & Trichy campuses Dr. R. Shivakumar and President Mr. S. Niranjan.

SRM Hospital launches third phase of COVAXIN trail; Seeks volunteers

Date: December 07, 2020

"SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur has successfully completed two phases of human testing of the COVAXIN trial and the third phase for the same will start today (7th December 2020)”, said SRM MCHRC's Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan. Speaking at a press meet held at the launch of the third phase of the COVAXIN trail in the hospital, he said that the number of patients who will be tested in this final phase will be over 1000. 

"Until now we have received 500 volunteers for the test. We will be taking in more volunteers till the end of December 2020. We are trying our best to make this work, as it will be India's first indigenous vaccine," he added. Also present with SRM MCHRC's Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan were Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences) Dr. Lt Col Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, Dean  Dr. A. Sundaram, Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj, Deputy Medical Superintendent  Dr. R. Balamurugan, Director (Communication) Mr. R. Nandakummar and Principal Investigator for COVAXIN Dr. Satyajit Mahopatra along with Dr. Melvin George.

"Any person above 18 years of age and had not suffered COVID19 illness in the past can participate as a volunteer in this trial. Pregnant women are excluded. The vaccine shot will be administered twice - 28 days apart," said Principal Investigator for COVAXIN, Dr. Satyajit Mahopatra.  

The hospital will be able to conduct the trial for 50 people a day. Once the process is successful, the vaccine will be approved on a fast track basis. SRM MCHRC is currently treating 21 COVID 19 patients and on average 80 people are screened for COVID19.The first phase of human trials at SRM MCHRC began in July 2020 with 30 volunteers. The second phase was done in August in which 45 volunteers participated. In both these phases, the safety of the vaccine was ascertained. In the trial conducted at SRM hospital, none of the volunteers suffered any serious reactions except for mild fever and body ache.

"SRM MCHRC is the only private Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu to undertake this trial. The third phase is to assess the efficacy of the Vaccine in inducing immunogenicity in the human volunteer," said Dr.Lt Col Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences).Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad in the development of COVAXIN. SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is the only private Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu to be selected to carry out all three phases of the COVAXIN trial. This vaccine has got the nod for human trials from the Drug Controller General of India.

"SRM MCHRC is well-equipped with various facilities to handle clinical trials such as COVID 19. It provides 24-hours emergency services and has well-qualified doctors and nurses," said Dr. A. Sundaram, Dean, SRM MCHRCThe hospital has so far treated 1400 COVID patients since April 2020. Both Allopathy and Siddha medicines in combination are used to treat COVID patients. SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has been doing this under the able guidance of Chancellor Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar and Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan. 

7th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS RESEARCH

Date: November 24, 2020

An international conference was held in the SRM institute of science and technology on 24th and 25th of November hosted by the Department of Commerce with resource persons from all over the world. The inauguration was done by the renowned IRS official Mr. Nanda Kumar. The chief guest has given his insights about the current business system and research options and how the pandemic has affected the teachers and students.  Apart from him various other officials in various designation have joined the virtual conference and gave their views and ideas.

The conference is scheduled for 4 sessions in 2 days which is completely held virtually. The organizers received 180 plus research papers of which 20 papers were from international delegates. The selected papers will be published in Scopus, UGC Care indexed journals and SRM Business Horizon Journal. On the first day of the conference, papers were presented by professionals, scholars and industrialists with 100 plus participants.

“The department of commerce did not want the pandemic to affect our academic schedule or our annual events so we have taken this step of conducting our international conference in a virtual mode. With the support of all our faculties we were able to conduct the conference successfully” commented, the Organiser of the Conference. The 2 day conference intended to give an idea about the area of business research by categorizing the research theme into different sub heads like finance, pandemic and commerce, marketing, human resource etc. papers were strictly categorized in a manner they sync with the conference theme.

SRM signs MoU with AuthorCafé for enhanced research writing, management and communication

Date: November 19, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur has signed an MoU with AuthorCafé India Pvt. Ltd, a knowledge management platform for research content that facilitates academia in the creation, collaboration, review, dissemination, and administration of research content such as reports, theses, dissertations, and grant proposals.

AuthorCafé was represented by its President Dr. Shanthi Krishnamoorthy, Senior Vice President (HR) Mrs. Shubha Kasi Visweswaran, Consultant Sales and Strategy Mr. Punit Dhandhania and Product Manager Mr. Neelanjan Sinha. SRMIST was represented by Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman, Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Deputy Registrar & Director of SRM Institute of Hotel Management Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar, Joint Director (Research) Dr. SRS. Prabaharan among others.

This MoU will benefit SRMIST with the enhanced productivity of research writing through automated & streamlined workflow; make Theses content searchable, discoverable, citable and showcase their institutional research output; and enable them to onboard/launch SRMIST's own journal. Dr. SRS. Prabaharan gave a brief introduction to AuthorCafé and how SRMIST would benefit from it. Speaking at the event, Dr. Shanthi Krishnamoorthy said, "We are very excited to have been selected by SRMIST for implementation of our product to automate their academic content publishing program. SRM has been a pioneer in many fields and once again they have shown a path for making Indian research more impactful on the global stage."

Punit Dhandhania said, "This is a Cloud-based research writing platform, accessed from anywhere on the Internet. We need our system to adapt to the writer and not the other way around."Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan said, "SRMIST is a comprehensive university. Our approach is interdisciplinary research and such tools will help our university in the long run."

SRM Technologies launches its hiring campaign

Date: November 18, 2020

SRM Technologies Private Limited (Est 1998) in Ekkatuthangal, Chennai, has announced its first phase of the hiring campaign. The company is looking out for passionate, enthusiastic, and creative experts to bring modern abilities to what they do. Positions open include Databricks, Magneto, DevOps, Embedded, Hardware, Automotive (Autosar, ADAS), Java, Full Stack, Dot Net full stack among others. To know more about the positions open and how to apply log on to careers.srmtech.com. You can also email ReachForTheStars@srmtech.com.The core belief at SRM Technologies is best reflected by ideas@work which is the intersection of Innovation and execution. SRM Technologies is spearheaded by Dr.P. Sathyanarayanan, President SRM Group, and Anand Kashyap, CEO of SRM Tech. 

Padmashri Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai inaugurated ICePhaST-2020 virtually

Date: November 17, 2020

The International Conference on Electronics, Photonics and Smart Technologies (ICePhaST-2020) was organized by the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering through virtual e-platform. 

The event was inaugurated by honourable chief guest Padmashri Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai Former director, Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Centre, (ISAC), Vice President-Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Chairman-National Design and Research Forum, India, who delivered a technical talk on “SMART Technologies in emerging space program” The talk completely motivated young and budding researchers in the field of photonics and optical based satellites. Faculty members, Researchers and Students of SRM IST were very proud, content and excited to have the chief guest on the virtual conference.  

The three foreign delegates, Prof. Hiroshi Inokawa, Shizuoka University, Japan, Prof. Chennupati Jagadish Australian National University, Australia and Prof. Stephen C. Rand University of Michigan, USA provided the guests of honour address during the inauguration.  Prof. Hiroshi Inokawa expressed the contentment of the long term technical relationship with SRM IST and elaborated on the importance of organizing conferences under the photonics banner. Prof. Chennupati Jagadish and Prof. Stephen C. Rand showed the interest of long term research collaborations with the department of Electronics and communication engineering, SRMIST.

The Presidential address was delivered by Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice Chancellor, SRMIST conveyed that several programs of this dimension are conducted by the department of ECE, SRMIST, Kattankulathur. The ICePhaST-2020 Conference Proceedings was released by Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, ProVC, Engineering and Technology, SRMIST and congratulated the team for meticulous planning and execution. The gathering was felicitated by Dr. T.V. Gopal, Dean, College of Engineering & Technology, SRMIST. 

Dr. Shanthi Prince, Professor and Head, Department of ECE, SRMIST, Kattankulathur welcomed the e-gathering and Dr. P. Aruna Priya, the convener of the conference highlighted the importance the topics covered during the three days sessions and introduced the speakers of the conference. Several researchers across the globe have submitted their papers for presentation and around 160 papers have been accepted for the conference.

Follow Govt safety norms to stay away from COVID: SRM hospital 

Date: November 17, 2020

"Facemask is a life mask," said Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar of SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur. Speaking to press personnel at a meet organised at SRM MCHRC, he emphasized on the importance of staying and following safety measures in order to prevent the second wave of COVID 19.  SRM MCHRC is now in the process of conducting the third phase of the COVAXIN shot which will be administered to nearly 1500 volunteers. The first phase human trials at SRM MCHRC began in July with 30 volunteers. The second phase was done in August where 45 volunteers received the COVAXIN shot.

Present for the press meet were SRM MCHRC's Pro VC (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar, Dean (Medical) Dr. A. Sundaram,  Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj,  Dr. R. Balamurugan, Deputy Medical Superintendent and Director (Communication) Mr. R. Nandakummar.

"The COVAXIN trail is the need of the hour and SRM MCHRC is the only hospital in Tamil Nadu to undertake this trail. The third phase will see how people are able to withstand the vaccin and its efficiency. The result will be known only by February," added the Pro VC.The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) is collaborating with Bharat Biotech for the development of the COVAXIN. SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is the only centre in Tamil Nadu to be selected for this trial. The drug has got the nod for human trials from the Drugs controller of General of India.

"SRM MCHRC is well-equipped with various facilities to handle emergencies such as COVID 19. It provides 24-hours emergency services and has qualified doctors and nurses," said SRM MCHRC, Dean (Medical) Dr. A. Sundaram. He added, "All that we need to do is wash hands frequently with soap and wear masks when going out or interacting with people. Self-disciple is the need of the hour." 

"The hospital has so far treated 1400 COVID patients since April. It uses Allopathy and Siddha combined battled against COVID," said SRM MCHRC Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj.On how SRM MCHRC is taking precaution against this virus,  Dr. K. Thangaraj said, "We have body temperature checking machines at all entry points, moreover the entry and exit have been separated, all patients admitted need to take COVID check and most importantly everyone is expected to wear a mask."

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has been doing this under the able guidance of our Chancellor Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar and Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan. The COVAXIN clinical trial team is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Satyajit Mohapatra along with Dr. Melvin George who are assisted by a well-trained team of doctors, nursing staff and support staff.SRM MCHRC has a state-of-the-art clinical trial facility to handle this clinical trial. The trial unit that was partly sponsored by DST, Govt of India has carried out several clinical trials in the last eight years. Five major projects are currently ongoing with COVID, one being COVID vaccine trail, another a BCG vaccine trial for prevention against COVID, an ICMR led cohort study on hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis for health care workers, an international multi centric clinical trial for COVID patients with certain drugs and a Siddha based product kabasura kudeneer for COVID patients.

Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu Inaugurates ‘BONDS’ Centre of Excellence 

Date: October 29, 2020

SIMS Hospital (SRM Institutes for Medical Science) one of the leading quaternary care super specialty hospital in Chennai, announced today, the launch of BONDS, (BOtulinum ToxiN in Dystonia & Spasticity), a first of its kind centre in Chennai with focused approach to the treatment of movement disorders like Dystonia and Spasticity (also for Stroke Rehabilitation) using Botulinum Toxin injection at its Vadapalani facility in Chennai. 

Inaugurated by Dr. C Vijaya Baskar– Hon. Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu¸ in the presence of Shri. Ravi Pachamuthu – SRM Group, and other dignitaries, the Center of excellence prides of a state-of-the-art facility, complete with a vibrant and skilled team of doctors to handle neurological emergencies in addition to serving chronic patients. The Center is well equipped to offer a wide spectrum of services to treat patients affected by various movement disorders including stroke, dystonia, spasticity and neuromuscular ailments.

Expressing his delight about the launch, Shri. Ravi Pachamuthu, Chairman, SRM Group, said, “SIMS has always been a proponent of evidence based clinical innovations. ‘BONDS’ Clinic marks yet another milestone in this journey and I congratulate Dr. Meenakshisundaram and his team for setting-up this center of excellence, which I am sure, will bring in significant relief to the people with movement disorders”.

“With such finest clinical talents and resources available in-house, who are always ready to adopt and embrace the latest and highly advanced medical practices, both, effectively and efficiently, we at SIMS will continue to deliver high rates of successful clinical treatments for our patients” he added.

An equally elated, Dr. U. Meenakshisundaram, the Director of the Neurology Department at SIMS Hospital, who is also the present Secretary of the Movement Disorders Society of India and an Executive Committee member of the Indian Academy of Neurology, said, “Clinical research findings have revealed that over last few years the use of Botulinum toxin has shown great results in the treatment of movement disorders and when combined with a proper physiotherapy regimen, people with these conditions recover faster and return to a near-normal life much quickly. Also, administering Botulinum Toxin Injection is a skilled procedure and is done by skilled set of experienced practitioners, complete with progressive monitoring on the patient’s improvement.The treatment is done as an outpatient procedure and spans between 3 to 6 months duration with minimal side effects caused due to the weakening of muscles, which are mostly reversible depending on the patient’s medical condition and their response to the treatment”, Dr. Meenakshisundaram added.

SRM celebrates International Chefs Day with focus on rural development

Date: October 22, 2020

"Food is the essence of healthy living", said Dr. Chef Damodharan, President of SICA, celebrity and Guinness World Record holder at the International Chefs day 2020 celebration organised by SRM Institute of Hotel Management (SRM IHM), Kattankulathur. The theme for this year's event is 'Healthy food for the future' with a special focus on Rural Empowerment for Women.

The event was held at State Institute of Rural Development Tamil Nadu - Maraimalai Nagar and had Damodharan preside over as Chief Guest, Dr. T. Anuradha MBBS, District Designated Officer Food Safety Department Kanchipuram & Chengalpattu District and Chef Shri Bala, Consultant Chef Food Historian, Tamil Nadu Kerala Brand Ambassador of EatwithIndia were the Guests of Honour. The event was held with all the safety protocols in place. Director of SRM IHM Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar welcomed the gathering. Apart from International Chefs Day, SRM IHM also celebrated World Food Day 2020 and World Tourism Day 2020 on the occasion. 

The event was held as a training demonstration and a speech on heritage and food adulteration for the empowerment of self-help groups and Rotary Inner Wheel ladies. Speaking to the audience, Chef Damodharan stressed on the importance of chefs being healthy themselves in the first place. "There is nothing like eating mother's cooking because it is tradition and medicine to health. There are several ingredients that we use in our kitchen that helps us improve our health and well-being," he said.  He also demonstrated how to cook a healthy meal in the comfort of our homes. "Eat well, exercise properly and enjoy life," he added.

Dr. T. Anuradha MBBS, said that we get all sorts of products in the market. "We should know the difference between pure and adulterated food. However, many are moving towards unhealthy food which leads to an unhealthy lifestyle. Eating proper food in the right quantity is essential for a good and healthy life. Our health is in our hands." She did a demonstration on how to find adulteration in the product/groceries that we buy.

Shri Bala stressed on the importance of using food as medicine. A firm believer of this and has been following it herself. She explained how parents can provide tasty food for children at home without adding artificial colour or flavouring agent.  "Change has to begin at home and we can provide a balanced, tasty and healthy diet without using any artificial colouring or flavour agents."

Shri Bala also demonstrated making a nutritious and balanced meal using our own pluses. SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti in his address focused on the importance of eating healthy food and how it has come into practice in the last six months. "The COVID has given us an opportunity to go back to our traditional food. Food and hotel management can never be done online. Our aim must be to remove malnutrition with sustainable food," he said.

Pof Ajay K Sood, FRS delivered the University Distinguished Lecture Series 01

Date: October 19, 2020

The first University Distinguished Lecture Series on “Doing Science Without Borders” commenced with an inaugural welcome speech by Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor, and Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh. Prof V S Rao expressed their gratitude to Prof Ajay K Sood for his gracious presence. In addition, Prof Narayana Rao emphasized that under the University Distinguished Lecture series the talks will be delivered by eminent scientists from India and abroad  that would be of immense benefit for students and the faculty and researchers. He further mentioned, “Doctors, researchers, engineers and scientists from several fields of knowledge around the world worked together to confront the Corona outbreak with an unprecedented spirit of collaboration. Also, NEP advocates and emphasizes that the societal needs of the 21st century require broad-based multidisciplinary research and education”.

Prof Ajay K Sood, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS and Honorary Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, narrated three stories of his recent experiments and advanced research work, namely “Emergent flocking behaviour seen in nature: Laboratory experiments”, “Crystallization of Glass: Machine Learning in condensed matter Physics”, and “Bacterial Nano Heat Engine: Getting bacteria to work”. He begins by stating that back in 1944, a profound physicist Schrodinger introduced the concept of “aperiodic crystal” which led to the understanding of genetic molecules, enunciating the importance of interdisciplinary applications of scientific works. In his first narrative, he speaks of the flocking movement among birds, bacteria, locusts, and human beings as well. He brought the same experiment in his laboratory where he used 2 particles, energized them, and identified their flocking pattern. He observed that the velocity of movement between the two particles differ, which can be applied to particle sorting. This experiment has applications in biology, where bacteria and/or cells can be sorted and separated and also in autonomous cars. 

While explaining his second experiment, Prof A K Sood mentioned that he studied the devitrification or the tendency of glass particles to crystallize over time to reach a state of stability from its metastable state. He used supervised Machine Learning to predict where crystallization will occur in glass. His team trained the system to identify the hard and soft particles of the glass. His experiments concluded that Machine Learning (ML) helps in identifying the soft particles, which possess the tendency to move and crystallize over a long period of time. Further, Prof A K Sood and his team of collaborators developed bacterial nano heat engines by mimicking the biological motors in our body which produces energy for living beings to function. Using bacterial activity, they made heat engines and are advancing their research work to recognize the practical applications of the nano heat engines in cars, batteries. The bacteria heat engines is a highly promising technology of the future   

Prof A K Sood narrated his laboratory stories to explicate the splendor of multidisciplinary research which can be used to solve basic problems. He said, “The key to successful scientific research is to collaborate with experts beyond their own domain. Communication and appreciation of views of   an open mind enable the scientists to understand the various phenomena. Students and researchers should be curious which will lead to research having various interdisciplinary applications that will make an impact across various domains.”  

About thousand participants from IISc,IITs, NITs,IIITs, IISERs, several Indian Universities including University of Hyderabad, Delhi University, NEHU, Pondicherry University, Punjab University; a few foreign Universities including KAUST, Saudi Arabia, Nagoya University, Japan, Zhejiang Ocean University, China, Teesside University, UK, several Engineering Colleges; National Laboratories of DST, DBT, CSIR, ISRO, DRDO, ICMR, BARC, JNCASR, ARIES, ARCI; industries including ARBL, Tata Steel have attended the distinguished lecture given by Prof Ajay Sood.  

Paarivendhar keeps up his poll promise: 300 students to get free education in SRM 

Date: October 12, 2020

Permabalur MP and Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Dr T R Paarivendhar, who had promised to give free education to 300 deserving students from his constituency in the SRM Group of colleges, has provided that this year.Last year (2019), in the run up to the elections, Paarivendhar had given this assurance to the people of his constituency. And after his win by over 4 lakh votes, he immediately fulfilled his poll promise. A total of 300 students were given free education in the colleges under the SRM ambit.This year, too, 1084 students had applied for free education. Out of them 300 have been chosen based on their marks and the financial situation of their respective families.Apart from putting their names on the SRM website, a formal intimation will be going out to the chosen students individually. The chosen students will be pursuing education in engineering, agriculture, arts and science as per their individual preferences. 

Ever since his impressive victory in the general elections last year, Paarivendhar has been taking up various issues of his constituency with both the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister here in the State. He personally met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 18, 2020, and impressed upon him the various needs of the Perambalur constituency.Among the issues Paarivendhar stressed upon include the need for a railway line via Ariyalur-Perambalur-Thuraiyur-Namakkal. He had taken up this issue with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, too. The latter has written to Paarivendhar that the first survey for the railway line will be taken up shortly.

With Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy, the Perambalur MP took up the issues of railway bridge at Kulithalai-Manapparai, bringing residual Cauvery water through a canal to Panjapatti lake, setting up Kendriya Vidyalayas in Lalgudi and Kulithalai, and setting up cold storage facilities to help small onion farmers in Thuraiyur and Perambalur.Paarivendhar has assured to continue to fulfil the various needs of the Perambalur constituency and its people.

SRM's techno-management fest Aaruush kickstarts

Date: October 08, 2020

Aaruush, the National Level Techno-Management Fest of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur began today on a festive note. The 14th edition of this fest will be held online from 8 October to 12 October 2020.
The inaugural was presided over by Chief Guest Dr. V.K. Aatre, the Former Director-General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with the Guest of Honour Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, the Former Head Scientist of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

SRMIST recently won a Guinness World Record for holding the largest software lesson consists of 900 people and was achieved at an event organised by Aaruush at the Institute on 7 September 2019. The certificate for the same was released at this event.Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. VK Aatre said, "Science and Technology drive our surroundings, it helps us understand the rhythms of nature. Science leads to more science, more science leads to more technology. We are now in a phase where we are teaching machines to be intelligent."

He added, "IoT is going to completely change our way of life in the coming days. We should look beyond problems and reach out to find solutions through science and technology." He emphasized that there is no end to inventions and science. This leads to more and more opportunities and India has a huge amount of talents. Therefore India should now start producing outstanding academic institutions to cope up with the growing trends and challenges.Guest of Honour, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar said, "This COVID has taught us that we should have stronger public health sectors. If we want success we should implement strategy with the community."

He explained how each person's contribution to science will extend to the community. "No matter what happens, one must always strive to work hard to help the community at large." He encouraged students to think about how they will change and make our nation great.Vice Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti delivered the presidential address. "The power of students is huge. Today learning is not purely academic or listening in class, but learning has taken a new stand. Events like Aaruush is a new way to learn and succeed."

This technological extravaganza will have a host of workshops, flagship events and Luminary addresses. It has also been given patronage by renowned organizations, such as ACM, YouthUp, CEE, SAYEN and NSIC alongside with whom, it is accredited by esteemed organizations such as IEEE, IET, OSA, ASME, IETE and ISHRAE, to name a few.  Also present were Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Dean (College of Engineering and Technology) Prof. T. V. Gopal, Dean (Sciences) Dr. John Thiruvadigal, Dean (School of Management) Prof. V.M. Ponniah, Associate Director (Campus Life) Dr. V. Thirumurugan and Aaruush Convenor Dr. A. Rathinam.

Online classes for MBBS students valid: National Medical Commission

Date: October 03, 2020

The online theory classes for MBBS students will continue as per National Medical Commission's circular. This was clarified by the National Medical Commission stating that in view of COVID-19 pandemic, online classes are valid and are approved for teaching during the current pandemic situation. 

