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IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti has been awarded the Padma Shri in the science and engineering category for his contribution to computer architecture research and national security. 

Reacting to the honour, Kamakoti said the award had strengthened his resolve to contribute to the country’s progress. In a video message released late Sunday evening, he said, “The Padma Shri Award means only one thing to me. I will put all my best efforts towards Viksit Bharat 2047.”

Who is V Kamakoti?

V Kamakoti, or Kamakoti Veezhinathan, is a highly experienced computer science professional and academic leader who has been teaching, researching, and institution, building for decades. He is currently the Director of IIT Madras and is widely recognized for his research in computer architecture, information security, and VLSI design. Besides, over the years, he has been involved in several major national technology and security programs.

Kamakoti Veezhinathan completed his M.S. and PhD in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Madras. He joined the faculty of the same institute in 2001 and was made the Director in January 2022. Currently, he serves on the National Security Advisory Board, and formerly he was the Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force constituted by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He is also a member of the Technology committees of the National Stock Exchange and the Reserve Bank of India.

V Kamakoti’s areas of expertise 

Kamakoti’s core areas of work include Computer Architecture, Information Security and VLSI Design. At IIT Madras, he leads the Microprocessor Development Program and the Information Security Education and Awareness Program, both funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. He has also been appointed as a member of the institute body of AIIMS in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

His leadership has helped IIT Madras to maintain a solid track record of achievement in national rankings. As of 2025, the institute has been ranked number one in the engineering category for 10 consecutive years by NIRF 2025 and number one overall for the seventh consecutive year.

Besides leading the institute, Kamakoti has been entrusted with various important roles at IIT Madras like Chairman of JEE and Associate Dean for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research. In the course of his career, he has written more than 150 research articles published in various international journals and presented at international conferences. He has also guided a significant number of PhD and Masters students and has been a leading researcher in around 50 projects funded by the industry and government.

Dr Kamakoti has received numerous awards throughout his career like the DRDO Academic Excellence Award, Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association Techno Visionary Award, Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship, ACCS Lifetime Achievement Award, IBM Faculty Award, and the VASVIK Industrial Research Award.

Mankind Pharma Limited has launched Digital Smart Classrooms in government schools in Uttar Pradesh under its CSR platform, KindCare, which is a demonstration of the company's continued social investment extending beyond healthcare delivery. Through this program, 460 digital classrooms have been set up in 400 government schools to promote technology, based learning to deprived communities.

The program was launched in Ghaziabad by Sunil Kumar Sharma, Cabinet Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and is being carried out in cooperation with Seeds Impact.

During the launch event, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Cabinet Minister for Information Technology and Electronics, Government of Uttar Pradesh, commented

Mankind Pharma should be recognized for its persistent effort of strengthening education in underprivileged areas through the Digital Smart Classroom Initiative. The initiative, by facilitating technology- based learning in government schools, caters to the most urgent problems of access and quality when digital literacy becomes an indispensable requirement for future opportunity. Its community first approach, incorporating a major emphasis on teacher empowerment and local school ecosystem development, guarantees the sustenance of the benefits and that they would be the ones who are most in need of them.

A significant part of this programme is the empowerment of teachers. More than 2, 400 teachers have been trained to use digital tools in the classroom effectively. "Education has the potential to not only change the lives of individuals but also the whole community. Through KindCare, our CSR platform, we have consciously taken a community first approach, focusing on areas where quality education is still a problem, " said Sheetal Arora, Promoter and CEO, Mankind Pharma Limited. Digital Smart Classroom Initiative is a gesture of empathy and a sense of responsibility and it recognizes that real development only happens when students and teachers are given the right tools, confidence, and support to achieve their goals. The initiative goes beyond technology; it is about the basic human rights, equal chances, and making sure that children living in far and neglected areas are not left behind in the rapidly changing digital world."

