President Droupadi Murmu virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects today from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.

These include inauguration of the supercomputer facility, 'Param Kamrupa', under the National Supercomputing Mission, and a laboratory for the design and development of high power microwave components at IIT Guwahati.

Murmu also virtually inaugurated the Dhubri Medical College and Hospital in Assam and laid the foundation stones for the zonal institutes of National Institute of Virology at Dibrugarh and Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

She was accompanied by Governor Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Bharati Pravin Pawar, II Guwahati director T G Sitharam and other dignitaries.

She added that IIT Guwahati is a knowledge centre that can provide technology solutions to connectivity issues and other challenges in the North Eastern Region. “Since this is the only IIT in the North Eastern Region, IIT Guwahati must shoulder responsibility to nurture other institutions in the region, work with the state government and the defence forces to strengthen our borders, and provide technological solutions to prevent recurrence of natural calamities in the region. The institute should encourage innovations, work towards indigenization in cutting edge technologies, provide skill development avenues and be a forerunner in making the country Atmanirbhar." 

The President said that the science and technology institutes of the country should promote greater research and development so that India can be a leader in technological innovations. “It is beneficial for the larger good of the society. The National Education Policy 2020 clearly acknowledges that addressing today’s socio-economic challenges require high-quality interdisciplinary research that must be done in India and cannot simply be imported. Research and innovation at educational institutions, particularly those engaged in higher education, is critical." 

She further said that the North Eastern Region of India is making big strides towards development and is making extraordinary efforts to provide high-quality healthcare and education systems to the people. “The government of Assam is further providing support to IIT Guwahati to set up an advanced multispecialty hospital. It will serve as an example for other esteemed institutes in the country to undertake similar initiatives."