A release from National Medical Commission to Dean/ Principal of All Medical Colleges/Institutions stated: "Attention of National Medical Commission has been drawn to some media reports that online classes for teaching of MBBS curriculum were not approved by erstwhile MCI. In this regard, it is clarified that in view of Pandemic COVID-19 the Medical Colleges/Institutions in India are conducting online theory classes for MBBS students. Online classes are valid and were approved for teaching during the current Pandemic COVID-19 only. Such online theory classes are required to be supplemented by practical and clinical training as per the current curriculum in all MBBS subjects in the Colleges/Institutions and affiliated hospitals as and when colleges reopen." 

The release also stated that "It is further clarified that the media reports appeared to have relied upon the reply given on 13/08/2020 by erstwhile MCI in response to an RTI query which was in reference to the conduct of MBBS teaching curriculum by the foreign medical university through online medium only."

SRM students, staff participate in Fit India Freedom Run

Date: September 30, 2020

The students and staff of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur participated in the Government of India's Fit India Freedom Run on 29 September 2020. The event was flagged off by Vice Chancellor of SRMIST Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. This run was organized by the Department of Physical Education & Sports Science, SRMIST. Students participated in this event virtually.

The five-kilometer run/ walk was held within the Kattankulathur campus with proper social distancing and COVID19 precautions in place.Dean (College of Engineering and Technology) Prof. T. V. Gopal welcomed the gathering. Flagging off the event, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, "Apart from keeping fit and reducing anxiety, such events are also good avenues to make new friends."He emphasizes that the Institute's many sports facilities are open all the time and students and staff need to make use of them to stay healthy. Also, present for the event was Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan and Director (Sports) Dr. K Vaithianathan.

The event was organized under the initiative taken by our Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and is part of the Fit India Mission by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Fit India Freedom Run is held from 15th August – 2nd October 2020 to encourage fitness and help us all to get freedom from obesity, laziness, stress, anxiety, diseases etc. This nation-wide movement encourages people to remain healthy and fit by including physical activities and sports in their daily lives.

SRM Hospital gets a new ambulance to its fleet

Date: September 18, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre  (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur today got a new ambulance to its fleet. The ambulance was donated by Amphenol Omniconnect Private Limited, Maraimalai Nagar in association with Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation.The ambulance was flagged off by Ms. K. Kavitha, Senior Manager- HR from Amphenol Omniconnect Private Limited and her team along with SRM MCHRC's Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences) Dr. Lt Col. A. Ravikumar, Dean (Medical) Dr. A. Sundaram and Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj. Regional Director of American Chamber of Commerce, Chennai Mr. Aubrey Daniels was the special guest at this event.

Speaking at the formal meeting held before the flag off, Senior Manager- HR from Amphenol Omniconnect Private Limited, K. Kavitha said, "This is part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). SRM MCHRC was most obliging when we approached them with our request. We are happy that this project has been materialised and comes at a time when the need is more."Pro VC Dr. Lt Col. A. Ravikumar said, "Amphenol has done a great favour to us. We had limited resources with ambulances and adding another to our fleet is going to help people in the long run." Also present for the event was Secretary of Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation, Mr. D. V. Venkatagiri.

SRM students should be job creators, not seekers

Date: September 17,2020

Over 5000 freshers were welcomed at the Induction Ceremony held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur. The event held virtually was participated by the incoming students of B.Tech, B.Arch, B.Des, M.Tech & M.Des and their parents. 

Present for the event were SRMIST's Pro Chancellor (Administration) Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo, Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman, Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Pro Vice Chancellor (Science & Humanities) Dr. R. Balasubramanian, Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences) Dr. Lt Col. A. Ravikumar, Controller of Examination Dr. S. Ponnusamy, Dean (E&T) Dr. T. V. Gopal and Dean (E&T) VDP Campus. 

Addressing students Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, "Our aim is to make students become entrepreneurs. To facilitate this we have special labs and groups where students and faculties come together to work on ideas and fabricate it."
"Although your education is now happening beyond the classroom, you are no less an engineer," he said and assured students that they will soon start offline classes. He also urged students to keep priorities in life and focus on them. "Education comes first, then co-curricular, and finally your enjoyment."

Pro Chancellor Administration Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo said, "Your safety will be our first concern. That is the reason why we have begun classes virtually. The pandemic has affected each one of us in a different way and students should be strong enough to face any type of challenges, situations and get accused to this culture. Our faculty members will be your core strength in SRMIST and they are here to help you battle any hardships."

Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, "SRMIST is a new generation university that offers online and offline learning, dual degree programs, virtual labs, semester abroad programs among others." He told students to not just confine themselves to academics, but to explore other areas as well. He urged students to make full use of state-of-the-art facilities for research at SRMIST to experiment and innovate as their ideas.

Pro Vice Chancellor (Engineering and Technology) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan said, "SRMIST will present you with a fascinating life ahead. There are lots of avenues to explore your potentials. As future engineers, you are in a position to change the world." He also assured students about their placement in jobs after they complete their courses.
Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman encouraged students to be strong and not affected by this pandemic. "Promise yourself to look at the sunny side of things and work towards success. Let obstacles be your lesson," he told them.

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, NIS to collaborate for academic, research purposes

Date: September 14, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur and National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Tambaram have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by which the two will now be able to achieve excellence in patient care, research and medical education.

Present for the MoU signing were SRM MCHRC's Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical and Health Sciences) Dr. Lt Col. A. Ravikumar, Dean (Medical) Dr. A. Sundaram, Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj,  Associate Dean (Research) Medical and Health Sciences Dr. M. Balasubramanyam, Director of National Institute of Siddha- Tambaram Dr. R. Meenakumari, Professor and Hospital Superintendent at NIS, Dr. Christian. 

SRM MCHRC and NIS will henceforth jointly offer certified short and long term courses, conduct jointly sponsored research, academic and clinical activities, publish books and journals, develop reference materials, training methods and services, offer advisory/consultancy services.

It may be recalled that SRM MCHRC and NIS had joined together to battle COVID19 through Allopathy and Siddha. Speaking at the MoU signing, Dean of SRM MCHRC Dr. A. Sundaram said, "SRM MCHRC and NIS jointly worked in curing coronavirus among patients using Siddha and Allopathy. The results were much faster than the regular treatment. This treatment procedure was approved and allowed by the government."

SRM hosts live virtual cultural fest in association with SPICMACAY

Date: September 10, 2020

SRM Centre for Performing and Fine Arts (SRM CPFA) and Directorate of Student Affairs in SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur will be hosting 'VIRASAT', a beautiful culmination of the musical, mystical and classics to remind each of us of our heritage and culture.

This virtual cultural fest is hosted in association with Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY). The event will be held from 11 to 13 September 2020 from 5 pm to 6.30 pm and will have prominent gurus performing breathtaking numbers.On 11 September, Kathak dancer V. Shovana Narayan will enthrall the audience with her performance. On 12 September, Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt will render a Mohan Veena recital. Pt. Rajan and Sajan Mishra will give a Hindustani vocal concert on 13 September, which is the last day of the fest.  This event comes at a time when the entire world is reeling under the effect of COVID 19, which has left all confined to our houses.

SRM CPFA (Centre for Performing and Fine Arts), headed by Dr. Shobana Vignesh, has an energetic community of artists and scholars who balance a commitment to tradition with a willingness to cross artistic boundaries. The Centre boasts of a nationally recognized faculty and offers state-of-the-art facilities for students. The Centre provides several recital and concert venues for students, faculty, and visiting artistes. 

SPICMACAY is a non-political, nationwide, voluntary movement that creates awareness about different aspects of Indian heritage and inspires the young mind to imbibe the values embedded in it. The aim of Virasat is to promote better quality of life and overall well-being of one's self, to ground one during the daily hustle and bustle.

People can watch the event live on Zoom or Youtube

SRM adopts eight villages under MHRD’s Unnat Bharat Abhiyan program

Date: September 07, 2020

Under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), the flagship program of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur has adopted eight villages.The aim of this program is to transform rural India. Based on the guidelines layout by MHRD, SRMIST has adopted the villages of Anjur, Pattaravakkam, Thenmelpakkam, Orathur, Nattarasampattu, Chettipunniyam, Kalivandapattu, and Kolathur.

Out of 59 project proposals submitted by SRMIST for the upliftment of rural people in these adopted villages, three projects were funded by UBA during the academic year 2018-19. They are - End-To-End Integrated Rationing System for Distribution of Provisions have been completed at Anjur village, Reverse osmosis plant, and RO water plant installed at Government School of Orathur village and Versatile Anaerobic reactor for Households to Yield Biogas by Utilizing waste (KISAN VAHYU) at Orathur village.

Apart from these, various development projects such as Swachh Bharat Summer Internship, Student Solar Ambassador Initiative, Ban on Single-use Plastic Awareness Programs, RO Water Plant Project, School Improvement by providing furniture and electrical appliances, Smart Classroom, Medical Camp and Distribution of Educational Learning Kits for Science Lab and Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign. Apart from this SRMIST has also donated furniture worth Rs.2 lakhs to a Govt. Middle School, Thenmelpakkam village, Kattankulathur Panchayat union.

For all these commendable efforts, SRMIST was awarded Rank 1 for Swachh Campus Ranking 2019 by MHRD, Rank 1 for “One Student One Tree” project and Rank 3 for “Clean and Smart Campus” by AICTE.The institution has undertaken umpteen projects in the form of its Corporate Social responsibility schemes, Swachh Bharat Summer Internship, awareness campaigns to make the villages ODF, and to ban single-use plastics and tree plantation.

SRMIST has completed many community development activities such as PRAKRIT - SRMIST, and ENACTUS Implemented a community development project under UBA in Anjur village. This project helps and trains women of Anjur village in "Paper bags making" in order to improve their livelihood through an entrepreneurial approach. Recently UBA funds for Technology Intervention through COVID-19 sub-category SEG have been released to SRMIST on 3 July 2020. The project is a Gesture-based automatic water tap controller in the RO Plant system: A Step towards COVID free community. 

Due to Pandemic situation SRM Group of Institutions, under the patronage of its Founder Chancellor and Perambalur MP Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar distributed 1000 packets of relief materials containing rice, wheat, dhal and other groceries worth Rs.5 lakhs to the needy people of its 8 UBA adopted villages through the Chengalpattu district administration. The event was attended by Pro Vice Chancellor Engineering and Technology, Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Deputy Registrar of SRM Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar and SRMIST's Associate Director & UBA nodal officer Dr. V. Thirumurugan. A few bags were distributed to villagers by SRMIST's Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti.

Teachers should be ready for the New Education Policy: Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar

Date: September 07, 2020

The Teacher's Day celebrations at SRM Institute of Science of Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur was held virtually. The event was presided over by Founder Chancellor of SRMIST Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Pro-Chancellor (Administration), Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo, Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engineering & Technology), Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Pro Vice Chancellor (Science & Humanities), M Balasubramanian among others. Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman delivered the welcome address. In his address to teachers, Founder Chancellor of SRMIST Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, "The importance of education is to know to all and hence teachers are given due importance. In the NEP, studying will become very flexible, and learning will get more practical. So to cope up with it, teachers need to be prepared. You should be updated in your field daily and should be ahead of students. Nowadays, students have various avenues to learn so teachers need to be prepared. So before you are a good teacher you need to be good learners."
Pro-Chancellor (Administration), Shri Ravi Pachamoothoo said, "This NEP is going to be challenging. However, it is student-friendly and they can now dictate terms to professors. The old school of thought is not going to work anymore. To compete with this, universities should focus on big campuses which means bringing research inside the campus. This is how a university can flourish. At the same time, the university and its faculties should be updated in terms of syllabus and teaching methods. This is the only way to help students get jobs during this pandemic. We need to connect with the industry and bring them to the campus to work with students."
In his address, Vice Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, "Our teachers have earned additional titles during this pandemic, they are now called lockdown mentors, facilitators and councillors. Their role has changed in the last six months due to the pandemic. Teaching is global progress and teachers have the power to train and hold the young mind. This is also a time to thank our own teachers because they are the reason we are here today."
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engineering & Technology), Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan said, "Teachers should know the importance of participating in learning. Collaboration is a threat to students in learning. Hence there should be cooperation with one another. Teachers must have a strong  emphasis and necessity towards the interest of students."
Pro Vice Chancellor (Science & Humanities), M Balasubramanian said, "Teachers who educate children are more honoured than parents. This is the importance of teachers in our society."
Director (Research), Dr. K Ramasamy highlighted the research activities in SRMIST. HOD of English Dept, Dr. Shanthi Chitra, gave a short presentation on the public reflection on the New Education Policy.

SRM offers free education to 300 students from Perambalur parliamentary constituency

Date: September 02, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur is offering free education to 300 students from Perambalur parliamentary constituency. This was announced by SRMIST’s Founder Chancellor and Perambalur MP, Dr. T. R Paarivendhar last year and is being followed this year too. This is part of Dr. Paarivendhar's core promises in his election manifesto.Students from the Perambalur Lok Sabha segment, who wish to pursue Engineering, Arts and Science, Horticulture, Management, Health Sciences etc. can apply for the same. Applicants from economically weaker sections will be selected based on their performance in their respective board examinations.

These 300 students would be given free education at his SRM Institute of Science and Technology. This scheme will only cover full tuition fees and be renewed on the basis of academic performance. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, hostel facilities will not be provided this time.Dr. Paarivendhar said that the SRM group would strive to make education at private universities beneficial to those from the economically weaker section. He said, “Students should utilize this opportunity to pursue higher studies.” He assured that deserving students would get suitable placements.Those eligible in his constituency need to submit the applications through online on or before 10th September 2020.

SRM Chancellor inaugurates new campus for Agricultural Science, Paarivendhar Telemedicine Centre on his birthday

Date: August 24, 2020

Founder Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, M.P., inaugurated the new campus for the College of Agricultural Science and the Paarivendhar Telemedicine Centre on the occasion of his birthday.The new campus of the College of Agricultural Science will function from Vendhar Nagar, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu district and the Paarivendhar Telemedicine Centre is to function from SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) in Kattankulathur.

The event was presided over by SRMIST's Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Vice Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Pro Vice Chancellor (S&H) Dr. R Balasubramanian, Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. C. Muthamizhselvan, Registrar Dr. N Sethuraman, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Medical) of SRM MCHRC Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar. Speaking at the event which was held virtually, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, "The agriculture school was started a few years back in SRMIST in a small way, now they have a place of their own with all facilities.""SRM has always played a key role in helping the neighbourhood in which it functions. So I hope Vendhar Nagar will also grow as our agricultural college grows," he added.

He then urged students to come forward to make use of the facilities at the college.On the opening of the Telemedicine centre, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, "SMR MCHRC has always been providing treatment at a nominal rate and is also the centre for COVAXIN clinical trial in Tamil Nadu. Now with the opening of this Telemedicine centre, it will try and give solutions to all our medical problems from the comfort of our homes."
Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, said, "It is an auspicious day for us to start anything new on our Chancellor's birthday. Our Founder-Chancellor always wanted an agriculturist to become the Chief Minister of our State and now his wish has come true as our present CM comes from an agricultural family. SRM MCHRC is known for its COVAXIN clinical trial and now we hope that our newly opened Telemedicine centre also become one of the most sought after." He also urged that the faculty and students here should make SRMIST be recognized as an Institute of Eminence and world-class universities globally.

On the occasion, construction works at the College of Agricultural Science were given dress materials. Health camp and Siddha preventive medicines to fight COVID 19 were also provided to about 1200 villagers.
Paarivendhar Telemedicine Centre will function on all days, except Sundays and government holidays, from 8 am to 4 pm. Regular teleconsulting will be provided by senior doctors (professors) in all specialities. This telemedicine centre will function as per the guidelines issued by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The initial consultation fee would be Rs. 400 and Rs.250 will be charged for a review. For scheduling appointments call 044 47432303/ 7358026016 or email to hemalatm@srmist.edu.in.

ARIIA 2020 Rankings: SRM secures second position

Date: August 19, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur (formerly known as SRM University) has found a podium finish in the Atal Rankings of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) 2020.The ranking was announced virtually by Vice President, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu, and SRMIST has secured second place in the Private or Self-Financed universities category. A total of 674 institutions took part in the rankings and SRMIST managed to secure the podium finish this year too.  
ARIIA is an initiative of the Ministry of HRD, implemented by AICTE and the Ministry's Innovation Cell, Government of India to systematically rank higher education institutions and universities in India on indicators related to Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Development amongst students and faculty.

The major parameters on which ARIIA is based are Programs and Activities on IPR, Innovation, Start-up and Entrepreneurship, Pre-Incubation & Incubation Infrastructure & Facilities to Support I&E, Annual Budget Spent on Promoting and Supporting I&E Activities, Courses on Innovation, IPR and Entrepreneurship Development, Intellectual Property (IP), Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Successful Innovation and Start-ups & Funding Innovation & start-ups.

SRMIST is one of the top-ranking universities in India with over 52,000 students and more than 3200 faculty across all the campuses. It offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in Engineering, Management, Medicine and Health Sciences, Hotel Management, Science and Humanities, Agricultural Sciences and a School of Law.

Apart from much recent ARIIA ranking, SRMIST is accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with "A++" the highest grade and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has placed it under the category "I" and also under section 12 (b) which entitles government funding for research. Placing SRMIST in the top league among QS ranked institutions in India, QS has awarded a 5-star rating in Teaching, Employability, and Inclusiveness with an overall rating of 4-star. SRMIST is a QS I-GAUGE Diamond rated institution. Further, at the Kattankulathur campus, Five engineering programs have been accredited by ABET, USA (www.abet.org), and another four Engineering programs by IET, UK. It has more than 1000 international students from 64 countries studying in various programs.

SRM hospital opens ROP screening for premature babies

Date: August 13, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) and Aravind Eye Hospital have signed a Memorandum of understanding by which the former will now be able to provide regular Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) screening of high-risk babies at its premises in Kattankulathur. This is done as part of the commitment to the National Program for Prevention and Control of Blindness (NPCB), to prevent childhood blindness due to ROP.

Aravind Eye Hospital will provide a team of experts and expertise to do the screening at SRM Medical College and Hospital and Research Centre (screening include Tele ROP). Apart from screening, experts from Aravind Eye Hospital will provide treatment advice, perform interventions in the form of laser or intravitreal injection or surgery free of cost. Speaking at the MoU signing, Dean of SRM MCH Dr. A. Sundaram said, "ROP is the important cause of childhood blindness. This can be if diagnosed early."

Dr. Prabhu Baskaran, Vitreo-retinal surgeon from Aravind Eye Hospital, said, “ROP screening will be done by a trained technician while the intervention will be done by a doctor. The screening process would take less than five minutes, while the intervention if it extensive laser it will take about 45 minutes while a smaller process will take 30 mins or so. The outcome of this process will help cure blindness in premature babies."
"This ROP process will completely be real-time. It will alert if there is a treatment required or not after the diagnose. This will prevent sick babies from being shifted for treatment," he added.

Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar said, "The idea is to catch the illness early and treat it. This process is a welcoming effort and this opens new avenues for treatment in the future.'The cost of screening right now is done free.”

Retinopathy of Prematurity is one of the causes of permanent vision impairment among premature babies. babies born before 34 weeks of gestation or with less than 1850 grams birth weight, any baby with long term exposure to oxygen, suffers respiratory distress syndrome, recovers from septicemia, underwent multiple blood transfusion, recovered from apneic episodes, has intraventricular hemorrhage are at risk of developing ROP.

 SRMIST Announces B.Tech Admission Rank List 2020 

Date: Aug 10, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST, formerly SRM University),has announced the SRM B. Tech Rank List for 2020 admissions. In the light of the ongoing pandemic, the SRMJEEE which determines entry into the much sought after engineering degree programmes, was cancelled this year, and replaced with rankings based on +2 / Pre-University / equivalent marks in PCM / PCB submitted by the candidate. A total of 1.36 lakh candidates from across India and overseas had applied for admission to SRM B.Tech 2020.

The Top 10 Rankers represent the student diversity of SRM, and come from diverse backgrounds across India: Ekkaluri Harshitha, Andhra Pradesh; R Sanjay, Karnataka; Abhinav Tripathi, Rajasthan; Dharshin Balakrishnan, Tamil Nadu; Shivam Kumar, Bihar; Arun Martin, Kerala; Ajay Parmar, Madhya Pradesh; Rudr Kesar, Jammu and Kashmir; Mayank Singh, Uttar Pradesh and Hil Savani, Gujarat, emerged as toppers in the all India Top 10 Rank list.

On enrolment, Top 100 Rank Holders will be awarded Founder's Scholarship with 100% Tuition and Hostel fee waiver. The Top 101 to 500 rank holders will be awarded SRM Merit Scholarship with 100% Tuition fee waiver. The university also offers an incredible range of scholarship to the tune of Rs 40 Crores benefiting 3200+ students every year, making studying in the university affordable to all. SRMIST also offers on-the-spot loan facilitation of bank educational loans. The next step in the Admission Process is the Rankings along with the Allocated Branch will be sent to the successful candidates registered email ID and mobile number. Based on the seat availability, SRM will conduct online - counselling in the coming days. In view of high preference to join SRM, counselling is only planned for the top 50,000 Ranks. 

The SRM Ranking is applicable for B. Tech Admission in all campuses of SRM Institute of Science and Technology located at Kattankulathur (Main Campus, Chennai Area), Vadapalani and Ramapuram in Chennai city, and Delhi – NCR; SRM University, AP – Andhra Pradesh; SRM University, Sonepat– Haryana and SRM University, Sikkim.

This year SRMIST has created a placement record with 8500+ Job Offers, 149 Super Dream Offers, 1629 Dream Offers, with a top salary of Rs 41.6 L, the highest ever by any university in India. Around 625+ Top – notch companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, CISCO, Siemens, PayPal, Accenture, Capgemini, Hewlett Packard, TCS, Infosys, Cognizant, Wipro, ABB, L & T, Ford, TVS, Schneider, Renault Nissan, Cerner, GT Strategies, Ford, Bioclinica, and Zifo among many others, visit SRMIST every year to recruit the students in well paying jobs in their companies.

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Covid-19 blues pitches SRM into more research initiatives including Siddha 

Date: Aug 10, 2020

Even after six months into a global pandemic, the continuing uncertainty over the progression of Covid-19, novel coronavirus, has infused a greater degree of social purpose in SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre at Kattankulathur near here to try and contribute to taming the virus by undertaking research across medicinal systems including ‘Siddha’, said Dr. Lt Col A. Ravikumar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Medical and Health Sciences

In the popular message-space, ‘Kabasura Kudineer’, the herbal concoction as part of the indigenous ‘Siddha’ formulations to tackle coronavirus, may be seen as a harmless immune booster in susceptible populations. But that stage is already being surpassed, thanks to the Central and State governments also opening up the inclusion of Indian systems of medicine and medical research institutions like SRM taking up the challenge. 