The Uttar Pradesh government is working towards developing the state as the country’s leading startup hub. Under the Start in UP policy, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved seven ultra-modern Centres of Excellence (CoEs), for which a total of ₹27.18 crore has been released so far.

With the support of these centres, innovation, research, technological development, and employment generation are gaining fresh momentum across Uttar Pradesh. Officials said on Sunday that through these Centres of Excellence, hundreds of startups are receiving incubation support, while thousands of youths are benefiting from skill development, new employment opportunities, and a boost to indigenous technology development.

Such hubs have been a massive support for the start ups not merely by lending technical support but on top of that, they have been instrumental in raising the competitiveness of the start ups at the global level.

The establishment of Excellences Centres at Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lucknow, Kanpur Nagar, Saharanpur, and Ghaziabad are being backed by premier institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, IIM Lucknow, STPI Lucknow, and AKGEC Ghaziabad.

Consequently, startups have become capable of leveraging the facilities of world, class laboratories, supercomputing and AI/ML platforms, testing facilities, gaining mentorship, and thereby developing robust linkages with the industry.

Under the Uttar Pradesh government’s startup policy, each Centre of Excellence is eligible to receive grant-in-aid—covering both capital and operational expenses—of up to ₹10 crore over a period of five years from the date of establishment.

The government’s objective is to make these centres self-reliant within five years while strengthening the state’s startup ecosystem in the long term.

In partnership with Microsoft, IIM Lucknow's Enterprise Incubation Centre (EIC) is running the Blockchain Technology Centre of Excellence set up in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The centre on a 10, 000, square, foot ultra, modern campus will incubate 100 startups over the next five years.

Startups are being given high end infrastructure, seed funding up to 75 lakh, expert guidance and access to angel and venture capital networks, thereby creating a strong and sustainable blockchain ecosystem in the state.

The Medical Electronics and Health Informatics (MedTech) Centre of Excellence in Lucknow is a joint initiative of STPI Lucknow, SGPGI, the Uttar Pradesh IT and Electronics Department, AIMED, AMTZ, and KIHT.

Its objective is to promote medical device and health technology startups, reduce import dependence, and advance the goals of Make in India and Digital India. Startups here receive support from technical experts, medical professionals, mentorship, and venture funding.

The 5G/6G Telecom Centre of Excellence run by IIT Kanpur in Kanpur Nagar is looking forward to the research and startup development of next generation telecommunications.

The centre is well equipped with top notch RF laboratories, AI/ML servers, supercomputing tools, and testing facilities. It is working towards making India a global leader in telecom innovation.

In a similar manner, the AI and Innovation, based Entrepreneurship (AIIDE) Centre of Excellence which is located in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Noida), was established with the help of IIT Kanpur and FICCI. Every year it delivers to 50 AI based startups the training, mentorship, and investor connect opportunities.

The 5G/6G Ubiquitous Wireless Communication Centre of Excellence operated by IIT Roorkee in Saharanpur is aligned with India’s 6G vision. Meanwhile, the Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence established by AKGEC in Ghaziabad is preparing MSMEs and startups for global competition through advanced 3D printing and digital manufacturing technologies.

The UAV Design, Training, and Capacity Building Centre of Excellence run by IIT Kanpur in Kanpur Nagar is providing various services to drone technology startups including technical assistance, testing, design validation, and consultancy. Having a DGCA, approved flight testing zone along with state of the, art labs, the centre is making moves to establish Uttar Pradesh as a leading hub in drone technology.

The upcoming ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ will position the country as a landmark global destination that will shape the future of responsible and inclusive Artificial Intelligence (AI), experts have said. According to an IT Ministry statement on Tuesday, the 38th episode of ‘Digital India Ask Our Experts’ highlighted the ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ in the national capital from February 16-20.

Experts explained how the Summit is built around the three guiding pillars or ‘Sutras’ of People, Planet and Progress, with focused working groups or ‘Chakras’. The discussions and outcomes from these groups are expected to influence AI policy, skilling strategies and implementation across India and the Global South, said the ministry.