Going beyond a facile recommendation that ‘Siddha’ formulations including ‘Kabasura Kudineer’ is an ‘add-on therapy’ in treating Covid-19 patients, “We are now testing its efficacy in a proper scientific study to see whether it really works,” says Dr. Melvin George, Associate Professor, Clinical Pharmacology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. The study, in collaboration with the National Institute of Siddha (NIS), aims to document, on the basis of scientific evidence, how the ‘Siddha’ formulations add to the effectiveness of the mainline allopathic hospital treatment to cure Covid-19 and also how they can prevent the virus from spreading. 

This important study is being aided by two groups of people- in all 150 and split into 75 persons in each group with their individual consent-, of which one group will get the regular medical treatment for Covid-19 plus the ‘Siddha’ formulations and the other group get only standard medical care, explains Dr. Satyajit Mahopatra and Dr Melvin George. The outcomes from these two groups will be compared in testing claims whether ‘Siddha’ formulations really help prevent Covid-19 cases going from ‘mild’ to ‘severe’, the lesser number of days taken for a cure and the like. “Nearly 40 per cent of this study has been completed and at the end of it we will publish the findings along with the NIS”, he said. 

Another area of research SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is in thick of, is testing the efficacy of recombinant BCG vaccine in preventing Covid-19 infections among people who are in the high-risk zone, particularly among the hospital staff who are treating Covid-19 patients. This is in partnership with the Serum Institute, Pune. The third study involves finding out whether ‘Hydroxychloroquine’ as a prophylactic can prevent onset of Covid-19 coronavirus infection in people who are working in hospitals. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given guidelines for this two months back and SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is one of the 25 hospitals across India chosen for this study also, points out Dr Melvin George. 

Ultimately, with so many people suffering due to Covid-19, the purpose of “widening our research horizons, given our very good infrastructure, by collaborating with various organisations is to join different initiatives and with our contributions cumulatively make an impact” in fighting the pandemic, says Dr Melvin George. 

“It is a large team who are working and if by collaborative research we can contribute to understanding Covid-19, for its treatment and prevention and if it can stop the pandemic and save people’s lives, it will be a big thing,” added Dr Melvin George, on the overall significance of these projects.

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SRM emerges winner of software edition of 'Smart India Hackathon 2020'

Date: Aug 07, 2020

Team Carboxy from the Department of Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, has emerged as the national winners of the software edition of ‘Smart India Hackathon 2020’ held recently.
The team Carboxy consists of six students - Blessin George Varghese (Team Leader), T.R. Rohith, Subhashree Hazra, Arpit Sharma, Chirag Gomber, and Siddhant Thakur represented SRMIST in the national final.The team worked on the problem statement put forward by Bajaj Finserv’s HealthRx in order to come up with an innovative way to bring up a healthier India.
The team built a Medical Lab Report digitization and standardization system with rich user experience and detailed analytics. The platform also delivers ML-powered insights on user's health. The solution will help the user to store and comprehend his/her lab reports even if they aren't aware of the medical terms. Machine Learning powered recommendations will help the user to be proactive in terms of staying healthy. For the organization, it provides a very interactive dashboard with very detailed analytics! They were working on improving their solution during the lockdown and were able to deliver a solution that was appreciated by the evaluators.

The evaluators also expressed interest in taking the solution forward to a product. The team said that it was a unique experience in attending this online hackathon. They had to discuss, design, and develop while being connected virtually.A few of the team members - Blessin George Varghese, T.R Rohith, and Subashree Hazra - had won SIH previously.
Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative by the Government of India (GoI) to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems faced in daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving. Thousands of students participate at different nodal centres in the national grand finale. Smart India Hackathon is conducted every year since 2017 in two formats i.e. SIH Software and SIH Hardware Editions.

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SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in vanguard of public health as Phase-II ‘Covaxin’ trials near  

Date: Aug 04, 2020

As the entire world waits with bated breath for the arrival of a vaccine to neutralize the Covid-19, novel coronavirus pandemic, the SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre at Kattankulathur near here has joined a prestigious group of medical institutions in the country with a basket of research projects led by its clinical trials of ‘Covaxin’, a ‘promising vaccine candidate’ against the ‘Sars-CoV-2 virus, a major project supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and developed by Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL), Hyderabad in collaboration with National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. 

The SRM Medical College’s valuable experience in doing clinical trials in the past, and its state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities- its clinical trial unit is a 10,000 square feet area partly sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology-, makes it one of the few private universities in the country with a well developed laboratory and researchers. These have helped catapult it to the league of 12 h

ospitals now doing these vital clinical trials as part of a national mission, said Professor Lt Col S. Ravikumar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Medical and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology.

The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has accorded permission for Phase-I and Phase-II clinical trials of ‘Covaxin’. As part of Phase-I trial, to basically test the vaccine’s safety and ensure it has no side-effects, about 30 subjects, normal healthy persons in the age group of 18-55 years, were given the first shot of this candidate-vaccine at SRM Medical College, says Dr. Satyajit Mahopatra, the Principal Investigator and Dr Melvin George, Associate Professor, Clinical Pharmacology, at the hospital and research centre. 

Those who have received the vaccine are doing well till date and they would be given one more shot in the next couple of weeks. In a month from now, the results of the Phase-I trials should be available after complete clinical evaluation, coordinated by BBIL.  The Phase-I trial country-wide involved 375 subjects in all as approved by the DCGI.  

By next week, “we hope to begin the Phase-II trials on healthy persons in the age group of 12-65 years,” said Dr Melvin George and invited volunteers for it as SRM Medical college is ready to start work on it soon. “100 volunteers are needed for Phase II trails. They would be checked for their general health status and screened for Covid-19 before being taken in. The candidate-vaccine’s next phase trial will also involve two shots being administered to the subjects, and their follow-up over nine time-lines, during which it will be seen for its efficacy to produce antibodies in the serum to protect the subjects from the coronavirus infection”, he said. 

Besides this top-priority research, SRM Medical college is also involved in an ICMR-approved drug study on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine on health care workers and professionals who are in the frontline fighting to cure Covid-19 patients. In this too, “SRM is one of the few hospitals to be part of this project,” said Dr. Melvin George. All these and few more in the pipeline are part of its multi-faceted approach to tame the dreaded virus. 

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SRM doctors cure patient with benign lesion in pancreas

Date: July 31, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) in Kattankulathur is known for having treated and cured patients with rare medical conditions. One such patient is a 58-years-old woman who was successfully treated and cured with a Benign lesion of the pancreas.  

Radha (name changed) came to SRM MCHRC with complaints of abdominal pain for two weeks. She had no other symptoms such as no history of nausea, no loss of appetite, no loss of weight and had normal bowel and bladder movements. However, she was diabetic and was on treatment for the same for the last two years.

Evaluations such as MRCP, CT Abdomen and Endoscopic Ultrasound were performed on her and she was diagnosed having a cystic lesion of the pancreas. She underwent surgery recently, and a large cyst of 10x11x7 cm was noted over the distal aspect of the pancreas. Distal pancreatectomy was performed; and as the splenic vein was found closely adherent to the cyst wall, it was decided to proceed with a splenectomy (removal of the spleen). Postoperative period was uneventful as she responded well to the treatment.

Histopathological examination of the excised mass revealed a mucinous cystadenoma of the pancreas. Though a malignancy is always suspected and must be ruled out, this patient had a benign tumour which was diagnosed promptly quite early and removed successfully. Her quality of life post-procedure remains good, and she continues treatment for her diabetes alone.Not all tumours are malignant, some can be benign and be treated completely if diagnosed accurately early on dent.

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Infant treated of cleft-palate at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College & Hospital

Date: July 28, 2020

It was a proud moment for the Cleft Rehabilitation section of the Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital (SRM KDCH) as they successfully treat a one-month-old baby Divya (name changed), who was affected by a severe case of cleft-palate. This procedure was done by a team of doctors led by their HoD, Dr. Vidyashree from the Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, SRM KDCH.Cleft -palate is a common congenital deformity of the Oro-facial region. Patients suffering from this have difficulty in swallowing, speech, and in some cases ear and dental problems. Cleft is usually seen in consanguineous marriages.
SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital is one of the few colleges in India recognised and equipped to treat infantile cleft- lip, and palate. The doctors here are experienced in handling such conditions. This treatment involves making measurements of the mouth with a semi-fluid material. Divya’s parents hailed from a remote village near Trichy and she was diagnosed as suffering from cleft- lip, and palate from the time she was born. Her parents were on the verge of despair as they consulted various doctors and hospitals and were denied treatment due to the severity and age of the patient. Her parents, fortunately, met one of their relatives, who had undergone various treatments at SRM Kattankulathur Dental Hospital. He immediately referred them to the Department of Prosthodontics at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital. When Divya visited the Hospital, she was consulted by an expert team of Prosthodontists. Series of radiographs were suggested to evaluate her condition. The parents were apprehensive at first but were later counseled about their child's condition and the best available treatment plans. They were convinced and accepted for further treatment procedures.

The infant was referred for Cleft rehabilitation as she was always crying. She was unable to feed due to a large opening between the nose and the mouth. There was difficulty in swallowing due to the absence of negative pressure during suckling due to the cleft at the back of the palate. This also results in the regurgitation of fluids into the nasal passage. So the treatment plan was to close the oro-nasal passage by providing a Feeding plate. This requires an impression of the palate which was made with the help of specialised tray and materials. The cast of the impression was made and the feeding plate was processed immediately in a single day with heat-cured acrylic resin. A button was attached to the feeding plate with the help of dental floss to prevent the appliance from slipping intraorally. The feeding plate was inserted into the baby’s mouth and the child immediately took her feed. 

Divya’s mother had tears in her eyes as she was extremely happy to see her baby swallow and feed properly for the first time since birth. It was important for the infant to feed well for the wellbeing, growth, and weight gain so that the cleft could be corrected permanently with surgery. The family was extremely grateful to the team of doctors who took great care and completed the treatment swiftly.

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Piyush Goyal bats for mix of virtual and classroom education in meeting new challenges
 

Date: July 24, 2020

Emphasising that technology and innovation will be the key to "democratising development and prosperity" in overcoming the economic and social challenges of a post-Covid-19 world, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Railways, Mr. Piyush Goyal, called for a mix of 'virtual education and classroom education' in tapping the current potential for online education.Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic unwittingly opening up a huge potential for virtual learning, Mr. Piyush Goyal said the current potential for 'virtual education' was huge - estimated at US dollars ten billion-, adding, it would be preferable to "do a hybrid of virtual education and classroom education" in helping the youth cope with the present challenges and global competition.  

Citing the initiative of the Indian Railways which has 300 training institutes across the country, Mr. Goyal mentioned that his Ministry was now setting up a National Rail and Transportation University, which will play a vital role in developing a modern railway system in India. The pedagogic programme will be partly virtual and partly in classrooms and will dovetail on-the-job training that will create skilled manpower to harness new technologies. That was the kind of hybrid educational model that was needed, he said, and quoted Michael Porter to drive home the message,"prosperity is created, not inherited."  

Lauding the FICCI paper released at the inaugural on Online Education, Opportunities and Challenges, Mr. Piyush Goyal said it will be a good starting point for policy makers, educational institutions and industry to engage with the best on what needs to be done as "education will decide the economic destiny of India." Stating that technology and education was changing the way "you and me live", something which may not be visible but has a very deep impact on us, Mr. Goyal, speaking via video conference from his office in New Delhi, complemented both FICCI and SRM University for organising this global virtual seminar, to deliberate and initiate a dialogue on "this very important subject and come out with outcomes which will help us in the post-Covid world."

Calling for harnessing new and  emerging technologies - whether it be big data analytics, block chain or Internet of things-, in a meaningful way, so that every single market opportunity globally was seized, Mr. Goyal said the rise of technology itself was not bad per se. "It is not something we should shy away from, but engage with it". Understanding how technology was helping the government of India in certain sectors in better management of schemes that will lead to social and economic equity, Mr. Goyal cited the growing US economy triggered by technological innovation and development. "We need to skill our people to absorb technology, to help bridge the gap between haves and havenots," the minister said.

Referring to how Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi took 'Yoga' to the whole world and was instrumental in getting the UN declare observance of 'World Yoga Day', a  very holistic combination of exercises for the wellbeing of the body, mind and soul, Mr. Goyal asked was there any start-up that took the 'power of Yoga' to the world, to seize the opportunity "opened up for us by the Prime Minister".  India has the potential to "become a powerhouse" to provide this technique of Yoga to the World, he said. Similar was the opportunity for India, with its excellent tradition of craftsmanship and carpenters, to export furniture to the rest of the world, Mr. Piyush Goyal said, adding, 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' does not close our doors to the world, but engages with it and using our natural advantages "competes with the rest of the world."

In her special address, Dr Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI, and Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, said the apex national chamber was deep into the issues facing the education sector today, even as she underscored the deeper impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout globally.Pointing out to industrial production in India plunging by 16.70 per cent post-Covid outbreak, and bleak prospects thrown up by other macroeconomic indices including FDI and migrating workforce, Dr Sangita Reddy said it was in this backdrop that it was imperative to deliberate on the adequacy of traditional educational models "to prepare our youth to live in a multi-dimensional, complex world." 

Highlighting the importance of strengthening digital and online initiatives in learning, Dr Sangita Reddy proposed that if students cannot go to school in September, then it would be good to create a new platform that allows for synergies between global universities and Indian universities and enables students from abroad to spend a minimum six months in India.  Besides reskilling workers, Dr Sangita Reddy said, “we would need to impart high levels of cognitive skills to take advantage of the digital technology trends in a post-Covid world. There was tremendous scope in education for India with surge in online registrations, fruitful initiatives in digital learning, besides India emerging as providers to the world in pharma and healthcare”. 

Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar, Chancellor, SRMIST, welcoming all the participants to the global webinar, said “academia and industry were two sides of the same coin and the potential for collaboration was huge, particularly in enhancing the quality of education and research”.Stressing the vital role played by education in creating human resources, Dr Parivendhar said, “India still had a "long way to go" in funding for higher education as a percentage of the GDP. While Norway spent 6.40 per cent of its GDP on higher education, New Zealand 6.30 per cent, UK 6.20 per cent, USA 6.10 per cent and Germany 5.10 per cent, India spent 4.60 per cent”.

Ms. Shobha Mishra Ghosh, assistant secretary general, FICCI, who was instrumental in organising this event, said, “over 1,700 registrations had been received for this virtual meet including from abroad, besides the event going live on YouTube and Facebook. The Covid-19 pandemic has induced a 'paradigm shift' , forcing us to re-imagine the traditional educational model”, explained Ms. Ghosh.

The inaugural was followed by two thematic and thought-provoking panel discussions- one on the 'New World of Work' and the second on the 'New Age- Industry-Academia Collaboration'. With eminent persons from industry and academia participating in both the panels, they were "wonderful, fascinating sessions" with great ideas thrown up for reflection and appropriate action, as Mr. Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education, who chaired the second session, later put it.

In the first panel discussion on the changing workplace, the panelists included Bijay Sahoo, President HR- Reliance Industries Ltd, who remarked that Covid-19 has redefined the notion of work itself bringing the farmer and agriculture to the centre stage of the Indian economy. The others were, Mr. Arun Jain, CMD, Intellect Design, Mr. Anurag Malik, Partner and India Leader, Workforce Advisory, EY, who dwelt on how much percentage of 'remote working' or working from home could be institutionalized in today's context, Mr. Hemel Shah, senior VP and CIO, Dell, and Mr. Lokesh Mehra, Head, AWS Academy, South Asia, Amazon. Mr. Pranjal Sharma, moderated the first panel discussion.

The second panel discussion saw an equally colourful array of personalities including, Dr Ajit Ranade, President & Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group, Prof Tan Eng Chye, President-NUS, Singapore, Mr Andreas Schleicher, Director, Directorate of Education & Skills, OECD, Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Director- IIT Delhi, and Prof Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore. Mr. Mohandas Pai made the discussion very lively with his pointed queries, emphasising points such as linking farmers to markets for better prices for their produce and creating open systems, networks and platforms where technological innovation can flourish.

In the valedictory session, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice Chancellor, SRMIST, thanked everyone for their valuable participation including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and ably summarised the take-aways from the global virtual meet on Thursday. From the FICCI side, Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General FICCI, proposed a hearty vote of thanks.

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Covid19: SRM hospital begins COVAXIN clinical trial on volunteers

Date: July 23, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) has initiated the COVAXIN clinical trial at its facility at Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu.The human trials began and two volunteers received the injection this morning at 9 am. Speaking at a press meet held at the hospital, Pro Vice Chancellor (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar said, "Two volunteers received the injection this morning and they have tolerated the medicine well and did not have any complaints." He added, "The volunteers were screened prior to this to identify if they were healthy. Laboratory investigations, COVID antigen and antibody testing was done. Only those found eligible after detailed investigations were selected to participate in this study."

Present for the press meet were Dean of SRM MCH Dr. A. Sundaram, Medical Superintendent Dr. K. Thangaraj,  COVAXIN clinical trial team Principal Investigator Dr. Satyajit Mohapatra and  Dr. Melvin George. Explaining the process of the clinical trial, Dean Dr. A. Sundaram said, "This vaccine contains the inactivated virus and every subject has to take two doses, 14 days apart. They will be kept under observation for a few hours and can then resume their usual activities. Each volunteer will have to come after receiving the injections for a total of four visits subsequently at day 28, 42, 104 and 194. During these visits, their response to the vaccination will be assessed by immunogenicity testing." 

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is the only medical college in Tamil Nadu to be selected for this trial.The trials have already begun in AIIMS Patna, PGIMS Rohtak and Nizam’s Institute, Hyderabad. COVAXIN is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited in Collaboration with ICMR and NIV (Pune). The drug has got the nod for human trials from the Drugs controller of General of India.SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has been doing this under the able guidance of our Chancellor Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar, Pro Chancellor (Academics) Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Pro VC (Medical) Lt. Col. Dr. A. Ravi Kumar and Dean of SRM MCH Dr. A. Sundaram.

The COVAXIN clinical trial team is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Satyajit Mohapatra along with Dr. Melvin George who are assisted by a well-trained team of doctors, nursing staff and support staff.SRM MCHRC has a State-of-the-art clinical trial facility to handle phase 2 clinical trial. The trial unit that was partly sponsored by DST, Govt of India has carried out several clinical trials in the last eight years. Five major projects are currently ongoing with COVID, one being COVID vaccine trail, another a BCG vaccine trail for prevention against COVID, an ICMR led cohort study on hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis for health care workers, an international multi centric clinical trial for COVID patients with certain drugs and a asiddha based product kabasura kudeneer for COVID patients.

SRM MCHRC serves a population of over 3,00,000 in and around Kattankulathur. SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) offers a plethora of opportunities to climb the career ladder as well as to change this world to better healthier providing sophisticated treatment.

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SRM IST Provides Incredible Options To Study Abroad For Students With SAT Scores

Date: July 23, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology– SRMIST(formerly known as SRM University), Chennai, India , as a member of the India Global Higher Education Alliance of the US based College Board, which conducts the SAT examinations, is offering attractive scholarships of up to 35% for students with SAT scores. SRMIST offers exciting options, one should never miss, be it Transfer / Twinning program to study abroad after 2 years at SRM and completing the final 2 years abroad for the degree to be awarded by the overseas university , or after completing graduation , or in opting for a top – notch job through campus placement. With over 200 MoUs with universities overseas, the options are unlimited. 

Date: July 20, 2020

The Human trials of COVAXIN have begun at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre. Volunteers have been screened for this trial. SRM Hospital is the only medical college in Tamil Nadu to be selected for this trial.The trial has already begun in AIIMS Patna, PGIMS Rohtak and Nizam’s Institute, Hyderabad. The volunteers in the institutes have been given the first dose of vaccine. They will be given the second dose of vaccine after an interval of 14 days.COVAXIN is developed by Bharat Biotech International limited in Collaboration with ICMR and NIV (Pune).COVAXIN has got the nod for human trials from the Drugs controller of the General of India.

Two Union Ministers to address SRM-FICCI Industry-Academia conference

Date: July 20, 2020

SRM Institute of Science & Technology (SRMIST) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) are organising an Industry-Academia Global Virtual Conference, on "Emerging Economic Scenario - Identify and Create Competencies, on 23 July from 10 am to 2 pm.The event will be held in two sessions. The first part - The new world work order - will be inaugurated by the Honorable Minister for Commerce & Industry and Minister for Railways, Sri. Piyush Goyal. The second session - Collaborative framework for new-age learning - is likely to have a keynote address by Honorable Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri. Ramesh Pokhriyal. 

Eminent personalite, Secretary-Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Gol; Dr. Tan Eng Chye, President-NUS, Singapore; Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Chancellor, SRMIST; Dr. Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI & Joint MD, Apollo Hospitals; Sri. Mohandas Pai, Chairman-Manipal Global Education, and Prof. Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore.Senior personalities holding pivotal positions in ies, such as Mr. Amit KharReliance, Future Group, Intel, IIT, IIM, Birla & Intellect designs, Economist and Authors, Mahindra&Mahindra will be part of the panelists.

A large number of participants consisting of CEOs, CXOs, top corporate officials, regulators, Academicians, faculty members from all over the globe are expected to be part of the event.This Industry-Academia Global Virtual Conference aims to deliberate upon the impact of ongoing changes on the economy, the swift transition towards digital interface and its impact on new-age competencies, the need for effective synchronization between industry & academia, and identifying new grounds for international collaborations.

SRM doctors use advanced endoscopic treatment to save senior citizen

Date: July 16, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC) in Kattakulathur has been performing a wide range of rare lifesaving procedures at affordable rates. Some of the rare cases, which most doctors were not able to diagnose or cure, have been treated successfully here. In the same line now a team of doctors here has successfully cured a patient with gastric cancer.

Subburama Reddy (name changed) a 72-year-old male came to SRM MCHRC  with complaints of indigestion and abdominal bloating sensation. As part of the evaluation, he underwent upper GI endoscopy at the Department of Medical Gastroenterology. He was found to have a small ulcer in the stomach which was further evaluated by image enhanced endoscopy called Narrowband Imaging and was diagnosed to have a cancer stomach which was confirmed by taking a biopsy. He was evaluated further by imaging and was diagnosed to have early gastric cancer (Paris IIc).The doctors decided for an advanced endoscopic procedure known as Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) where the cancer tissue is endoscopically resected without the need for surgery.

Subburama Reddy underwent the procedure, and cancer in the stomach was successfully resected after a 90 minutes procedure under anaesthesia. The patient did not have any post-procedure complaints or discomfort and was discharged from the hospital with oral diet advice after 48 hours. Three months post-procedure, Subburama Reddy is doing well. Endoscopy helped this patient by early diagnosis of cancer in the stomach and with the availability of advanced endoscopic equipment and expertise we were able to successfully remove cancer in the stomach endoscopically and avoid major surgery.  
ESD is an advanced endoscopic procedure that is performed to remove gastrointestinal tumours. It has now started gaining popularity in India. With increasing public awareness patients can undergo Upper GI Endoscopies

SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Exam (SRMJEEE) For B.Tech Admissions 2020 Stands Cancelled

Date: July 13, 2020

In the light of challenges posed by COVID 19, and taking into account the safety concerns of students and parents, SRM Institute of Science and Technology - SRMIST, has cancelled the SRM Joint Engineering Entrance Exam (SRMJEEE) for B.Tech admissions 2020, that was planned in 127 Indian cities and 5 overseas centres in Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The B. Tech admissions for 2020 will now be based on +2 / Pre-University / Equivalent marks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics/Biology. The new admission process will apply to all campuses of SRMIST- Kattankulathur (Main Campus), Ramapuram, Vadapalani and NCR New Delhi; SRM University, AP – Andhra Pradesh; SRM University Haryana, Sonepat; and SRM University Sikkim.Those who scored in JEE Main and SAT are encouraged to apply. The forms for providing the +2 / Pre-University / Equivalent marks and JEE (Main) / SAT Score are available on the university website. (www.srmist.edu.in). Applicants can swiftly update and complete their forms. In case the results of the +2 Board Examination are not declared, the marks can be uploaded as soon as the results are known. 

SRMIST will continue to award a wide range of scholarships for deserving candidates including the ones who scored high in JEE Main and SAT examinations, on joining. However, the SRMJEEE rank based scholarships will not be available. The admission process at SRMIST, India's No 1 Multidisciplinary University, is slated to begin soon. For any updates and to Apply online.This year, SRMIST has created an incredible record in placement with 8500+ job offers, 625 + companies recruiting, and Rs. 41.6L top salary, the highest ever by any university in India. SRMIST is experiencing an overwhelming response from over 1.5 lacs aspirants who have applied to join the B.Tech engineering degree program. 

The classes for the freshers is scheduled to commence in September 2020, be it on campus, on-line or combination of both, adhering to the Government notification and norms,  and taking into account the safety and security of students.  

ICMR selects SRM Medical College Hospital as a clinical trial site of COVID19 vaccine

Date: July 04, 2020

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (SRM MCHRC), Kattankulathur has been selected by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) as a clinical trial site of the country's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID Vaccine).

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is one among the 12 institutions in India to have been chosen by ICMR for undertaking human clinical trials of India's first indigenous vaccine developed by ICMR- National Institute of Virology, Pune, ICMR has partnered with Bharat Biotech International limited, Hyderabad.SRM MCHRC is also the only medical institution to be selected from Tamil Nadu for this purpose. Dr. Satyajith Mohapatra, Associate Professor from the Department of Pharmacology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has been chosen as the Principal Investigator for this clinical trials at SRM MCHRC.

This is the first indigenous vaccine being developed by India and is one of the top priority projects which is being monitored at the topmost level of the Government. The Indian Government has envisaged launching the vaccine for public health use latest by 15th August 2020 after completion of all clinical trials. This comes at a time when the entire world is reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic and there is a dire urgency to launch the vaccine.
Praising Dr. Satyajith Mohapatra's role in this, President of SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, "This is great news for us. I appreciate Dr. Satyajit Mohapatra and his team for making our institution a part of this prestigious project. We will provide him with all the necessary support to perform this exercise towards saving mankind. My best wishes to him and the entire team for the successful completion of this project."

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SRM Provides Incredible Options To Study Abroad For Students With SAT Scores

Date: July 01, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology– SRMIST (formerly known as SRM University), Chennai, India as a member of the India Global Higher Education Alliance of the US based College Board, which conducts the SAT examinations, is offering attractive scholarships up to 35% for students with SAT scores. 

On the job front, SRMIST offers incredible opportunities for placement.This year, the achievements have been remarkable with 8500+ job offers, 625+ companies recruiting, with a top salary of Rs. 41.6 LPA, the highest ever by any university in India.SRMIST is the most preferred university in India, QS 4 Star Rated Top No 1 Multi-Stream University in India with over 50,000 students from across India, and 64 countries, 3,200 faculty, Semester Abroad Programs, Industry Internships, Student run Clubs and Labs. It offers a wide range of programs in Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences, Management, Science and Humanities, Law and Agricultural Sciences. 

For an NRI/PIO/OCI seeking B. Tech degree, the fee is just Rs 2.5 lacs pegged at the domestic fee, by taking the entrance exam SRMJEEE and appearing for joint counseling, or alternatively, they can pick their choice of course with attractive scholarships of up to 35 % through the direct admission route. The last to apply for SRMJEEE is July 15 2020. Those who are NRI/PIO/OCI or Foreigner, can proceed to apply in the International Admission Category, availing amazing scholarships, fee waiver of 25% to 35% under merit and 40% for SAARC and Africa. 

Others can apply in the Admissions India category, E- counselling and Interview based admissions for M.Tech, MBA, BBA, Education, Hotel Management, Allied Health Sciences (except Medicine and Dental) and Science & Humanities UG and PG programs. For all B.Tech programs, the Admission India category is only through the common entrance exam, the SRMJEEE.

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International Yoga Day 2020: SRM promotes yoga for wholistic development

Date: June 22, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, celebrated International Yoga Day 2020 with a yoga demonstration followed by special guest lectures. The yoga demonstration was held at 7 am at the Institute's premises as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines with the social-distancing protocol. The drill was for 45 minutes and was participated by SRMIST's Vice-Chancellor, Associate Director (campus life) among others. UGC has also asked universities and colleges to encourage students and faculty members to perform 'Yoga at home and Yoga with family'.

  
The special guest lectures for Yoga Day were facilitated through a webinar. The welcome address was given by SRMIST's Director of Sports, Dr. K Vaithianathan.Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti in his presidential address said, "The best way to keep your body fit during COVID19 is through yoga. It can be done from the comfort of our homes and one does not need to go outdoors. Yoga brings harmony between man and nature and will help us discover a sense of worthiness. Regular practice leads to better physical, mental, and positive changes in our lifestyle." Special guest for the event, Yogachemmal, Dr. Meena Ramanatham, Associate professor and Deputy Director, Centre for Yoga Therapy Education and Research, MGMCRI, Puducherry gave a presentation on "Wholistic effects of yoga for the benefit to humanity".
She said, "Yoga eases the conflict that happens between one's body and mind. It eases stress and gives you a state of relaxation. Yoga practices done mindfully calms the mind and strengthens the immune system. It has several biochemical, physiological benefits that will help in improving our health, strength, and immunity." 
She also explained how each part of our brains works and how yoga helps to ease the turbulence that occurs within the nerves. "A simple muthra has several benefits which help you to connect within - intrapersonal and transpersonal."

Our other special guest, Dr. R. Elangovan, Professor and Head, Faculty of Yoga Science and Therapy, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Chennai spoke on the 'Principles of Yoga is the need of the hour'.He stressed the importance of five principles that one needs to follow - proper exercises, proper breathing, a good diet, relaxation, meditation, and positive thinking - for leading a healthy life.
This International Yoga Day celebration was organized by SRMIST's Faculty of Science and Humanities Department of Physical Education and the Department of Yoga.

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SRMIST Kickstarts 2020 E- Counselling Admissions Process

Date: June 15, 2020

E- counselling and Interview based admissions has started at SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur for  M.Tech, MBA, BBA, Education, Hotel Management, Allied Health Sciences (Except Medicine and Dental) and Science & Humanities UG and PG programs due COVID 19 pandemic. Aspiring students can Apply and fill Application online visiting www.srmist.edu.in.

SRM ranked 21 among top Indian Universities by Nature Index

Date: June 02, 2020

SRM Institution of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur has been ranked 21 among Indian universities by the Nature Index 2020. The ranking was done based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.Among the four broad subject areas, SRMIST ranked 19th in India for Chemistry and 28th in Physical Sciences. The Nature Index also ranked SRMIST 5th in India among Nature and Science journal groups.

Some of the top articles by altmetric score in current  window are: 'The GenomeAsia 100k Project enables genetic discoveries across Asia' which was published in Nature (December 2019) and 'A bacteriophage nucleus-like compartment shields DNA from CRISPR nucleases' published in Nature (December 2019). Apart from this SRMIST's overall publications has reached 22,000 as on date (put together in all Indexing Databases). Our university’s h-index has increased to 83 (Scopus based).

The Nature Index is a database of author affiliations and institutional relationships. The index tracks contributions to research articles published in 82 high-quality natural science journals, chosen by an independent group of researchers.This Index provides absolute and fractional counts of article publication at the institutional and national level and, as such, is an indicator of global high-quality research output and collaboration.

10 SRM students join Amazon's mentorship series

Date: June 01, 2020

Ten students of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Kattankulathur and Modi Nagar campus) are now part of Amazon Campus Mentorship Series (ACMS) internship linked placement.These students will undergo 4 classroom sessions over a course of 24 weeks. Each session is of 4-6 hours duration. These students started their mentorship on 27th March virtually and will be asked to visit the Amazon centre a few times during the series. SRMIST is one of the few education institutions in the country to send its students for this mentorship.

The B.Tech pre-final students who are part of this series are Shaili Shah, Rhea Chandok, Anushka Svara, Lekha K, Akanksha Sonkar, Deepanwita Mukherjee, Nikita Gupta, Ishita Mandvakar, Sreya Goswami and Niharika Raj.ACMS encourages women to work at corporate offices through a series of workshops, training, and business communication. This follows the model of classroom-based learning. Along with these sessions, students are grouped and assigned a small project to give them an opportunity to apply the learning. Students who clear final interviews will receive a 6-month internship with Amazon. Others will be awarded with participation certificates.

According to Mr. Sriram S Padmanabhan, Director Career Centre, SRMIST, these students were selected through two rounds of online tests (a combination of aptitude and coding), each being an elimination round. Amazon has selected the most number of students from SRMIST. A note from Amazon's HR desk stated that the most number of students in the Tamil Nadu region have been selected from SRMIST, Mr. Sriram S Padmanabhan added.

Sharing her excitement is Sreya Goswami, a third-year B.Tech student. "I am grateful for the opportunity given. The ACMS Program has started, teams and mentors have been allotted and project topics have been assigned. It is a great learning opportunity at this early stage and getting to learn a lot about corporate requirements," says this young techie. 

Sharing this excitement is Ishita Mandvakar, who is also one of the 10 students. "The sessions for the same are taking place every Friday and we have also started our project work. The ACMS is a great initiative by Amazon and has given a lot of confidence to people like me. Getting an opportunity to work with the best minds and understanding the industry way of working which is preparing me better for future careers," says Ishita Mandvakar.

SRMJEE Dates Announced

Date: May 12, 2020

The SRM Joint Entrance Examination Engineering SRMJEEE (B.Tech) 2020 will be held from 30^th July to 4^th August 2020,  in 127 Indian cities and 5  abroad, in  Dubai, Doha, Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait. The eagerly awaited exam expected to enable an overwhelming 1.75 lakhs candidates to participate and aspire to gain entry into India’s premium Top No.1 multi-stream university.

The test will be computer based of 2 hours and 30 minutes duration, with 125 MCQs and no negative marking. The questions will be drawn from Maths or Biology, Physics, Chemistry, English, together with an Aptitude test. With two sessions each day, candidates can select the exam date, session and choice of centre. Candidates will be able to download the hall ticket in the 3rd week of July 2020.

SRMJEEE is common entrance examination for the coveted B.Tech programs for entry into all the campuses of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (earlier SRM University) located at  Kattankulathur(Main Campus), Vadapalani, Ramapuram, and Delhi – NCR; SRM University, AP – Andhra Pradesh ; SRM University, Sonepat– Haryana and SRM University,  Sikkim. The joint Counselling is slated to be held in the 2^ndor 3^rd week of August, 2020. The students will be chosen based on their SRMJEEE rank.Due to the lockdown, the last date for applying has also been extended.SRM will conduct the exam in a safe and secure manner, following all State regulations on social distancing,  sanitation, cleanliness, etc. 

This year SRMIST achieved a record 8500+ Job Offers with a top salary of Rs 41.6 L, the highest ever by any university. Precisely 625+ companies, visit SRMIST every year to place its students in well-known companies. The university offers an incredible  range of scholarship to the tune of  Rs 32 Crores making studying in the university affordable to all.

To know more students can click here  

SRM AP Faculty Designs a Cost-effective Face Shield to Fight Coronavirus

Date: May 04, 2020

Dr. Panchagunula Jayaprakash, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, has designed a FACE SHIELD embedded with 3D printing technology. The pandemic, which has led to an unprecedented global crisis, the face protection shield devised to protect users from the Novel Coronavirus, is made available at the minimum rate of Rs. 20 per Face Shield. This face shield alleviates the limitations of the regular masks currently used by doctors, policemen, and journalists.

The regular masks barely cover the nose and mouth, whereas the Face Shield will be able to protect the eyes, mouth, nose, and ears so that one cannot get infected by the virus. Some of the medical and police personnel who use the N95 masks suffer from facial irritation, making the Face Shield a comfortable and more effective alternative for all government officials on COVID duty. “While manufacturing the Face Shield, 3D printing technology is used for designing a headband, upon which a 100 micron thick transparent plastic sheet is attached to ensure superior protection against the virus. It prevents air, dust, and liquids that are contaminated to come in contact with people. Also, there are no probable side effects on using the mask. If the government approves of its marketing, the face mask can be distributed among the public to prevent the widespread of Novel Coronavirus.”, says Dr. Jayaprakash.

The management of SRM AP, Andhra Pradesh applauds Dr. Jayaprakash on designing the mask after relentlessly working on it for several days. Prof.  Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University, has written to Adimulapu Suresh, Minister of Education, Andhra Pradesh, and Alla kalikrishna Srinivas, Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Minister for Health, Family welfare and Medical Education, Andhra Pradesh, highlighting the importance of the facial cover and the many ways it can be regarded as a boon to the society as a whole. He said that the Face Shield would be beneficial to millions of students who would be attending regular classes once the educational institutions reopen. 

Dr. Sandeep Sancheti addresses 3600 educators across India

Date: May 01 2020

Dr Sandeep Sancheti, the Vice Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology addressed 3600 educators from the Higher Education across the Country through an online webinar “SkyCampus” organized by ICT AcademyOn his address he stated that, Change is the essential element of life. Certainty is not there but attempt has to be there for a sustainable growth. With reference to education, there should be more focus on research and experiential learning. By rise of digital interventions, there will be developments in virtual labs, webinars, etc. In our present day education system, the internships were still not up to the mark and project based learning has to develop.

He also endorsed the term “Driving Dozens” referring to the technology for the future. 3D Printing, 5G, Cloud, Biometric eye tracking, Text to speech and vice versa are some of those. He concluded with the fact that the obstacle for change is our own inertia and we should be more open to change.

ICT Academy through its SkyCampus platform is organizing this digital knowledge series with an objective of providing industry expert sessions on various topics relevant to the context of today and future. The Season 2 of Digital Knowledge Series was on the theme ‘Leading in a VUCA World’. The other speakers of the season included Dr. Anil Sahasarabudhe Chairman AICTE, Mr Lakshmi Narayanan, Emeritus Vice Chairman Cognizant, Mr Sivakumar, CEO ICT Academy , Dr. K K Aggarwal, Chairman NBA, Dr Manish Kumar, MD & CEO of NSDC among various Industry Leaders. The Sessions are moderated by Dr B Anbuthambi, President, ICT Academy and have been witnessed by 5000 educators on every day morning 10 am to 11.30 am. The session schedules can be seen at www.ictacademy.in/skycampus

ICT Academy is an initiative of the Government of India in collaboration with the state Governments and Industries, established to train the higher education teachers and students thereby exercises on developing the next generation teachers and industry ready students.

SRM Group of Institutions distributes 1000 packets of relief materials

Date: April 28, 2020

SRM group of Institutions, under the patronage of its Founder Chancellor and Perambalur MP Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar distributed 1000 packets of relief materials  containing rice, wheat, dhal and other groceries worth Rs.5 lakhs to the needy people of its 8 UBA adopted villages through the Chengalpattu district administration.In an event held at the District Collector's office today, District collector, Mr. John Louis IAS, in the presence of Ms.Priya, DRO, Mr.Selvam, RDO inaugurated the token distribution for 30 households of Anjur village.

The event was attended by Project director Mr. Sridhar, Director of Hotel Management of SRM Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar and SRMIST's Associate Director & UBA nodal officer Dr. V. Thirumurugan. The rest of the relief items will be distributed to the people with the help of volunteers.

SRM's NSS unit Donates Food for Civic Workers in Minjur Village

Date: April 18, 2020

The NSS Unit 3 of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur cooked and served breakfast and lunch to the conservancy workers in Minjur village, Ponneri Taluk, Thiruvallur District recently. While the entire medical community is battling to help people cope-up with COVID19, the conservancy workers are almost forgotten. This small group has been working tirelessly in keeping our streets and roads clean. 

This community in Minjur village has been working rigorously as the Government of Tamilnadu declared Thiruvallur District as the Red Zone recently. Most of them were not getting meals, and to help them, the NSS unit of SRMIST provided food packets to Municipality workers for breakfast and lunch recently. This was done with the help of the local volunteers. Food was prepared with the help of youngsters from the village, who also volunteered to regulate the public visiting marketplaces, common places, ration shops to maintain social distancing.This was done after acquiring proper permission from police personnel and district management. 

The team was led by program officer Mr. Inian and Mr. Senthilraja with the guidance of Dr. T. Rajasekaran, NSS Program coordinator. They were supported and directed by SRMIST's Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman, and Director (Engg and Tech) Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan.The NSS unit in SRMIST is involved in various activities towards fighting this deadly Coronavirus. This includes conducting awareness campaigns with slogans and posters circulated in social media, taking a pledge to ensure social distancing, and be safe from being affected by this pandemic. 

WHO nominates SRM Epidemiologist in its fight against COVID-19 spread

Date: Mar 31, 2020

A faculty member of SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur has been named by WHO (World Health Organisation) in its fight against the Coronavirus. Dr. Rajan Patil, an Epidemiologist and public health expert from SRMIST, has been selected by WHO in its global fight against COVID-19 pandemic.  Dr. Rajan is currently serving as an Epidemiologist & Infectious Disease Surveillance Expert as part of the Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN). 

He is posted in Nepal, but may soon be internationally deployed by WHO in any country based on emergency needs. During outbreaks, GOARN ensures the right technical expertise and skills are available in places where and when they are needed most. It is a collaboration of existing institutions and networks, constantly alert and ready to respond. The network pools human and technical resources for rapid identification, confirmation, and response to outbreaks of international importance. WHO coordinates international outbreak response using resources from GOARN.  Dr. Rajan is also the recipient of the Yusuf Hamied Fellowship and has been selected as a Visiting Fellow to Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health (New York).

SRM student develops real-time Corona info tracker

Date: Mar 18, 2020

Just when Coronavirus has taken the world by fear, a student of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur has come up with an app that provides live information on the virus. The app named, CoronApp, was developed by Anupam Tiwari, a student of SRMIST, who is now an exchange student doing his startup semester in mechatronics (electrical engineering and computer science - EECS) at UC Berkley. He along with his teammates came up with this idea. Speaking about the app, Anupam said, “With the Coronavirus fear at a peak, I thought having a proper app containing all information about the same will be helpful.” He created a prototype overnight and pitched it to his friends, who loved the idea and decided to work on it with him.

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SRM doctors remove hairball through laparoscopy

Date: Mar 16, 2020

Doctors in SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Kattankulathur performed life-saving surgery on a teen-ager by removing a huge hairball from her stomach. This 16-year-old suffered from a psychological illness called Trichophagia, which is eating hair since childhood. She ended up having Trichobezoar (a huge ball of hair) being removed from her stomach through laparoscopy. 

Although such surgeries have been done twice before in this hospital, this is the first-of-its-kind performed through laparoscopy. Anusha (name changed) came to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain, vomiting, and bad breath. She was also unable to eat. Her mother said that she had a peculiar habit of eating hair since childhood.Doctors performed various tests on her and found out that she had a huge hairball about 15×10 cm stuck in her stomach. They operated her immediately through laparoscopy to avoid having a scar on her stomach considering her young age. 

 A team of doctors led by Dr. R. Balamurugan, Deputy Medical Superintendent, and Consultant Laparoscopic Surgeon at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre under the guidance of Dr. A. Sundaram, Dean – Medical, operated on her and removed the hairball (Trichobezoar) successfully through an hour-long surgery.The doctors inserted an Endobag (a plastic cover used to remove infected material) to takeout the hairball out of her stomach so that it does not contaminate other organs in the abdomen. 

Speaking about the surgery, Dr. R. Balamurugan said, “The stomach is capable of removing only a few strands of hair but the girl has been habitually eating hair from childhood and it remained in her stomach. She is lucky that the hairball did not enter the intestine which would have caused even more severe problems and could have even endangered her life.”

Anusha is now recovering well from the surgery and receiving psychiatric counseling so that she does not resume her habit of eating hair. The team that operated on her include, Dr. Balamurugan, surgeons Dr. Periasamy, Dr. Narendran, Dr. Athira, Dr. Sivaamariswaran, Dr. Aswinraja, and anesthetist Dr. Saravanan and Dr. Karthik.

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SRMIST ORGANIZES NCRTMA’20

Date: Mar 16, 2020

The Department of Mathematics of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vadapalani, organized and hosted the 4th National Conference on Recent Trends in Mathematics and its Applications (NCRTMA’20) recently. As the name of the event suggests, it is an amalgamation of all developments in the Mathematics field through which interested and expert scholars can present their findings. In superb SRM fashion, NCRTMA’20 saw participation from across the country and state with over 120 papers published for the event. 

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19 Indonesian Universities sign MoU with SRM

Date: Mar 16, 2020

Nearly 19 Indonesian Universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur recently. The delegation consisting of around 30 senior faculty and members of institutions from Indonesia visit SRMIST to have academic tie-ups. The focus of this visit was on IT and Computer Science.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by these universities will facilitate the movement of students between two institutes; the movement of faculty, scholars and staff between two institutes; development of joint curriculum, including dual degree programs; research collaboration in the fields with mutual interest between research staff, departments, and schools of both institutes; exchange and sharing of teaching and academic materials, publications, reference, and other pertinent information.

Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, “Our USP is ‘Semester Abroad Program’, which will facilitate students to study abroad as part of their curriculum. Apart from that, we are also promoting virtual labs, distance education, and online education model. These aspects will make the MoU more valuable and interesting. We can also look into jointly publishing research papers.” 

Registrar of SRMIST, Dr. N. Sethuraman said, “We have a separate research institute, and SRMIST will be able to offer help in different forms.” The delegation also visited the various facilities, infrastructure, and lab in SRMIST to know about the facilities provided to students here.

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Indian Bank MD & CEO visits SRM on International Women’s Day

Date: Mar 11, 2020

“Women should not be confined to a particular role,” said Mrs. Padmaja Chunduru, MD & CEO, Indian Bank. Addressing women students, faculties at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur on the occasion of International Women’s Day, she said, “If a woman decides on what is a priority to her, then she should come forward and do it.” She pointed out that there is only 14 percentage of women entrepreneurs in India, and that is low. 

Speaking to a full house she emphasized that, “Women need to take up more responsibilities. There will be challenges, and the path to success is not an easy option. Technology is at your fingertips, so take charge of the environment around you. The education that you have should help you bloom in different ways. Also, don’t be too sensitive to comments. Also, when you multitask, it takes a toll on your physical and mental health, so take care of yourself." A short video on women was screened on the occasion. It focused on women empowerment and education. 

Guest of honor, V. Vijayakumari, Municipal Commissioner, Maraimalai Nagar, said, “Nowadays there are several opportunities for women, and our society has started to look at things in a better outlook. There is a lot more freedom to pursue one’s true passion.” She also focused on the importance of taking care of one’s health. “Be bold, strong, and independent.” 

Pro-Chancellor (Academics) of SRMIST, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, said, “Women should be celebrated. The theme for this year is ‘Each for Equal’, and all should be dedicated to it. This can be achieved only if everyone understands this fact. We live in a world that one half has women and the other half is created and nurtured by women. Therefore, we should give value for their contribution. The contribution of women in different roles is quite huge and they should not be undervalued.” Founder Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, “From today you have to be equal to any man. This equality has to come from your mind and confidence. The biggest opponent you face today is women.”

Emphasizing that women should enter politics, he said, “In voting women also have a major say. You are in a position to decide as to who will rule you. Therefore you should be aware of the rulers and become rulers.”  Also present for the event were Registrar Dr. N Sethuraman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. T.P. Ganesan among others.

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SRM Vadapalani Celebrates 11th Annual Day

Date: Mar 09, 2020

11th annual day of SRMIST – Vadapalani campus was celebrated on recently amidst pomp and splendor with great enthusiasm and zeal. The entire campus participated wholeheartedly towards the success of this grand event.The spectacular evening commenced with Tamil Thai Vazhthu. The panel of dignitaries that consisted of  Vice Chancellor, Registrar , Director academics, Dean E&T and HODs performed the Lamp Lighting Ceremony. Dr.K.Duraivelu – Dean E&T delivered the welcome address. In his speech, he pointed out the growth of Vadapalani campus in a short span of time since its inception. Registrar, Dr.N.Sethuraman, in his address  greeted and congratulated all the award winners and rank holders.

Vice Chancellor – Dr.Sandeep Sancheti shared insights on the changing dimensions of education and need to be more vigilant as far as teaching and learning is concerned. He pointed out that the role of teachers changing to the role of facilitator as well as troubleshooter .Prize Distribution for the top performers was done by the dignitaries. Finally, the Vote of Thanks was delivered by the HOD of ECE department – Dr.C.Gomathi. She acknowledged the efforts of the Students, faculties and Supporting Staff and thanked the esteemed guests for their precious time and presence. This was followed by the National Anthem as a tribute to our nation which concluded the official function.

Date: Mar 09, 2020

Day 3 at Milan'20 was filled with unforgettable experiences. The cultural extravaganza of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, was punctuated with events from all areas of the arts and literature.Graffiti art lined the street of M Block, giving the campus a look that would be curated for years to come. The events from the domain of literature took off with great fervor.

Participants from colleges all over the state and country performed beautifully. The competition was tough and the performances even more magnificent. The chorionic, held at TP Ganesan Auditorium truly saw an amazing display of talent. Some of the best performers from different colleges in the State came to give each other competition of a lifetime. The prize was ultimately bagged by the Women's Christian College in Chennai for their exceptional hip hop performance.The true spotlight, however, reigns on the final act of the night, the Pro shows. SRM Milan'20 saw the arrival of two phenomenal performers. First was, DJ SA, known for his absolutely marvelous skills in DJ-ing urban Hip-hop.

The next, main performer for the night was none other than the founder and creator of the famous Gully Gang, Vivian Shah, who goes by the stage name DIVINE. With a performance that had the entirety of the audience bouncing off their heels, he created an energy that shall always remain, unforgettable. With songs from his latest smash hit album Kohinoor and some of his previous ones from the movie Gully Boy.
Day Three of the 13th edition of Milan'20 became a night that shall remain unforgettable even in the years to come.

Indian actress Rakulpreet Singh visits SRM

Date: Mar 06, 2020

There are no major differences in the various filmdom's of India except for the language, said Rakulpreet Singh, star actress of Indian movies. She was fielding questions from the students of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) during the inauguration of the 13th edition of four-day student cultural fest Milan at its premises today. The 13th edition of the cultural fest will go on till 8 March and witness more than 100 events. Various celebrities will take part in the event. 

The movie star was the cynosure of all eyes during the event. Thunderous applause filled the auditorium, even as she replied further “the language does not matter, all that matters is whether we are doing a good film, and whether we are working with good people or not.' As another student posed a question 'what is the secret of your beauty?”, Rakul Preet hurried to say 'the love I get from all is the secret behind my beauty.'

The Southern actress trod down the memory lane as another student asked about her entry into the silver screen. “I got my first film just like that, the salary was Rs 2000 per month then. I thought about doing many things with the money I earn from films. As I kept on working I loved the movie-making process and came back after finishing my studies”. Hinting the same to the students the actress said, “Pursue your passions in life but ensure you complete your studies, they are highly important.”

Ravi Pachamuthoo, pro-chancellor (administration), SRMIST said, “student life usually revolves around academics, however equal focus on culturals and extra curricular activities is also a must during for all-round development of students. SRMIST encourages other activities like culturals, sports also realising their importance”. SRMIST vice chancellor Sandeep Sancheti said, “Milan is an ideal platform to meet and greet. What is important is the friendships, bonds that you students will foster during events like these. Trophies you win will cheer you, bonds you cultivate will make you happy.”Dean of student affairs at SRMIST T. Mythili said, “Milan is a ground for bringing out the hidden talents in the students and also a venue for student organisers to hone their leadership skills, communication abilities.”

SRM wins ‘Most Preferred Hotel Management Institute in India’ award from Union Minister

Date: Mar 02, 2020

SRM Institute of Hotel Management (SRM IHM) won the Most Preferred Hotel Management Institute in India for the year 2020 award at the ASSOCHAM 13th National Education Conclave, Expo & Awards 2020; Future of Higher Education and Skills 2030 held in New Delhi recently.

The award was presented by Honorable Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of India Shri Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey and received by Dr. D. Antony Ashok Kumar, Director of SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Kattankulathur.This is not the first time that SRM IHM has won this award before. It has received the Most Preferred Hotel Management Institute in India award twice and was the recipient of the Best Hotel Management Institute in India four times. 

The event is organized by Assocham and was held in New Delhi. ASSOCHAM is the oldest apex chamber of India with unique distinction representing more than 250 regional Chambers and over 4.5 lac large, medium & small scale sectors companies serving the nation since 1920 and celebrating its Centenary. The Conclave and Expo organized by them nurtures an atmosphere of excellence and quality in the institutions that groom future leaders and felicitate those who have significantly contributed to the society in terms of Education. 

Ambassador of Argentine Republic visits SRMIST

Date: February 29, 2020

India and Argentina can come of help to each other in boosting research in fields of high importance, said Daniel Chuburu, Ambassador of Argentine Republic to India. He was addressing the gathering on how both the nations could help each other during the Research Day celebrations on SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) premises.

“India and Argentina have strong points which can be of use to each other. A strong point for India is its expertise in Information Technology, while Argentina's strength lies in its high-level knowledge in agriculture. Using the fine methods we manage to grow food more than their actual requirement. Added to this, Argentina is developing microwave imaging satellites to monitor natural disasters and soil moisture in a long-term effort to bolster the agriculture sector.The radar antennae technology will allow Argentina to access a real-time water map. This will allow for the prediction of harvest yields, floods, and droughts. This may help India in its farming sector.India, on the other hand, can help foster the creation of new unicorns in Argentina by providing its high-level knowledge in the field of Information Technology", said Argentine Diplomat. 

Speaking further, he said a lot more is being done to foster ties between the two countries so that the exchange of knowledge and experts can happen between them to benefit each other. A pact was signed in 2019 when their President visited India towards establishing India-Argentina Centre of Excellence for Information and Technologies (IA-CEIT) in Argentina.

A prominent university located in the western part of Argentina will have a department of Indian Studies. This will provide an in depth understanding of India and its salient features to students there, apart from exploring opportunities for research and student exchange programmes.

Professor Giridhar U. Kulkarni, president, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), said, “more women must be involved in the field of science and its related research. While women make a splendid beginning in their careers related to research and science, not many continue for long due to various reasons. We should ensure more womenfolk are actively involved in research”, he said.

P. Sathyanarayanan, pro-chancellor (academics), SRMIST said, “efforts must come from all quarters to enhance research activities in India. Mere educational institutions alone cannot make efforts to promote research. The entire ecosystem has to work towards it. Most of the funding for research comes from the government and less contribution pours out from private companies. Industry-academia collaboration along with healthy funding for research from private companies and active participation of students can enhance research activities in India”, he said. Students and faculty at SRMIST have received awards in recognition of their contribution towards research. Vice-chancellor of SRMIST Sandeep Sancheti, Registrar; N. Sethuraman, were also a part of the event.

SRM students receive AICTE national award from MHRD Minister

Date: February 26,2020

The students of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, have made their Alma Mater proud once again. This time, Team SRM Green Stabilizers from the Department of Civil Engineering ranked first in the national AICTE - Chhatra Vishwakarma Award – 2019.

The team collected the award from the Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal and Chairman of All India Council for Technical Education, Prof. Anil D Sahasrabudhe.The award ceremony was held in New Delhi recently. The team received a certificate and a cash prize of Rs.51,000. The team was ranked first in the Land sub-category by presenting an innovative solution/prototype under the theme ‘How to enhance the income of village’. The student team consists of M. Aravind, Shankar Kandasamy, Dhivya S, and Kavya M. They were mentored by Chezhiyan S, Assistant Professor/Civil.

The event was organized by the All India Council for Technical Education. SRMIST was one of the 6,676 applicants received throughout the country. The team also ranked first in the ‘Land category’ and received a special mention on how their project was a perfect solution for the problem. The project submitted for the award is "Adopting Bio Reinforcement Techniques to Control Soil Erosion on Bench Terraces and Irrigation Channels".

Their project adopted bio-reinforcement techniques to control soil erosion on bench terraces and irrigation channels. The shoulder bunds and risers of the bench terraces are severely endangered by soil erosion, so the bench terraces and bunds of the irrigation channels were bio-stabilized by planting Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) densely. To ensure the results scientifically, the specialized In-situ jet erosion test apparatus has been designed and fabricated for conducting an erodibility test in the field itself. By conducting an In-situ jet erosion test periodically at several bio-reinforced sites, it was found that the control of soil erosion by Vetiver bio-reinforcement is increased by 56% in six months and the strength increase was found to be 62% comparatively with the unreinforced soil. This technique will facilitate the farmers in maintaining bench terraces without any financial hurdles.

SRM Arts and Science College celebrates 26th Annual Day

Date: February 25, 2020

SRM Arts and Science College, Kattankulathur celebrated its 26th Annual Day recently in the College Campus. The Programme started with the prayer song followed by the welcome address by Mr.K.Mathiyazhagan, Head, Department of Tamil. The Principal of the College, Dr.R.Vasudevaraj, read the Annual Report, highlighting the students’ achievements in Academic, Co-curricular, Extra-curricular activities, and Placement. Dr.K.Subburam, Director (Academics), SRM Arts and Science College, in his special address, encouraged the students to have passion in their chosen fields and chase their dreams. Dr.T.P.Ganesan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology in his presidential address stated how the college has been fulfilling the needs of the students and instills the social responsibilities in them for a better society.

The Chief Guest, Dr.M.Karunakaran IAS, Director of Handloom and Textiles, Government of Tamilnadu, felicitated the students for their achievements and lauded the efforts of the college in setting a new benchmark in providing liberal and higher education to the student community. He advised the students to utilize the available facilities in the College and develop the reading habits. In his address, he further advised the students not to develop the attitude of procrastination and be conscious of their mental and physical health in their lives. Many cultural programs were performed by the students as part of the Annual day celebration. The Vote of Thanks was rendered by Mr.J.Saravanan, Head, Department of Management Studies. The Programme ended with the National Anthem.

SRMIST registers impressive performance on placement arena

Date: February 24, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST) has shown splendid performance in the placement arena with more than 8200 students getting job offers in the present placement season. This year's placement figures managed to surpass the previous year's achievement, where 3020 offers were received from big four IT companies, namely TCS, Cognizant, Infosys, and Wipro.With this, the prestigious educational institution based at Kattankulathur near Chennai in Tamilnadu has managed to break all records with regards to placement. That is not all, about 625 companies are said to have made more than 1965 dream and super dream offers to its students. Super dream offer is where the pay package is about Rs 10 lakhs per annum, and a  dream offer has a pay scale of about Rs 5 lakhs per annum.

At the end of the first day, in this years' placement season, TCS made 1437 offers, Infosys made 1315 offers. About 1175 offers poured in from Cognizant, and Wipro made 822 offers, said Director, Career Centre at SRMIST, Sriram S Padmanabhan. Apart from this, TCS has made 183 offers under ‘Digital Track’ (7 lakhs per annum). "This is the highest number of offers made by these four companies in any single campus in the country", he said.Good performance with regards to placement is expected to continue as more companies are likely to visit the institution as the present placement season will continue till April/May this year.

The highlight of the present placement is an offer from Microsoft. This stood to be the highest with Rs 41.6 lakhs per annum. Other top recruiters are Amazon (18 offers of 32 lakhs per annum), Barclays (25 offers of 10 lakhs per annum) and startup Udaan (4 offers of 30 lakhs per annum). Organizations like Veritas and PayPal have made internship linked placement offers.Spelling out the secret behind the impressive performance he said at SRMIST, we help engineering graduates to integrate scientific and engineering principles to develop products, and processes that contribute to economic growth, advances in medical care, enhanced national security, and many other sectors.

Currently, students from all corners of India come to the premises with a motive of accessing quality education in the field of engineering, arts, medicine, management, and humanities. The state-of-art laboratories for engineering and technology students help in enhancing the practical knowledge of the subjects they study. The campus of SRMIST also houses a full-fledged medical college, hospital and research center beside a School of Public Health, which is a nodal center for implanting the National Family Health Survey in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The fountainhead of this institution Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, a farmer turned educationist, who believes quality education must be accessible to all. He is also a Member of Parliament and philanthropist.SRMIST is accredited with the highest grade of A++ by NAAC and graded as Category I university with 12 B status. All Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, and MBA programs are approved by AICTE. The institution has secured the third rank in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) and is ranked globally by QS and rated with ‘4 Star’ globally and awarded India centric QS IGAUGE Diamond rating.

The highlight of education at SRMIST is the semester abroad program. This enables students to do internships at Harvard and other top-notch foreign universities. Achievements of the esteemed institution are not limited to delivering quality education but also are considerably spread on the research domain.

Intercollegiate Management Meet 2020 DESAFIO at SRM

Date: February 24, 2020

The Department of Management Studies of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Vadapalani, organized the Intercollegiate Management Meet DESAFIO 2020.  The event started with great fanfare, along with the participation of more than 200 students from diverse institutes. It acts as a forum for students to showcase their talents and gather new ideas from other students and renowned judges.  

The event commenced with the welcome address by Dr.S.Kesavan, Professor and Head, DoMS. He emphasized on the importance of talent exhibition in one’s career. It was followed by the lighting of the lamp to brighten the event. Dr. K. Duraivelu, Dean(E&T), SRMIST, Vadapalani, in his felicitation address, called the young entrepreneurs to actively utilize their skills, which would support the nation’s employability. In his speech, he insisted that in MBA importance should be given to solve real-time problems apart from the regular curriculum. He motivated the students to stay updated with the technology and to find a solution to the problems in an economical way.  

The inaugural address was given by Thiru.C.K.Ranganathan, Chairman of CavinKare Ltd. He inspired the students with his speech, which left the future leaders of tomorrow spellbound. He insisted the students have self-awareness and self-regulation, as they are the two key indicators that help in leading a successful career. He concluded the speech by asking the students to think differently, as it will help them to describe their attitude by which they can define their altitude. With his mind-blowing speech, he made the students stay tuned in with rapt attention to his valuable advice and guidance. The event concluded with the vote of thanks.

International conference on Material Chemistry held in SRM

Date: February 21, 2020

The fourth edition of International Conference on Recent Advances in Material Chemistry - ICRAMC 2020 was held recently at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur. This event was organized by the Department of Chemistry in association with Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), France & Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, France. ICRAMC 2020 is sponsored by DST-SERB, Government of India and CSIR, India.

The event was inaugurated by Prof. S. Natarajan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, who also brushed up on the importance of the topic. Director (E&T), Dr. C. Muthamizhchelvan, presided over and gave the presidential address.Many renowned scientists from Indian and abroad participated in this event. The events observed the discussion on the recent advancements in the field of Materials Chemistry and the new strategies for the development of new materials requirements across the globe.

During the 10 sessions, 300 technical papers were presented for the submission as full manuscripts for possible publications in technical journals – Materials Today Proceedings (Elsevier).The contribution came from various countries such as France, the USA, South Korea, Taiwan, Chile, China, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, etc.

Dean of Sciences, Dr. D. John Thiruvadigal felicitated the speakers. Dr. M. Arthanareeswari, Convenor ICRAMC 2020 welcomed the gathering. Dr. K. Ananathanarayanan, Coordinator ICRAMC 2020 introduced the chief guest and Dr. S.M. Mahalingam, Associate Professor, SRMIST delivers the vote of thanks.

The invited speakers are globally recognized experts in the respective fields’ viz  Dr. Eric Doris, Research Director, Alternative and Atomic Energy Commision CEA , France, Prof. Rajdurai Chandrasekar, University of Hyderabad, Prof. G. Vaitheeswaran, University of Hyderabad, Dr Alberto Bianco, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Strasbourg, France, Dr. Laurent Devel, Service d'Ingénierie Moléculaire des Protéines (SIMOPRO), CEA Saclay, Prof. Jean-Yves Saillard, Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, Université de Rennes 1, France, Prof. Nicolas Tsapis, Université Paris-Saclay, France, Dr. T.S.N. Sankara Narayanan, UNIST, Ulsan, Republic of Korea, Prof. G. Sekar, IIT Madras, India, Dr.Grégory Pieters, SCBM, CEA, France.

Sports Fest inauguration at SRM Andhra Pradesh

Date: February 18, 2020

The third chapter of Sports Fest was inaugurated with a torch lighting ceremony by Prof. D Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh. The proceedings included welcome speeches by Prof. Narayana Rao, and Dr. D. Gunasekaran, while Dr. G S Vinod Kumar, Fest Convener, and Dr. Abdul Mohmaim, Associate Director - Physical Education, graced the event. 

Dr. Rao took the centre stage to explain the significance of indulging in sports. He says, “The adherence to rules of sports trains one to be disciplined in their personal lives.  Sports entails physical fitness which can be leveraged to improve the alertness of mind, further assisting the students to be able to work hard in the frontiers of academics,”. He believes that team sports enable the youth to work together and achieve common goals by strategizing and executing plans in a given frame of time.

Dr. D. Gunasekaran further enthralled the students with his speech where he emphasized physical fitness and a positive mindset being mutually reciprocal. He states, “The complex systems of our being are maintained by the body and controlled by the mind.” He expresses his concerns that the youth are inclined to indoor games and video games which are not synced to fitness. “A nation’s development depends on its youth, and India is a vibrant country where we have a substantial young population. Inspiring this population to maintain physical fitness will ensure the growth of our country.”, says Dr. Gunasekaran.

On the note to uphold the essence of athletics, Pro VC declared the Sports Fest 2020 open. The two-day extravaganza featured cricket tournaments, basketball tournaments, volleyball tournaments on the first day and the fun will be continued.

Syrian Ambassador visits SRMIST

Date: February 12, 2020

“The value of women in our society is more than half. They are present in different forms, such as mothers, sisters, wives, and friends. Science and education create a better living, especially for women. That is why our government is supporting women empowerment,” said Dr. Riad Kamel Abbas, Ambassador of Syria to India. He was the chief guest for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur. 

“Syria is a small country, but we are diverse in terms of culture, religion, and so on. Our aim is to make men and women equal. Women are the basis of our society. It is for this reason that we are providing free education and medicine in Syria,” said this diplomat and added, “India is the only country to resist any form of intervention. SRMIST is one of the best universities in India and Syrian students studying here must make use of this opportunity well.”

He also urged students to complete their education and go back to their motherland so that they can contribute towards its development.Dean (Sciences) Dr. D. John Thiruvadigal welcomed the gathering. He said that SRMIST is giving several benefits for women research, including seed grants. 

In his presidential address, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, “People are starting to realize the capacity of women in science. They are multitasking and capable of delivering what is required, although they face several challenges on the domestic and professional front. We have to make sure that women in the sciences are given due respect because they have a lot to deal with. Unlike other subjects, science involves fieldwork, test, laboratory-based investigations, and observations. It cannot be done in the domain of the home. Families and institutions should give them the power to grow.”

Director (International Relations), Kartar Singh said SRMIST hosts a large number of Syrian students. He urged students to work on different projects and research so that it has an impact on women. He also pointed out that many funding agencies ask the primary question as to how their project would benefit women. Registrar of SRMIST, Dr. N. Sethuraman highlighted how SRMIST motivates women students and professors by giving lots of benefits and perks.

Syrian students received their course completion certificate for Diploma in English from the Syrian Ambassador on the occasion. SRMIST students performed cultural events. Research assistant professor, Dr. P Shoba gave a presentation on ‘Women raising the hidden barriers through science’. She has expertise in simulation modeling of microwave remote sensing parameters for soil degradation studies. She motivated the audience on how science should be perceived as a powerful weapon by the woman to reach the place where they deserve. 