They also highlighted opportunities for youth, startups, women innovators and learners from Tier-2 and 3 cities, including AI and Data Labs, global challenges, pitch fests and the ‘YUVAI Global Youth Challenge’. “Viewers were informed about the ‘India AI Impact Expo 2026’, to be held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16–20, which will demonstrate how AI solutions are transforming sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture and governance,” the ministry statement said.

It further stated that citizens raised questions on AI infrastructure, open data access, healthcare datasets, startup participation, governance, inclusion of non-tech users, and online participation. Experts argued that IndiaAI is aiming for the creation of open, secure, and inclusive platforms that would allow participation from individuals, small teams, and public sector organisations.

During a talk with Indian AI startups at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged AI startups to utilize AI for societal benefits. He strongly backed the idea of making AI affordable, inclusive, and transparent.

Calling his interaction with the youngsters “memorable and insightful”, he urged them to use AI for the betterment of society. PM Modi also lauded the AI-based startups for working in myriad fields ranging from e-commerce to material research to healthcare.

The Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) will implement a flexible, learner-centric higher education system through multiple entry-exit pathways while preserving academic standards and the research-oriented character of IISER programmes, officials said on Tuesday.

These topics were discussed at the third meeting of the IISER Standing Committee, chaired by education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Pradhan was also the chairman of the 13th National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (NITSER) Council meeting on Tuesday, during which he deliberated on industry, aligned curricula, accreditation, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies.

The IISER Standing Committee is responsible for overseeing academic, research, and policy matters of IISERs. At the same time, the Council of NITSER acts as the highest, level policy, making and governing body for all 31 NITs, seven IISERs, and the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpureach of which has been designated as an Institution of National Importance under the NITSER Act, 2007.

According to officials, the IISERs will implement a flexible, learner-centric higher education system through multiple entry–exit pathways while preserving academic standards and the research-oriented character of IISER programmes

“This would involve the option of multiple entry and multiple exit, re-entry and completion, permitting the students to undertake a one-semester experiential internship focused on research, innovation, industry or entrepreneurship, in lieu of a regular classroom semester, with academic credits assigned upon completion and evaluation,” said the education ministry in a press statement.

IISERs are planning a full, scale review of their PhD programmes. They will identify gaps, compare with global best practices, and suggest reforms that would make doctoral training more compatible with the needs of the industry and the national priority missions.

In order to increase their societal impact, the IISERs will open up their research and innovation ecosystem to the public by opening research parks, incubators and domain, specific Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Biotech, Healthcare, Quantum Computing, Advanced Materials, Energy & Climate Change, Agri, Food Technologies, Rare, Earth and Critical Minerals, etc. These measures are in line with the overall mission of Viksit Bharat and Make In India to create a knowledge, driven economy by harnessing innovation, human capital and sustainability, through the development of indigenous technology in various fields, the ministry said.

According to the ministry, each IISER will establish its own Section 8 company to strategically propagate national and international priority research, bridge academic research potential with industry partners, attract philanthropic, CSR, government and private funding. “The company would be steered by a Board comprising eminent academicians, corporate leaders, Technology Transfer Office (TTO) representatives, industrialists, innovation ecosystem stakeholders,” it said.

IISERs proposed introducing admission quotas for International Olympiad performers and exploring a sports quota for undergraduate programmes, while also planning support measures to help students from Bharatiya Bhasha-medium backgrounds transition to the medium of instruction at IISERs.

Standing Committee members also released the five-year and 10-year vision statement of the IISERs. The 5-Year Vision (2030) includes: scale enrollment to more than 21,000 students across IISERs, establish 7 thematic CoEs, boost NIRF rankings, foster research parks and incubators, joint programs, lateral entry and exit in courses, double publications and patents filings, enhance internationalization and Internal Revenue Generation (IRG) through research and executive courses by 50%. The 10-Year Vision (2035) includes: Build on CoEs with joint PhDs, emphasize startups/translational research, create extension campuses and joint international campus, launch health sciences schools, achieve indigenous high-end instrumentation, break into global top 500 (target top 100) rankings, establish “Brand IISER” worldwide.