Fourth-year B.Tech Biotechnology student, Akshaya Narayanan who had been selected to work in Tissue Engineering & Cancer Research Laboratory for the last 2 years and doing research on Breast Cancer and Bone related disease, though she had missed her medical seat, she is very optimistic about doing research and contributing to the society. She gave a presentation on ‘Women of value from flesh to bone’. 

SRMIST celebrates World Cancer Day 2020

Date: February 5, 2020

“India has the capacity to offer potential solutions for the issues bothering Ecuador”, said Hector Cueva Jacome. Ambassador of Ecuador to India was addressing the gathering at the World Cancer Day celebration at SRM Institute of Science and Technology premises on Tuesday. Best technology comes from India, and it is easily adaptable, affordable, and accessible for any country in the world.

“Effective solutions can come from India in the area of battling cancer, said Jacome. Indian professionals, Indian technology can be of good use to them to raise awareness to prevent cancer, and also finding effective treatment solutions to it. Cancer can become a disaster if nothing is done to prevent it”, said the diplomat. “Ecuador can prevent, treat Breast and Prostate cancers with the technological, professional help that pours from India. These cancers are common in their nation. However, not many go to seek help to treat the disease due to financial and social issues. These ailments are totally preventable, said the ambassador.

“The solutions found in India are cost-effective. Glenza, the medicine used for prostate cancer, costs nearly 4,500 dollars per month in their country, while in India, it is available for 700 dollars per month. The cost of using mammography is about 200 dollars in their nation, which is comparatively cheap in India”, he said. We have the requirement, and you (India) have the solutions. There is a bridge required to enable the solutions to reach us.

Vice chancellor of SRMIST Sandeep Sancheti said, “ The celebration of World Cancer Day is in a way ensuring that we are raising awareness on the dreaded disease only to come out of its clutches. If the disease is not controlled it will spread like wildfire. We need to use the best of the technology, medication in treating cancer”.Dean of SRM Dental College Dr. N.Vivek said, "Precisely 80 percent of the population in the developing world will likely suffer from cancer by 2040. However, these numbers can be brought down by being instrumental in prevention. We all can be instrumental in fighting against factors like tobacco, which are highly responsible for causing the problem of cancer", he said. A video clip on cancer prevention was also screened. 

SRMIST conducted a workshop for 5 adopted institutions under UGC Paramarsh scheme

Date: January 30, 2020

As a part of the quality mandate, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has set the goal to get every Higher Education Institution accredited. In order to achieve this goal, UGC has introduced a scheme called Paramarsh (meaning Consultant). Under this scheme Institutions like SRMIST which are accredited and acclaimed by various agencies act as mentors and adopt unaccredited institutions and mentor them towards accreditation. SRMIST, being an A++ accredited institution by NAAC, has adopted 5 institutions in and around Chennai under this Paramarsh scheme. 

The inaugural workshop for these five institutes was conducted at SRMIST, Kattankulathur campus recently wherein the nuances of accreditation by NAAC were expounded by experts from SRMIST. It was also highlighted how SRMIST, which was first accredited by NAAC way back in 2006, improved its performance by leaps and bounds to attain the present exalted status. The five mentee institutes are Pachaiyappa’s College for Women, Kanchipuram, Pachaiyappa’s College for Men, Kanchipuram, C. Kandaswami Naidu College for Men, Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology and Thangavelu Engineering College.

Welcoming the representatives from other colleges, Registrar Dr. N. Sethuraman said: “This program is organized so that other higher education institutions get mentored, and we get the opportunity to lend our helping hand to other institutions.” Inaugurating the workshop, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said “Consultations are the key to improvement in any domain. Things can be done easily when we start consulting. However, this is not followed much in the field of education. Consulting with experts, stakeholders is an important way to handle issues. Sharing the problem also helps in growth. This workshop will also aid in removing ignorance and help institutions improve their quality, which is an important benchmark.”

On SRMIST conducting this workshop, he said, “SRMIST was and is one of the first institutions to gets A++. Only a handful of universities have this status under the present NAAC system. So this expertise that we have can help other institutions apply for certification.” 

He emphasized on the importance of active learning laboratory, foreign languages, students tutor students, faculty exchange programs, and so on that enabled SRM Institute of Science and Technology in becoming a top-rated ranking university.

Dr. Latha Pillai, Director (Quality Assurance and Rankings) presented an overview of Parmarsh and NAAC accreditation. There were several Criterion - wise lectures by Accreditation Ambassador, Dean, IQAC & Standing Committee Members of SRMIST's Paramarsh team. 
 

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 workshop held at SRM

Date: January 27,2020

“The theme of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is uplifting the rural community with the help of educational institutions. Under this public-private partnership, we need to have the convergence of ideas, resources, and other things so that the adopted village gets a holistic development”, said the Collector of Chengalpattu District, A John Louis.
He inaugurated the Regional workshop for the orientation of participating institutes to initiate work in the adopted village clusters, under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 scheme at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur. The event was organized by SRMIST with Technical Support of the Regional Coordinating Institute of UBA 2.0 and IIT Madras.

“ I want to stress on four aspects; sanitation, use of technology in education, women empowerment, and rural infrastructure.” Explaining these aspects he said, “Sanitation includes safe drinking water, liquid, and solid waste management, environment cleanliness, and personal hygiene. These are the main problems that we face in urban pockets. However, since we are next to Chennai Corporation, we are more urban as compared to other districts. Also, the biggest issue we face is liquid and solid waste management."

If institutions like SRMIST can come up with some solutions, we can work hand-in-hand to develop rural areas. Tamil Nadu is a leader in education and we have a good development in terms of gadgets, infrastructure, and student-teacher ratio. However, there is a divide between rural and urban students. Many rural students find it difficult to compete with urban students when it comes to competitive examinations. This is also an area where we need support from educational institutions. 

The third aspect he emphasized upon was women empowerment. “To stop urban migration, they need to be properly employed in the village itself. If the women are given proper livelihood, then there is no need for them to migrate. Imparting proper skills and coming up with employment opportunities will prevent them from mass migration to cities.”

He reflected upon the importance of doing a baseline survey in the rural infrastructure. “The lack of proper roads can be addressed by the District Administration. So, when a proper survey is done you will come to know the shortfalls, and these can be addressed accordingly.”

In his presidential address, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, “SRMIST is a well-known higher education institution in the country, and we are active and keen on participating in such events. SRMIST stood first in the country in the Swachhata ranking. We also received a distinction for being a clean and smart campus. This means we are using various gadgets to optimize the available resources. We are also the first in the country to get permission from MHRD, and now cleared by AICTE to start an MBA program in Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship.”  

He added, “For a country, the village is the cell. If the village can do well, then the country will be healthy too. We have a large population living in the village, and if the rural places become thrive, then cities will flourish even more.”

Highlighting on SRMIST’s role in Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, he said,'' SRMIST has taken under its care eight villages. We have the youth, power, mind, and innovation to make the change in these places. We will face every challenge thrown upon us with valor, and we carry the capacity to flourish them with excellence. SRMIST would like to work in all the sectors of energy, water, plantation, agriculture, etc. We are trying to innovate in the space we have. We also have the capacity and will to undertake such projects”.

SRM inks MoU with Kansas State University

Date: January 23, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur has recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Kansas State University (KSU), USA. Professors Dr. Ramasamy Perumal and Dr. Krishna Jagadish from KSU visited SRMIST for the event. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Perumal said that the process of the MoU is length, he is happy to have this association with SRMIST. He added “It is important to give students a lift and push them towards a higher calling. This MoU will be a team effort and it is important not to underestimate one’s self and aim at a better output. With the facilities that SRMIST offers, we are also contemplating bringing our own Ph.D. students here for research.”

Prof. Jagadish said, “I was completely new to SRMIST and after I got to know about the infrastructure and the well-equipped faculty, I am pretty much happy to have signed this MoU with this Institution. I hope this agreement turns out to be meaningful and productive.”

Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, said, “The message for the youngsters is to dream big and follow leaders to gain and improve their knowledge. This is a good partnership that we have earned. This will not just benefit the Genetics department but also the clusters around it like agriculture, biotechnology and so on. This association will be special as KSU’s doors are not open to everyone. We will do our best to fulfill the terms of the agreement and move forward.” 

About the MoU

This MoU will facilitate the exchange of students and scientists to conduct research on mutual interest, exchange of professors for lectures and short term visits, invitations to scholars for participation in conferences, symposia, and instruction, exchange of information, academic materials and publications in fields of mutual interest, facilitating the mobility of students, through exchange and visits, between two universities. This agreement will also host one student every year with a stipend for a one-year duration. 

SRM College of Physiotherapy honors its alumni

Date: January 11, 2020

It was a day of togetherness and recollecting old memories as the Silver Jubilee alumni celebration of SRM College of Physiotherapy was held in association with the Alumni Association of SRM College of Physiotherapy (AASRMPT). ACCORD 2020, was held over a period of two days. The first day was filled with lectures and presentations, while, the second day was a more informal gathering of fun and games.

Welcoming the gathering, Dean of SRM College of Physiotherapy, SRMIST, and Prof D. Malarvizhi said, “We are happy to welcome each and every one of you back home. This is a day to celebrate the spirit of graduation.” Also, President of SRMIST, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, “It is a great pleasure to see so many participate in this reunion.” 

Recalling the words of Founder-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, “This is not just a get-together but a family reunion.” He added, “There are about 1400 alumni members in physiotherapy and I think almost everyone has turned up amidst their busy schedule. This goes to show that you are renewing your friendship and feeling nostalgic about your Alma Mater. You should also think about what you can offer to your Alma Mater in terms of introducing workshops, placement opportunities for those looking for career change within the same domain and so on. You are our visiting cards and ambassadors.”

SRMIST President also launched the Souvenir and Android Mobile Application on the occasion.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Dr. VPR Sivakumar, who was the former dean of SRM College of Physiotherapy. On receiving his award, Dr. Sivakumar said, “I am happy to see students from the first batch to the current batch participate in this reunion. This is a proud moment for me and SRMIST management. For the last 10 years, the outgoing batch has silently been donating equipment to the college. This is a way of students showing their support to their Alma Mater.

Registrar of SRMIST Dr. N. Sethuraman, Director of Alumni Prof. R. Venkataramani and Dean Medical Dr. A. Sundaram also spoke on the occasion. Vice-Principal of SRM College of Physiotherapy SRMIST, T.N. Suresh presented the vote of thanks.

AWARDS -

• Excellency in Academics: T. S. Veeragowthaman (2001), Dr. Sethilnathan (1996), Dr. Subramani (2002), Dr. Balachandar (2002), Dr. Saravanan (2000), Dr. C. V. John Franklin (1999), Dr. Tushar Palikar (2002), Dr. Vijay Selvan (1994), Dr. G Gajalakshmi (2003). 
• Excellency in Research: Asir John Samuel (2004), Mariyam Farzana (2003).
• Excellency in Clinical Practice: K V Dheeraj, Ruchika Bansal (1994), Aslam (2003), Anand Raj (2001), B Bharath Shankar (1994), Dr. T. Arumugam (1993).
• Excellency in Community Service: Prakash Raman
• Excellency in Community Rehabilitation: N. R. Raja (2002), P. Kamalanathan (1999), D Vincent Jeyaraj (2005) (2011), K Vadivelan (1997).
• Excellence in Sports and Fitness: P Satheesh Kumar, Kamlesh Jain (2003), Lavanya Dhanasekaran Lalitha (2002) (2011), S Vairava Sudharsan, S Babu (2008), Vijay Senthil (1994), S Manikandan (2001). 
• Excellency in Health and Fitness: Devashish Singh (2002), Prabhakaran (2004).

No Country has Developed without the Participation of Women: FICCI official

Date: January 7, 2020

SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kattankulathur organized the fourth edition of Dr. Paarivendhar Lecture Series. On this occasion, Shobha Mishra Ghosh, Assistant Secretary-General, FICCI, New Delhi, said, “The future of jobs is the biggest challenge we are facing. To overcome it, student-centric learning should be adopted, which includes teaching entrepreneurship. Lectures/professors should be mentors and they should also keep learning.” She addressed students on the topic, ‘Future Jobs in India and the Role of Universities’ as well. 

Welcoming the gathering Dean, School of Management, Dr. V. Ponniah said, “In future, it will be difficult to judge jobs and hence this lecture will throw light on what to expect and how to cope up with the change. Supply and demand are affected by various factors. So it is the knowledge and expertise of the student that needs to be changed and updated.”

In his presidential address, Founder-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, “The scope for the job in the future is going to change. Such lectures are useful than classroom teaching. To improve your knowledge it is important to listen to such talks. Students should show more interest as it gives ideas and exposure about yourself, how to speak with people and know what is happening around you. It could also help in your campus interview.”

“We are trying to develop and nurture you with lots of information so that you can face this world in several methods and ways. To do this, the response of students is also important. Students can form clubs and associations to attend such lectures. This is equal to reading several books. If you stop learning, you stop living.” 

Focusing on the purpose of education, Shobha Mishra Ghosh said, “Apart from knowledge, employable skills, research, and innovation, it is important to evolve, be an aware and empathetic human being.” She added that our education system should contribute towards making students a good human being. This implies to thinkers & philosophers, entrepreneurs & professionals, scientists & researches.

Highlighting the workforce matrix 2022, she elaborated the 9% would be deployed in new jobs that do not exist today, 37% would be in jobs that have radically changed skill set and 54% will fall under the unchanged job category. These changes will primarily be in IT/BPO, automobile, banking, and insurance, textile and apparel, retail. Most jobs will die away and give way to 55 unique jobs roled across eight technologies such as VR, IoT, Big Data Analytics, AI, Robotic Process Automation, 3D Printing, cloud computing, social & mobile. 

Speaking on the new age pedagogy, this FICCI officer said, “The changing paradigm in our education has led to new age pedagogy. This leads to global classrooms, experiential learning, and addressing diverse learners. Universities should teach students to think and be aware of what is happening around themselves. The learning in this 21st century is different and the faculty and management should also adopt themselves. Mentors should also take up different calibers of teaching. Many institutions are not adopting the latest technologies. Faculty also should not shy from learning from students. Our system only looks at the learning ability. There are nine types of intelligence and we should see that and harness it accordingly. The creative economy has transcended into several sectors including IT, therefore our universities should also focus on liberal education.”

“Women's participation should increase. No country in this world has developed without the participation of women in the workforce," she concluded.

SRMIST organizes Alumni Day 2020

Date: January 6, 2020

SRM Institute of Science and Technology recently honored 27 of its eminent, distinguished, and notable alumni at its annual Alumni Day held in the institute’s campus. Three other graduates were presented with endowment medals instituted by the 1991 batch. The day was filled with fun and laughter as many reminiscences and walk down memory lane. 

The welcome address was presented by Alumni Director, R Venkataramani. He urged old graduates to instigate awards, scholarships, and mentor jobs for deserving students. “Apart from mentoring, you should also be a guardian. You are also national and international ambassador of SRMIST and your welfare will be taken care of by management.”

“This is the time to rejoice in the success of our past and to recall and reignite those memorable university days,” said Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. He added, “You are one of the biggest alumni groups in terms of number, diversity, sectors, activities and various other things. Many of you come from different fields, including government, private, and entrepreneurship. So we also need to learn from you and get your feedback to improve the next generation of students. Alumni are the force of any institution and we take pride in naming our achievers. We are also setting the system which will be much more transparent and helpful to others.”

President of SRMIST, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, “It is a pleasure to be with all of you on this occasion. I am sure the classrooms and places where you hang out would bring out nostalgic memories. The campus is not just about the buildings or roads, but it is about the embodiment of all these memories and aspirations of the present students. This is one chapter in your life that cannot be forgotten. The university or institution will always have a big impact on the life of the student.”

Echoing a similar message, Founder-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar said, “This is my family meet and not merely an alumni meet. If the children grow well and enjoy several positions that is when a father will be happy. I am really proud to hear that many are doing well. As you grow, our university will also grow. More than that we are well recognized by every Indian and foreign university both locally and globally.”

Minister of Irrigation (Water Resources) for Andhra Pradesh, Dr. Poluboina Anil Kumar, who is also an Alumni of SRMIST said, “I am honored to be here and thankful for SRMISt for calling me here. I was among the second batch of students to graduate from SRM. This institute has taught me to handle failures. Because of that when I lost my first two elections I was able to come back with a fighting spirit. Now I am the youngest minister in AP cabinet.” He added, “Many students have come out in flourishing colors. We have been blessed with good professors and lectures. The pain that we go through was essential and it has molded me to become a better person. Today I feel proud in coming back as alumni.”

SRMIST organizes Special Convocation 

Date: December 28, 2019

SRM Institute of Science and Technology recently organized a convocation ceremony at its campus. A total of 5884 students collected their medals, ranks, and degrees amid proud parents in a packed hall at the Special Convocation. 

Dr. T. S. Ravikumar, President of AIIMS Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh was the chief guest for the event. He congratulated the students for having crossed this milestone. He encouraged them for the coming year, “As we are stepping into 2020, a year of vision. SRMIST has given you a chance to create a new vision, so seize the day and enjoy it.” He is currently designated as Member-WHO Global Patient Safety Curriculum Committee and Founding at “Chittur Viswanathan Parvathy Endowed Chair” - quality/Patient safety, SVIMS. He urged the students to utilize their time properly and use the chance this institution has to offer.

Dr. Ravikumar Insights on Healthcare sector:

“Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and big data are the future. Although India is gifted with many first, we will have to adapt to the transformations in these fields. This is an opportunity for students at SRMIST to make a change in technology, health care and so on. Although we have the best doctor-patient ratio, our infant mortality and mortality rates are still high. Our health care quincunx is something that needs urgent attention. Quality and patient safety is the universal language that is echoing attention. Many of the students should carry this torch as the absence of patient safety means the absence of preventable harm happening in health care. Our aim should be to bring down the mortality rate to an acceptable minimum. Apart from prevention, you should also learn from errors and teamwork.”

“Man-to-man, machine-to-man and machine-to-machine interfaces must work for patient safety. Unsafe care can be labeled as a disease. This is one of the top 10 causes of death. More than half of these causes are preventable. Of this, one third leads to disability and even death. Diagnostic errors also add to this. So whatever profession you are taking, your aim should be to minimize errors,” said senior healthcare professional.

Echoing on the same line, Dr. Damodar Acharya, Former-Chairman, AICTE, New Delhi, and Former Director IIT Kharagpur said, “Technology is changing fast and there is a sea of change in it every day and it is important to be able to cope up with it. Organ replacing and drug development are some of the most growing sectors. It is important for students to grow in these areas to be competent.”

Speaking on the opportunities available, he added, “Be open to new businesses and solving problems as the needs of the customers are changing and this is paving the way to new problems. We are now in an era of personalized manufacturing which is overtaking mass production. Soon the stores of today may become a thing of the past. Smart mobility, smart city, smart health care, and smart mobility will soon be a reality. Physical work will reduce and this will lead to a major challenge.” He concluded by saying, “You have to do everything yourself each time you face problems. You need to be your own guiding light and most importantly, never forget your Alma mater, because it is the reason for your growth.”

Opportunities aplenty in space research: ISRO Scientist

Date: December 26, 2019

Puthiya Thalaimurai Foundation recently organized a seminar at SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Dr. V. Ramamoorthy, a retired scientist from ISRO, was the chief guest at the event. He informed the students regarding the opportunities available at ISRO and other allied organizations for engineers and science students. 

With increasing technological development, students must understand the value of opportunities available around them. He inspired the students to become entrepreneurs after their graduation rather than searching for job opportunities. However, before getting into any business, one should understand it in-depth and take the plunge with the utmost confidence. 

Speaking at the event about aerospace, Ramamoorthy said plenty of opportunities are available and a lot of work is happening in the field of satellite technology, communication, meteorological research, and remote medical treatment. He pointed out that remote medical treatment is available in 180 hospitals across the country and a total of 146 village hospitals have been linked to 34 multi-specialty hospitals. In 20 years’ time, space technology will surpass information technology. “Hence students should focus a lot on this field that offers plenty of opportunities,” he said.

The event also saw the participation of Dr. S.Ganapathy, Director – Corporate Relations SRMIST, Prof. A Rajasekar, Mechanical Department and Nandagopal, Physical Education and Sports Advisor.

SRMIST inaugurates International Conference on Business Research

Date: December 23, 2019

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur organizes the 6th International Symposium on Business Research. It was inaugurated by Professor Dr. Saravanan Muthaiyah, Malaysia Multimedia University. 

Dr. R Balasubramanian, Pro-Vice-Chancellor unveiled the special souvenir and CD of the conference that was organized under the aegis of School of Commerce and Economics, SRMIST. It was attended by more than a thousand students, young researchers, professors, and business representatives from various institutions. 

At the event, 216 research papers including 14 of researchers from America, Australia, England, and Indonesia were presented on the subjects of business, economics, accounting, and finance, corporate secretaryship. Out of these, 190 were accepted, and 33 research papers were approved to be published in foreign journals.

Speaking after unveiling the conference souvenir, Dr. Balasubramanian said the conference, being attended by educational institutions, professional bodies and consultants, would help create opportunities for students and avoid exploitation in business.

The Digital India campaign, initiated by the Prime Minister, is a very effective project, as all transactions are carried out digitally in developed countries, he said and also drew attention to the implementation of the Fastag system in toll booths that would help reduce traffic delays. Stating that there was a good scope for business and commerce students, Balasubramanian exhorted the students to focus on business research. 

Speaking at the conference, Prof. Dr. Saravanan Muthaiyah and Professor Dr. Raman Gujral, Professor and Head (Southern Region) Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, said that research study called for a lot of dedication and sincerity. They appealed to the students to take up research in areas where there is a social need. Entrepreneurs are not born but are created by other entrepreneurs, and keeping this in mind the Indian Entrepreneurship Development Institute offers training certificates on Integrated Entrepreneurship to 1000 people, they said.

SRMIST organizes Essay Competition

Date: December 18, 2019

An essay and oratorical competition was organized on ‘Ban of single-use plastic’ at SRM College of Nursing, SRIMT recently. The competition was based on the scheme of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) -  Swachhata Hi Seva by MHRD, Government of India. 

The welcome address was given by Dr. C Kanniammal, Dean SRM College of Nursing. The presidential address and the prizes were distributed by Dr. N Sethuraman, Registrar. Felicitation was by Dr. V Thirumurugan, Associate Director (CL) and nodal officer – UBA. 

As per MHRD instruction, SRMIST did a campaign for the ban of single-use plastic in villages and inside the campus under Swachhata Hi Seva 2019. Students and faculties also did Shramdaan and took a pledge on plastic-free India. They visited 5 villages and identified the problems being faced by the villagers. On this basis, they submitted 59 projects to UBA 2.0. Out of which, only 7 projects were approved and funds were sanctioned for three projects. 

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is a flagship program of MHRD, Government of India. SRMIST has been enrolled in UBA 2.0 as a participating institute since January 2018. The institute has allotted 5 villages and has implemented government schemes through technology development and customization.

SRM introduces MBA in Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship for students

Date: December 16, 2019

An exhibition cum industry-academia meet was organized at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur recently. The topic of the meet was on Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship. “Nearly one lakh tons of waste is generated in a day and 62 million tons per annum. Of which only 20 percent is recycled and the rest goes as landfills,” said former Secretary to GoI, Santha Sheela Nair at the event. 

Addressing the gathering Santha said, “While in office, I dreamed about educational institutions offering a course on waste management. Now SRMIST has made it a reality. “Eco-sanitation toilets and rainwater harvesting should be taught as subjects in school. At the same time, students should also realize that there is a huge market for recycled products. Waste is not just wealth but a movement,” she concluded. 

This meet was organized as part of introducing an MBA course on Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship at SRMIST in association with Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education (MGNCRE), a unit of MHRD. SRM is the first among 15 institutions in India to introduce this course. 

Previously, Founder Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. T R Paarivendhar, MP, released books on Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship duly edited by a panel of members from MGNCRE. The books consisting of six parts are a compilation of various waste management programs done by several social activists and entrepreneurs.

“Waste also affects the GDP of a country. Therefore, the future of our country is in our hands. Now the waste we generate is substantial and when we grow, the associated waste will also grow with us, therefore it is important to manage it. This should not be seen as a problem but we should learn to live with it and managed it. The important aspect is trying to solve it at the source,” said M Nanda Kumar, MD, EDAC Engineering Ltd, and Convener – FICCI TNSC- Energy Panel.

Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, “SRMIST is now offering MBA in Waste Management and Social Entrepreneurship, and we are planning to start a UG program in rural management. We should teach students and promote better and healthy living, this will be a big driving force in the development of our nation.” He then urged students to choose their own domain and start working on it.

Dean, Faculty of Management, SRMIST, Dr. VM Ponniah said, “Waste is getting acculturated due to various reasons and this cannot be changed. Therefore we are introducing this course so that students can aid in managing this waste in the future. This is a small step in this direction.” An overview of the event was presented by Dean, Center for Environmental Nuclear Research SRMIST, Dr. Kantha D Arunachalam.

SRM holds an International workshop on Advanced Functional Materials

Date: December 16, 2019

Nanotechnology Research Center (NRC) and Department of Physics and Nanotechnology jointly organized a two-day international workshop on 'Advanced Functional Materials and Devices (AFMD-2019)' at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur. The focus of the workshop is on energy sectors, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and so on. 

Dr. M. Kamruddin, Associate Director, Accelerator & Nanoscience Group MSG, IGCAR, Kalpakkam was the chief guest for the second edition of the event. Prof K Ramasamy, Director (Research), SRMIST presided over. Prof R Murugan, Pondicherry University was the guest of honor.

In his presidential address, Prof K Ramasamy said, “We have had three Nobel physicist from India such things should motivate students to take up more research. To facilitate this we should reorganize our approach towards education. Students need to be interactive and subjects should be multi-disciplinary. Students should also realize your deficiency and work towards it. Such workshops will give you hands-on training on the latest technology and expertise that is available. They should also focus on creating a new product.” 

Dr. M. Kamruddin in his speech said, “New technology and new devises need to innovate often to meet new demand. The trend is to make small products that are more efficient. I am happy that SRMIST is encouraging research and the facilities here are world-class.” 

Guest of honor, Prof R Murugan said, “Almost all the breakthrough in nanotechnology is related to India. Battery storage devises is the next technology that we are heading to.”

Some of the topics that were covered in the workshop were: Novel Carbon Nanostructures for Energy Storage Application, Solid State Li-metal batteries for high energy density applications, Engineered Nanophotonic Structures for Energy Applications and Application of Ion Accelerators in Defect Studies.

Brake and friction experts attend a technical conference in SRM

Date: December 11, 2019

The Department of Automobile Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur hosted the 4th Railway Brake and Friction Conference 2019 recently. The two-day conference brought together industry, policymakers, and the research community to share technical knowledge and do business. Several technical talks were organized and speakers from various technical expertise and experience of doing railway business in India spoke during the conference. 

Dr. Shashank Virmani of Brake Friction Conference Ltd, London, gave a brief introduction to the event and what people can expect from it. He said, “This is the fourth edition and the Railway Brake and Friction Conference series is annually attended by around 100 brake and friction experts from around the world. The previous events were held in the UK and China. The next conference is to be held in Australia.”

In his presidential address, Director (Engg & Tech) Dr. C Muthamizhchelvan said, “This conference will give a deep insight into brake and fiction. This is the first conference in SRMIST to have so many industry people participate. This will lead to collaborative and comprehensive learning.” 

Chief Guest for the event, Chief Engineer, Indian Railways, Ankala Saibaba said, “This conference will showcase some of the latest and existing developments in Indian Railway. This will be a win-win situation between industry, students, and customers. It will also help manufacturers in minimizing traction forces in Railways so that the railway lines can perform for the long term.”

HOD of Automobile Engineering, Dr. M. Leenus Jesu Martin welcomed the gathering. All the guest speakers and other dignitaries were felicitated on the occasion.

SRM bags seven prestigious industry awards

Date: December 9, 2019

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur has received seven recognitions in a short span of 45 days. The awards are of national and international importance and have added yet another feather to its cap. This QS-IGauge Diamond rated institute has been the recipient of STEM impact award, Green Metric Award, AICTE-CII IndPact Award for Best Industry-linked institution for Electrical Engineering and Allied Institute, University of the Year Award 2019 from FICCI and three Swachhata ranking awards from AICTE.

Present for the press meet was President of SRMIST Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Registrar SRMIST N. Sethuraman, Joint Director (Research) SRMIST Dr. SRS Prabaharan and Associate Director (Campus Life) Dr. V. Thirumurugan. Speaking at the press meet, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan said, “This is a special honor for our Institution as we have received seven awards in a short span of time.”

STEM IMPACT AWARD

The institute won the STEM (Society for Technology Management) Impact Award for innovating a cost-effective, Microbial fuel cell for bioelectricity generation and heavy metal reduction from environmentally available biowaste, namely tannery effluents. SRMIST is the only privately funded university to receive this award, others being IIT Kanpur and two CSIR labs. SRMIST had three in-house technologies submission and Microbial Fuel Submission received the STEM Impact Award. 

This project was spearheaded by Dr. S Harinipriya, Associate Professor of SRMIST and her students. This innovation has also been granted a US patent (US 10,230,122 B2). A technology transfer is initiated and MoU has been signed between Suprajaa Solutions Pvt. Limited, Tamilnadu.

GREEN METRIC AWARD

SRM has been ranked 243^rd in GreenMetric World University Rankings and third in India. The award was given for the category ‘World’s Most Sustainable University’. This was organized by the University of Indonesia. About 780 universities participated in the event globally and 25 Indian Universities and Institutions participated in it

AICTE-CII IndPact AWARD

AICTE-CII IndPact Award for Best Industry-linked institution for Electrical Engineering and Allied Institute (Established-Degree) was awarded to SRM. It won the award for Best Industry Linked Technical Institute in India 2019 for Electrical Engineering and Allied Institute. This year around 9,832 institutes participated in the survey, out of which 39 Institutes were shortlisted for final presentation and EEE department of SRMIST, Kattankulathur was one among them. Dr. K. Vijayakumar, HOD / EEE, SRMIST gave the presentation for the EEE department and showcased the best practices of industry partnerships. 

FICCI honor for SRM 

SRMIST won the prestigious ‘University of the Year Award 2019’ (under the category of 11-30 years old Institutes) at the 6th edition of FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards 2019, held in New Delhi. Universities and Institutions were awarded in seven categories and SRMIST competed under the ‘University of the Year Award 2019’ since, being a multi-stream university, it has many dimensions of excellence. The process consists of submitting an exhaustive questionnaire highlighting how SRMIST stands out in many facets of university life. These include Governance, Curriculum & Pedagogy, Infrastructure, Faculty Development, Internationalization, Student Employability, Collaborative Initiatives, Research, Patents, Impact on Society, etc. 

SRMIST highlighted 19 best practices covering the abovementioned areas which inter alia include Semester Abroad Program, Flexible Choice-based Curriculum, Specialized UG programs in the disciplines of Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering and Biotechnology, Mandatory Industry Training Program, Faculty Industry Immersion Program, Liberal Student Scholarships, Accreditation, etc. 

Three Swachhata Awards

SRMIST ranked No. 1 under the category of AICTE-Residential Universities in the third edition of Swachhata Ranking Award. The Ranking Award was presented by MHRD as a part of its Swachh Bharat Mission to promote environmental hygiene in the Higher Education system and beyond. SRMIST excelled in the parameters of hygiene like student-toilet ratio, hostel hygiene, water conservation, campus greenery, harnessing solar energy, rainwater harvesting, waste segregation, and solid waste management.

SRMIST secured the third rank in AICTE’s Clean and Smart Campus Awards. The process of ranking consists of assessing the institutes on Impact of deployment of digital technology in order for the students, faculty and management in the campus to reduce consumption of natural resources (such as paper, gas, energy, etc) and alignment of the latest digital trends like IoT, Big Data and Cloud Networking to achieve various aspects of sustainability in the campus, specifically to contribute to United Nations’ SDGs.

AICTE honors SRM with Swachhta Ranking Award

SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, won the Annual Swachhta Ranking Award, under the Residential University category, at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). SRMIST won this recognition at the third edition of Swachhata Ranking Award event which was held recently at AICTE Headquarter in New Delhi.

The awards were received by Registrar of SRMIST Dr N Sethuraman, Dean - IQAC (Internal Quality Assurance Cell), Prof. G. Augustine Maniraj Pandian and Deputy Registrar of Delhi-NCR Campus Dr. S. Viswanathan. The awards were presented by Secretary, Department of Higher Education, R Subrahmanyam. SRMIST won the third place among AICTE Universities in the Clean & Smart Campus Awards, a campus first step towards sustainability. SRMIST also won the first place nationwide for their contribution in One Student One Tree initiative.

Meaning of Awards:

• The objective of Swachhta Ranking Award is to get the attention of students, faculty, and Institutions towards the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan and help them realize how smartly they can reduce the consumption or exploitation of natural resources such as paper, water, energy by the deployment of digital technology.
• The Clean and Smart Campus award aims to seek engagement with all stakeholders, primarily the student community to draw their attention towards immense scope and potential that the Technology offers for abstract objectives such as cleanliness, sustainability, environment etc.
• Under the One Student One Tree initiative, nearly one lakh saplings are being planted in 26 villages near Kattankulathur and Kundrathur Panchayath. This was done by students from NSS, NCC, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Swachhata hi Seva and student chapter for engineers association.

SRMIST won these awards beating over 6,900 institutions that participated in the ranking exercise under various parameters of hygiene like student-toilet ration, hostel hygiene, hostel kitchen hygiene, availability of water, water conservation measures, campus greenery, and administrative responsibility for hygiene.

IEI opens Kattankulathur Local Centre in SRM

Date: December 3, 2019

The Kattankulathur Local Centre of The Institute of Engineers (India) was opened by Founder Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. T.R. Paarivendhar, MP at the Institute’s premises recently. Maj. Gen. Dr. S. Bhattacharya, VSM (Retd), Secretary and Director-General, The Institution of Engineering (India) read the Warrant of Establishment and Er. R. Ramdoss, FIE, Chairman IEI, Tamil Nadu State Centre handed it over to Dr. PT Ravichandran, the first Chairman of Kattankulathur Local Centre. IEI also presented a cheque of Rs. 1.5 lakhs towards the development of the Centre.  

Delegates speak:

• In his welcome address, R. Ramdoss said that this will be the 124 centre in India and will have over 400 members as of now. 
• In his acceptance speech, Dr. PT Ravichandran said, “I am proud to be the first president of this chapter. Our Chancellor is the architect of SRMIST and under this guidance and support, I assure you that we will take this Centre to greater heights.”
• “What I am is because of AIME,” said Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar. In his special address, he mentioned that AIME was a turning point in his life. “Now I am happy that Kattankulathur Local Centre has been started at SRMIST. IEI has done yeoman service and will be helpful in providing skill-based engineers to solve rising employment issues. It will be a big contribution to India.”

Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, said, “There are challenges that many engineers face on a daily basis. To overcome this, we need handholding, continuous education, and profession connect. These things can be fulfilled only through such professional bodies. Engineers should have access to technology and connection with industry people. Therefore this Centre will redefine what we need to do.” He also suggested a future collaboration with IEI.

Dr T M Gunaraja, FIE, President, The Institution of Engineers (India), said, “The whole world is depended on India and India is depended on Universities like SRM, which has grown globally. Therefore all the activities that happen in Kattankulathur Local Centre should be focused on strengthening the Center. Understanding engineering alone is not enough it is important that students understand the importance of the industry too.”

Also present were Dr. S Dhanalakshmi, FIE, Honorary Secretary, IE(I) and Er P Gomathi Nayagam, MIE, Honorary Secretary, IE(I), Tamilnadu State Centre.

Australian National University invites SRM faculty for Research

Date: November 26, 2019

In a bid to improve research activities and facilitate faculty abroad program, Dr. C. Gopalakrishnan, Associate Professor from the Department of Physics and Nanotechnology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur will soon be part The Australian National University (ANU)’s Faculty Abroad Program. Based on his scientific achievements, he has been invited as visiting professor to ANU to work on specific and targeted research areas, having direct relevance to societal needs.

“Nanomechanical resonators are highly sensitive in detecting the mass changes even up to the zepto grams sensitivity. The development of low cost and high sensitive nanomechanical resonators may help the practitioners in the early detection of cancer,” says this Nanoscale Physicist-Scientist ‘D’ Cadre. “Having diverse experience in fabricating nanomaterials of different sizes including fabrication of ultrathin films for non-volatile devices is the challenge for this project,” he adds. 

About Dr. C. Gopalakrishnan: He established the state-of-the-art Nanotechnology Research Center at SRMIST in 2006, which was the only research center in any private university in south India. The center was supported by management and other Govt funding agencies with an overall of Rs 20 crores. He has also been the guest scientist at Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany funded under the prestigious Max Planck Society. Some of his key achievements include introducing a new curriculum/course on MS and MS linked Ph.D. in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, built UHV-STM as part of the dissertation during the postgraduate research program at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland among other things. He was awarded a prestigious scholarship under Science Foundation Ireland for his postgraduate research program.

About Australian National University: It is a national research university founded in 1946. It is the only university that has been created by the parliament of Australia and located in Canberra. Originally a postgraduate research university, ANU commenced undergraduate teaching in 1960 when it integrated the Canberra University College, which had been established in 1929 as a campus of the University of Melbourne. ANU is regarded as one of the world's leading research universities. It is ranked 1st in Australia and the whole of Oceania, 24th in the world by the 2019 QS World University Rankings.

Former ISRO chief urges students to practice what they learn

Date: November 12, 2019

“Education cannot be just about books, it also has a connection to the environment, choices we make and passion towards it,” said Padma Vibhushan Dr. K. Kasturirangan, former Chairman of ISRO at the inauguration of the University Wellness Program (UWP) held at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur recently. 

He unveiled the logo of the UWP at the event. This logo was designed by the students themselves. He also urged students to think beyond their subjects. “Schools and colleges should teach students interdisciplinary subjects. This is called liberal education. It is better to have knowledge beyond your area of specialization as this might become the fourth revolution. I am glad that SRM is part of this liberal education system.” 

In his welcome address, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, said, “This program is for the betterment of the next generation. Good health and wellness are different because it involves mental health.” 

The University Wellness Program in SRMIST is an initiative of Dr. Padma Venkat, Dean of School of Public Health and her team. The aim of this initiative is to focus on achieving sustainable health and wellbeing of everyone at SRMIST campus. This will be a stepping stone for teachers and students to apply practically what is learned as theory, UWP evolves in offering sustainable solutions towards wellness. 

Speaking about it, Dr. Venkat said “The aim of the program is to include wellness into existing modules. It will also help students take a practical approach to the theory they study in classrooms. Now our primary aim is to integrate this concept into academic, research, outreach, and research methodology.”

‘UWP is not just about students but about everyone working here. When students get to experiment with what they learn they become busy. This will reduce issues such as drug abuse, suicide, anxiety, and depression. UWP would be an effective tool in inculcating critical thinking into wellness,’ said President of SRMIST Dr. P Sathyanarayanan, who presided over the function. 

Dr. Unnikrishnan, Principal Visiting Fellow at United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur spoke on Living with the Planet, Learning from Ayurveda. The program was attended by Dr. Nirmala Murthy, an SPH mentor. Dr. PG Diwakar, Director, Earth Observation Centre (ISRO) also delivered a special address.

SRM contributes massively in the field of education, says SHAR chief

Date: November 10, 2019

Challenges are always there, but are you ready to face them? Questioned Shri A Rajarajan, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, to an enthusiastic crowd of 5000 students. These students had come to receive their medals, ranks, and degrees at the 15th Annual Convocation at SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kattankulathur recently. 

The chief guest for the event added that hard work and dedication would yield better results. “Remember your parents, teachers, and all those who have played a role in your life. The process of traversing from college life to the outer world will be different and difficult. The value systems that you learn from your institution is what will help you overcome these situations.” He also urged students not to give up on their dreams. “If India has to become the best country in the world, it needs all-round development and the primary focus is education. SRM has been contributing massively in this endeavor.” 

In a lighter vein, he asked students to spend their time wisely. “When the sun comes up, you should be ready to run in order to survive in this world.” He then presented medals and ranks to 113 candidates from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology and 90 students received their Ph.D. degrees. A total of 9010 students were awarded Under Graduate and Doctoral Degrees at the convocation.  

Shri K.N. Vyas, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy(DAE), Government of India was awarded Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) (Honoris Causa) by Founder-Chancellor of SRM Institute of Science & Technology and Member of Parliament, Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. KN Vyas said, “I am happy to know that SRM has been generating one-megawatt solar power. However, we scientists believe that nuclear energy is also equally important as it can be used as an alternative source for solar energy. We should soon shift our focus to alternative energy as our natural resources are depleting.” 

Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti presented the Annual Report. The Convocation was held in the presence of President of SRMIST Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan and Co-chairman of SRM Ramapuram S Niranjan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. TP Ganesan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. R Balasubramanian, Registrar Dr. N Sethuraman, Members of the Board of Management, Members of the Academic Council among others.

SRMIST to host its 15^th Annual Convocation

Date: November 7, 2019

SRM Institute of Science & Technology, Kattankulathur, is set to organize its 15^th Annual Convocation on November 10, 2019. About 9010 students will be awarded Under Graduate and Doctoral Degrees from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. 49 students will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for their academic achievements and 90 students will be receiving their Ph.D. degrees.

Chief Guest for the event will be Shri A. Rajarajan, Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, ISRO, Sriharikota. He will deliver the Convocation address. B. Tech, B. Arch and B. Des graduates and Doctoral candidates in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology will receive their degree. 

Shri K.N. Vyas, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India will be awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) (Honoris Causa). Dr. T. R. Paarivendhar, Founder-Chancellor of SRMIST and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha will preside over the convocation. The Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti will be presenting the Annual Report.

SRM hosts 4^th edition of National Level Hackathon

Future mobility, Defence, Sustainability, Technology in Brand Experience, IT Security and Tourism were the themes of the fourth edition of the SRM Hackathon. This national-level event was organised by the IT Association, School of Computing and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Katankulathur and was held at SRMIST campus recently. 

The Winners:

The winner was team Dragon Booster from Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering, Sriperumbudur. The Social Stars award was won by Team Gen-Y of SRMIST, Kattankulathur. The team comprises of Shwet Mishra, Siddhant Tibrewal, Saurabh Agrawal, Subhashree Hazra and Atif Hossain. Their application was to solve travel plan complexity and can help people create any trip according to their preferences. 

People's Favorite award was won by SRMIST’s Beeclust_mrsl group consisting of Inderan Kannan, Atul John Abraham, and Sukriti. Their work was a prototype that uses algae and draws in CO2 and other harmful gases like Sulphur Di Oxide and fullerenes (excess air) into the system. The major highlights include the production of zero to no waste, completely environment-friendly and low energy consumption when compared to the conventional air purifiers.

About SRM Hackathon 4.0

SRM Hackathon 4.0 was a 36-hour long event and had about 1000 entries. Only 40 ideas were selected to participate in the finals. The competition was held under the guidance of a panel of mentors and judges. The idea was to create a platform for young developers and professionals to showcase their projects. 

Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti said, “Novelty, newness, and innovation is the core idea of such Hackathons. It is important to learn from such competitions that provide a space for developers to come across 50-odd solutions for a single problem. It also allowed students to look at a problem in several other dimensions.”

“The result of this contest will motivate others to come forward to participate. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji also promotes such hackathons. It is important to have an uncluttered and open mind to learn and develop oneself," he concluded.

Mouth-watering Food Alert! SRM celebrates International Chefs Day

Date: October 19, 2019

The sizzling aroma of mixed Paella and traditional meen kulambu filled the auditorium where students and faculty gathered in large numbers to celebrate International Chefs Day at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur campus.

A Spanish culinary workshop and fruit mixing ceremony was the highlight of the two-day event, held on 17 and 18 of October, organized by SRM Institute of Hotel Management in comradeship with South India Chefs Association. The institute has been celebrating International Chefs Day for the past 20 years.

The chief guest for the event, Spanish Chef Antonio Garcia De Q Sanchez, who is the Executive Sous Chef of The Diplomatic Club, Doha Qatar taught students how to make Spain’s traditional dish Paella. Guest of honour, Chef (Dr.) Damu, President of SICA and Food Consultant ignited the taste buds of the youngsters with his mouth-watering fish curry made in earthenware. 

Over 35 chefs from 15 hotels taught students in the form of workshops, conferences, and live demonstrations. The theme of the event was “How healthy food works” and a panel discussion on “Consider Food as Medicine rather Medicine as Food” was also held.

Speaking on the occasion, Chef Damu told students to make use of this conference and learn from experts. “This is a great opportunity and a good platform to learn and grow.”