At the 13th NITSER Council meeting preceded by the third meeting of the Standing Committee of IISERs, members discussed aligning curricula, assessments, academic programmes, and research with emerging technologies such as Industry 4.0, green hydrogen, AI, quantum technologies, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing to support India’s goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat by 2047. Members proposed specialized PG and M.Tech programmes and 360-degree PhD reforms including industry-led and product-based research. All NITs and IISERs agreed to complete external peer reviews within a year and actively participate in NAAC accreditation, while promoting inclusivity through Bharatiya Bhashas and AI-enabled multilingual learning for diverse students.

“NITs will restructure their courses based on emerging technologies, and a new curriculum will be introduced next academic year to meet national needs and achieve the goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. There will also be a paradigm shift in PhD programmes with achievements will no longer be measured solely by publications and citations, but greater emphasis will be placed on product-based research that addresses real-world problems,” Pradhan said.

The council also emphasised building strong innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems, directing 13 NITs without incubation centres to set them up immediately and at least 10 NITs to establish research parks without delay.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday launched a national digital platform to catalogue and analyse improvised explosive device (IED) blasts across the country, calling it a “next-generation security shield against terror” and a comprehensive deterrent against bombings.

The National IED Data Management System (NIDMS) is a conceptually secure national, level digital repository by the National Security Guard (NSG) to systematically collect, collate and disseminate data related to IED incidents.

The platform has been developed with the help of Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gandhinagar, IIT Delhi, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), and it is packed with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools to analyze patterns and signatures of bombings.

Shah inaugurated the platform virtually, with the system housed at the NSG garrison in Manesar. Addressing the event, he said the NIDMS would act as a “shield” and a “national asset” by providing comprehensive data access to state police forces, Anti-Terrorist Squads, central investigative agencies and federal forces, enabling them to analyse the modus operandi and trends behind different kinds of bombings.

In his address, the home minister said the platform would function as a “one nation one data repository” for IED blasts, help speed up prosecution by improving the quality of forensic evidence, and enhance inter-agency coordination. IEDs, officials said, remain among the most challenging internal security threats, having killed thousands of civilians and security personnel and critically injured many others over the years.

Brighu Srinivasan, Director General, NSG, said NIDMS is a “real-time” information exchange platform for agencies engaged in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. It will collect, analyse and disseminate data on all bombing incidents in the country, aiding post-blast investigations and intelligence-led prevention. The platform, he said, is “unique”, noting that during its preparatory phase, 26 “friendly” countries were approached and none had a comparable facility.

According to the NSG, the database already has around 800 users from various agencies. Beyond post-blast investigation, the system will be able to identify “signature linkages” across different incidents and conduct predictive analysis to help thwart potential attacks. By standardising data formats and investigative inputs, officials said, the platform is expected to reduce duplication of effort and ensure that critical information is available to all stakeholders involved in counter-terror operations.

The NIDMS is part of the NSG’s National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC), which analyses all types of bombings in India, apart from major explosions globally. Established in 2000, the NBDC maintains records of all bombings in the country since 1999, forming the historical backbone for the new digital system.

Officials said the platform will continue to evolve, with new datasets and analytical tools to be added over time, strengthening forensic analysis, training modules and operational planning related to bomb disposal and blast investigations.

Raised in 1984, the NSG — whose ‘black cat’ commandos are tasked with specialised counter-terrorist and counter-hijack operations, as well as the protection of select high-risk VIPs — has increasingly focused on building institutional capabilities that combine technology, data and inter-agency coordination to address evolving security challenges.