A pledge on transforming India by 2022 into a healthy nation was taken by all. Students from 10 different schools participated in the conference along with the hotel management colleges like IHM Chennai, SPARK Catering College, Tirupathur, ASAN Memorial Institute of Hotel Management, and many more. The event concluded with a fruit mixing ceremony for the Christmas cake. This has been organized by the institute for the 20th year. 26 students from different city colleges were presented with the Best Preparation award for their culinary skills. The vote of thanks was proposed by Vice-principal SRM IHM, Lalitha Shri.

SC Advocate enlightens SRM students on Abrogation of Article 370

Date: October 16, 2019

“It is important for students to be aware of what Article 370 is about rather than making it a debate in colleges and schools,” said Senior Advocate- Supreme Court, N Venkataraman. He addressed students from School of Law, School of Management, Social Sciences, Journalism and Mass Communication on Abrogation of Article 370 and its impact at the third edition of Dr. Paarivendhar Management Lecture series organized by the School of Management (SOM) at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur.

In his talk, Venkataraman explained why J&K came under Article 370, its benefits and drawbacks. He gave a detailed explanation of how the Princely State of J&K was annexed to India in 1947. He also elaborated on how the present government took steps to abrogate it on 5 August 2019.

He encouraged students to think logically before coming to a conclusion on why Article 370 was abrogated. “Ask yourself why Kashmir was given special status and why it was removed now. You must also know why the status was revoked by the President of India and not by anyone else.” He then lined out all the explanations with supportive Schedules, Acts, and Articles to students.

He urged students to look at the abrogation through five points – namely self-determination, autonomy, plebiscite, Pakistan occupied Kashmir and international acceptance. After explaining these points in detail, he drew a conclusion on why our Government had no other choice but to take the fifth option as their route. 

Answering questions from students, he said, “Many complain that this abrogation should not have been done. But if the people did not want it, they could have voted out the present political party as they had already mentioned this in their manifesto. Now the Government has abrogated Article 370 and made J&K a Union Territory. Once the situation stables out, the Government of India will make it a state.”

He advised students to contribute towards the society to make it more powerful. “Our country can be safe only if the children are safe. There should be no space for discrimination in terms of caste, religion, or creed. Don’t get dejected if you face failure or rejection, these are just part and parcels of life. You, youngsters, should be supportive of One Nation, One India.”

The event was presided over by Founder Chancellor of SRMIST and Member of Parliament Dr. T R Paarivendhar. Addressing students Dr. Paarivendhar said, “You should be responsible and be up-to-date on current events. You should also be aware of what is happening in the country and around the world. You should also have knowledge and information on special subjects such as Article 370.”

He added that Abrogation of Article 370 was discussed at length in the Parliament. “I was present for the discussion,” he added. “This series is more than a normal meeting as we bring eminent people to discuss and create awareness on important issues. Such lectures will continue henceforth.”

Also, present on the occasion were Pro VC (EA) of SRMIST Dr. R Balasubramanian, Registrar Dr. N Sethuraman, Member of the Board Prof B Raghavan, Dean (SOM) Dr. V Ponniah, Faculty of SOM Mr. Bhaskar, faculties and students.

School students get new insights at Sci-tech expo at SRM

Date: October 14, 2019

Around 1000 students from over 10 schools visited the Techno Blizz, an Open house and Science and Technology exhibition at the Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering (EIE) at Tech Park in SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur Campus. 

A total of around 14 labs were set up with various kinds of instruments, prototypes, and equipment to help students understand the intricacies of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering. A few of these displays were developed by the students and faculty of the EIE Department. 

This Techno Blizz was done in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. A team of scientists and engineers from the Nuclear Research Centre displayed scientific models and explained to students the basic functioning of the center. Apart from students, a few industry-related professionals and researches also visited the exhibition.

Speaking about the Open House, Head of the Department, Dr. A Vimala Joseph said, “The two-day event provided information about the department and SRMIST at large. The children also got hands-on experience and insight into the different aspects of Electronic and Instrumentation engineering through orientation and working models.” 

Students who attended the event said that the exhibition was informative and interesting as they had an opportunity to interact with professionals in the field. Over 10 schools visited the exhibition including St John's Matriculation School, Guduvanchery; Sree Gokulam Public School, Chengalpattu; JRK Global School, Kattankulathur; Government Higher Secondary School, Maraimalai Nagar; Neelan Matriculation School, Urapakkam. EIE faculties K.A. Sunitha, N.Deepa, A. Asundha, and K. Vibha organized the event and explained the students.

Students get hands-on training on how to assemble solar study lamp at SRM

Date: October 11, 2019

SRM Institute of Science and Technology conducted a Student Solar Ambassador Workshop 2019 at its premises in Kattankulathur on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The event was organized by SRMIST in association with IIT Bombay as part of the ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’. The chief guest for the event was Vice-Chancellor of SRMIST, Dr. Sandeep Sancheti. Guest of honor was District Education Officer, Chengalputtu, Mr. A Prabakar.

The workshop, the seed concept of Gandhi Global Solar Yatra, is aimed at sensitizing the young generations. At the event, over 1,000 students from 13 schools were given hands-on training on how to assemble a solar study lamp. Students also took a pledge of non-violence towards the environment.

Speaking at the event, Associate Director (Campus Life) of SRMIST, Dr. V.Thirumurugan said “The funds for this workshop and solar lamps were approved by Founder Chancellor of SRMIST and Member of Parliament, Dr. Parivendhar. The motive of this workshop is to help the younger generation tap solar energy. They will be given hands-on training to assemble solar study lamps.”

Dr. Sancheti in his address, said “Our Chancellor has been kind enough to support this drive so that under-privileged students who have no access to electricity will be able to benefit through this solar drive and have a chance to use solar lamps. These are cost-effective and user-friendly. This is clean energy and is promoted by several organizers. In SRMIST we also use solar energy to cook food in our hostel kitchen. Solar power can also be used in grid circulation. If generated properly, you and I can become suppliers”.

District Education Officer, A Prabakar said, “The situation today has changed drastically from the time I grew up. Children these days are more knowledgeable as they get to know more information about several topics from outside. Tamil Nadu is second in terms of education in India and our students are excelling in all aspects of life. They give importance to their passion and this makes them more successful.”

He also congratulated SRMIST for being socially conscious and taking steps to help students in having quality education. Along with this, two Technical Talks - one on Climate Change and the other on Solar Photovoltaic Systems were also held for students.

Kancheepuram Collector opens Oral Cancer Surgical Centre at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College

Date: October 1, 2019

“Cancer is any form, in any part of the body is harmful, and oral cancer is the most vulnerable. So, there is a need to increase awareness among students and teens in its prevention,” said Thiru. P. Ponniah, Collector, and District Magistrate- Kancheepuram District after opening the ‘Oral Cancer Surgical Centre’ at SRM Kattankulathur Dental College and Hospital. The center is located on the premises of SRM Institute of Science and Technology.

He said that it is important to create awareness on usage of tobacco and its impact, how these unhealthy habits should be avoided, ways to preventing it and proper diet and added, “After the Indian Government passed the 2013 Tobacco Control Act, the number of people affected by cancer has reduced. However, this is not enough, and more things need to be done.”

After releasing the Braille Handbook on self-examination for Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder for visually challenged, SRMIST Founder-Chancellor and Member of Parliament, Dr. TR Paarivendhar said, “Unless universities like us reach out to villages to educate them on healthy living, education, and hygiene, the anti-tobacco message cannot be passed to the masses. The government relies on universities like us to take this message forward.” He added, “SRMIST is now serving 40 villages, and our Dental College must conduct more camps in other villages and improve the lives of many more. Students should also be committed and help in these camps. Nowadays, students have started smoking at a very young age, and I feel that this is the right time for us to start creating awareness.”

The first copy of Braille Handbook was received by Dipti Bhatia, CEO of the National Association for the Blind. She said, “Bad habits lead to cancer, and people need to be more careful. I hope SRM students can join hands with visually challenged people and work towards educating them on oral hygiene and so on.”

An educational video CDs on Anti-tobacco awareness was released by Dr. Sambandam, Medical Oncologist from the US. Copies of which were given to several school principals and headmistress. Speaking on occasion, he said, “Prevention is the best way, and it is the parents who should be first teachers. Our life on earth is short and we should live a healthy life.”

Felicitating the guests, President of SRMIST, Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan, said, “Tobacco is a menace, and this leads to a high number of oral cancer deaths in adults. There is about 70 percent of the adult male in India who consume tobacco and India accounts for 12 percent of the total world population who smoke. Although our government is taking steps to control this issue, we should also be part of this initiative. SRMIST should create a strong anti-tobacco, alcohol and drug-free centre in the university. We have planned to start an Oncology Centre in the medical college which will have radiation facilities to help people.” 

Dean of SRMKDC, Dr. N Vivek welcomed the gathering, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Vice Principal of SRMKDC Dr. KT Magesh.

SRM University organises ‘Aaruush’, invites Union HRD Minister 

Date: September 30, 2019

Union HRD Minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal on September 30, 2019, inaugurated a new research centre worth INR 120 crore at SRM Institute of Technology, Kattankulathur Campus, Chennai. The Union Minister also presented Rs. 6 lakh worth prizes and certificates to the winners in the various competitions and events held as part of its popular Techno-Management fest, “Aaruush”.

In its 13th edition this year, “Aaruush”, held from September 26 to 30, saw the participation of 200 colleges, universities and higher educational institutes with around 60,000 students displaying their talents and skills from all over the country. While addressing the students and faculties of SRM Mr. Ramesh, talked about how development in the field of information technology directly affected the growth in the field of advanced medicine. “New inventions and skills for research and innovation have made these things possible,” the Minister said.

Along with the Union HRD Minister, SRM invited Indian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings team member, Suresh Raina, as the Guest of Honour. Suresh Raina unveiled the commemorative souvenir of the event. He in his speech called SRM as "mini India",  this is because students from different backgrounds and speak different languages and are yet together. Education is the backbone of the country's growth- said, Mr. Raina. During his speech, he also remembered his inspiration and former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Azad. He asked the students to follow the ideals of Former President APJ Abdul Kalam Azad. He also spoke the words of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as how information technology has brought the world into one classroom. He exhorted the students to stay dedicated and focused.

In the closing ceremony, SRM Founder Chancellor and Lok Sabha member gave a vote of thanks. In his speech, the founder revealed the reaction of the Minister when he went to invite him. He recalled the Minister asking him "Why are you inviting me for this function? You should call me for your convocation ceremony." He said, "I told him that over 200 different educational institutes from all over India are participating in this event and the participants will create new design and innovation in technology. They will contribute to the various ideas and schemes of the Prime Minister".

Dr. Paarivendhar also thanked the Union Minister for accepting his invitation and participating in the function.

Master Blaster Suresh Raina gives a pep talk to SRM Students

Date: September 26, 2019

In a strong motivational speech, Indian cricketer Suresh Raina told students to set their goals and work to achieve them with a sense of purpose and enjoyment. “Just enjoy yourself, set your goals and achieve them with a smile,“ said Raina who was the guest of honour at the inauguration of the 13^th edition of Aaruush, the national level Techno-Management Fest at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology.  “If you have education, you can achieve anything,” he said motivating students to enjoy their studies.

One of India’s most successful cricketers who played in a One Day International against England last year and has been out of action due to an injury showed how fighting fit he is as he strode the stage at the Dr. T P Ganesan Auditorium on the Kattankulathur campus. “It is an honour to be invited for this tech-fest at SRM and I just love the energy of the students,” the left-handed middle-order batsman said fielding queries from the audience with aplomb as he was asked about when he would make a comeback to Team India  and  his future in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL squad led by former India Captain M.S. Dhoni, Raina said he has recovered well and hoped to play for India again soon. “Dhoni is fine and you will see him soon (with CSK),” he said.

Asked to speak a few words in Tamil by a student fan, Raina said, “konjum konjum, Vannakam, Nandree” (Little Little, Greetings, Thanks). Raina also obliged another student who requested him to say ‘Whistle Podu for CSK’ (Whistle for CSK Team). Over 6,000 students packed the auditorium and their cheers sounded like a huge crowd in a cricket stadium. Director, Research and Innovation Centre, Government of India, Dr. V. Natarajan kicked off the 4-day event in which around 1000 students from various colleges in the country would participate.

"SRM will launch a national wide sports festival soon", announced President of SRMIST, Dr. P Sathyanarayanan. Addressing students he said, "Aaruush 2019 is a grand fest. Aaruush literally means a ray of hope( for the future of students). This national level techno-management fest is a big opportunity for students to improve their knowledge. You must enjoy what you are doing. Without enjoyment, there cannot be involvement. Students should observe from such events and find aspiration and innovation. Only through innovation can you find a path to win."

He also said that the event's tagline 'Rising in the Spirit of Innovation' should soon become a reality. "This fest is not just for students but for everyone in the institution. The management will also support to make this an international one." Aaruush convenor Dr. A. Rathinam introduced Raina urging students to enjoy the experience of interacting with the Vice-Captain of the CSK team.

SRM Campus Erupts into Joyful Laughter with Kenny Sebastian

Date: September 23, 2019

“Guys and gals do not stress because you will be great,” the cool humorist said strumming his guitar and singing of something as commonplace as “I am waking up, standing, sitting on a chair and dreaming another dream”. “I will not move to the washroom and spare you the flushing,” he said, making fun of some pedestrian western music that was catching on in India. The message to students was to find their internal rhythm and look for answers within themselves. “The problem is most people look outside for solutions,” he said.

The 45-minute show which had over 5,000 students giggling and laughing as they hung on his every comma and full stop, regarding tallboys and short girls, chappals and high heels, had an underlying sobering theme of not getting stressed up whether students were studying engineering, science, technology or arts. “I have a degree in painting and sculpture.” he said quickly adding, “And a Ph.D. in ‘Disappointment’ evoking peals of laughter. Life comes in positives and negatives, but it is important, to be honest, and work hard without losing your sense of humor, he said, emphasizing the importance of mental health.

Swaying on to the stage arms held out as wings simulating a touchdown by an airplane, Kenny made an instant connection with them asking where he should stand, at the centre or on one flank. A girl student shouted “I love you Kenny”, and pat came to the response, “I do not know you, you might be crazy, but I am just joking, I love you too, so sweet of you.”

Another rib-tickler was, “Hum Teen Honge Paanch” (We three will become five) taking a dig at the country’s rising population. “it does not matter what you say, just make it sound nice,” he said breaking into a mild shocker “Tumne Paadh Diya, Hum Ne Sun Liya Kyonki Tum Ho SRM University” (You Fart, I heard it because You are SRM varsity). Alluding to students who had gathered many hours in advance of his arrival at the T.P Ganesan Auditorium, Kenny had them exploding with his remark, “Hope you took a bathroom break”.

The Kenny Sebastian show was the highlight of the day-long ‘Jhalak’ cultural event at the SRM campus. It was a sort of homecoming for Kenny who had a few years back enlivened the week-long ‘Milan’ cultural fest at SRM. Kenny’s show also brought smiles to the faces of faculty, educationists and administrators at SRM who have been taking various measures to address the problem of depression among students which has become a worldwide challenge on campuses. It was Kenny competing in time and space with academicians, administrators, scientists, and medical experts to engage students in an entirely off-academia experience.

“I feel inspired to be a stand-up comedian myself. Kenny is way above his counterparts when it comes to connecting with students.” Samraj Singh Khokar, a second-year student, said. 

Another student, Ayush Rao, said, “Basically what I thought of Kenny’s show was how by just being funny and observing simple things can make you that big a celebrity. All you have to do is to enjoy what you do.”

SRM IST Chennai to hold the 13^th Education of Aaruush

SRM Institute of Science and Technology is set to organise the thirteenth edition of Aaruush, the National Level Techno-Management Fest from September 26 – 29, 2019. The premier edition of Aaruush was inaugurated by erstwhile President, late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. We have had the pride of hosting many esteemed guests, such as Dr. A.S. Kiran Kumar (Former Chairman- ISRO, Padma Shri recipient), Mr. Dilip Chhabria (Founder of DC Design), Mr. Prabhu Chawla, among others. 

The tagline of Aaruush’19 is “Assimilating Aspirations, Inspiring Innovation", which is how we intend to transcend the budding tyros into pioneering innovation. We are proud to be the only fest hosting a confluence of tech-fests from colleges pan India, in the form of the Technical Summit. We have an upcoming event - the Innovation Fair, which aims to inculcate a sense of spearheading exploration in fields of science to work towards making the world a better place.

Aaruush'19 is also hosting the Hack Summit, which is a 36-hour long hackathon, to test the ultimate strength and endurance of participants in the diverse fields. Additionally, we also have the Autonomous Robot Challenge, offering a chance for participants to show off their skills in robotics.

Chief allure of Aaruush '19: Diverse Challenges and Championships such as the Autonomous Robot Challenge, the Quadcopter Championship, (Death Drift) RC Car Championship, and the biggest edition of Robowars yet, are some of the many in our star-studded line-up. We also have multiple addresses by aficionados spanning across a myriad of fields. We aim at providing hands-on workshops on the current trends in technology. With over 60 events, luminary addresses straight from the virtuosos, workshops for an enriching learning experience, elaborate expos to elevate the concept of show-and-tell, the thirteenth edition of Aaruush is all set to be bigger than ever.

Registration link: https://www.townscript.com/e/aaruush19

Harvard Dreams of SRM Students

Date: September 12, 2019

The twinkle in her eyes and infectious giggle belie her dead serious pursuit of cancer research.  A personal tragedy impelled Meghma Mukherjee to seek a cure for cancer.  The trigger was her elder sister’s futile battle with blood cancer a few years ago ironically while she was engaged in research on cancer. “My sister was fine four and a half years into cancer research in the United States but all of a sudden her health started failing and she was diagnosed with blood cancer,” recalled Meghma. 

“The internship at Harvard Medical School will be very useful for me as I will get to observe behavior of cancer cells in response to different treatments and how they interact with our immune system,” she said.

Meghma and 20 others from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, mostly bio-engineering students,  are set to leave for Harvard come January for a six month internship. They have been invited by the Harvard Medical School after they submitted their profiles and project interests.  SRM students have benefitted from Harvard internships in the past years, but this is the first time such a large number of them are bound for this Mecca of bio-scientists. 

They will be mentored by Shiladitya Sengupta, Head, Laboratory of Cancer NanoMedicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. The Hospital is a teaching facility of the Harvard Medical School. 

Sandhya Govindarajan is close to realizing her childhood dream. “Ever since my childhood, I have always dreamed of becoming a scientist and making a change in society. SRM gave me an opportunity to explore the field of Biotechnology. Through this program at Harvard Medical School, I hope to delve deeper into my area of interest,” she said.

Sri Vidhya, researcher in Immunology, said, “My seniors at SRM motivated me to pursue an internship at Harvard. I hope to do justice to the opportunity given and carry forward the name and fame of my college,” she said positioning herself as a student Ambassador. 

Genetics researcher Dhanush R said, “I seek a high-level experience that HMS can give me as I want to be equipped to have a start-up which is completely based on Automated DNA Data Storage System. Srinethra Sridhar is keen on research in Regenerative Medicine and Harvard internship is a lifetime opportunity.

SRMIST welcomes State-of-the-art facilities of INR 3.5 Crore

SRM Institute of Science and Technology is now equipped with Advanced Characterization Facilities, which consists of Laser Flash Thermal conductivity, Seebeck Coefficient Measurement System, Cryogenic Probe Station, and Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer. 

These state-of-the-art facilities were inaugurated at the Nanotechnology Research Centre, in the Kattankulathur campus recently. A workshop on ‘Advanced Characterization of Material and Devices’ was held as part of the event.
The facility was inaugurated by Dr. M Kamruddin, Associate Director, ANG division, IGCAR Kalpakkam. He was joined by Dr. C Muthamizhchelvan, Director (Engineering and Technology) SRMIST, Prof. Masaru Shimomura, Prof. Hiroya Ikeda and Prof. Yasuhiro Hayakawa from Shizuoka University (SU), Japan, 

Speaking on occasion, Dr. Kamruddin said, “All these facilities are dream instruments. Private universities and organizations should chip in more for Research and Development. It is good that SRMIST is working towards bringing such world-class facilities under one roof. These facilities are open to everyone from all over the world where researchers can send in their samples do their work.” 

Dr. Muthamizhchelvan said, “Research is not confined to one department; therefore, these facilities are open to all. Researchers can send their samples through online booking and gain access to the latest equipment through our website nrc.srmonline.net.” 

SRMIST fully sponsors the facilities – LFA 467 Hyperflash and ZEM3 at Rs 3.5 crores. The other existing facilities at SRMIST include X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), Vibrating-Sample Magnetometer (VSM) , X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) High Resolution Mass Spectrometry ( HRMS) and many more along with a supercomputer typically used for scientific and engineering applications.

SRM opens Centre of Child Rights in Partnership with Dr. Kailash Satyarthi Foundation

In a first in any Indian academic institution, a Centre of Child Rights is set to open at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology in partnership with the Dr. Kailash Satyarthi Foundation. Nobel Laureate and child rights activist Dr. Kailash Satyarthi on his maiden visit to SRM Institute of Science and Technology Chennai Campus, invited the students and faculty to join the Foundation’s 100 million campaign to eradicate child labor and slavery. With that, he also declared that he was prepared to set up an office on the campus. This would be the Foundation’s third office after London and Delhi.

In response, SRM University’s President Dr. P. Satyanarayanan said the institute would open a Centre of Child Rights in association with the Dr. Satyarthi Foundation. This will act as a nodal unit which would make SRM Institute of Science and Technology the first educational entity in the country to start a Child Rights Centre in association with the Foundation, he said. He presented a miniature model of the SRM nanosatellite to Dr. Satyarthi and a plant in an earthen pot. Earlier, the Nobel Laureate planted a sapling in the SRM Institute of Science and Technology grounds.

In his keynote address on “Youth and Compassion,” to more than 4,000 students at the Dr. T.P. Ganesh Auditorium. Dr. Satyarthi said he wanted the SRM Chennai to be the first Indian university to lead the global 100 million campaign for social transformation. “You my young friends can be the driver of change. Change is not outside; it is inside you. You are the Change,” he said, inviting the students to play a more significant global role of being the spokesperson and voice of child labor. “You can challenge companies using child labor in their supply chain. You can be a good volunteer, write small blogs and use social media skills for the betterment of humanity,” he said.

“SRM Institute of Science and Technology students should be known in the country as change-makers and transformers. You are the real Heroes, not cinema actors who get paid for acting good and touching their mother’s feet,” remarked Dr. Satyarthi dressed immaculately in Kurta and trousers. Child labor happens because of poverty and poverty has to be alleviated through education, he said adding, the institute would work very closely with the Dr. Kailash Satyarthi Foundation to abolish child labor.