ROORKEE: IIT Roorkee held its 25th convocation ceremony on Friday. Dr Jitendra Singh, union minister of state (independent charge) of the ministry of science and technology, delivered the convocation address. A total of 2,614 degrees, including 1,267 undergraduate, 847 postgraduate, and 500 PhDs, were awarded during this year’s convocation ceremony. There was 23% female representation in the graduating class and a sharp rise in female PHD scholars, from 57 in 2023 to 178 in 2025.Dr Jitendra Singh, in his address at the 25th convocation of IIT Roorkee, highlighted the achievements of the institute. He particularly appreciated that IIT Roorkee established over 240 startups, a significant contribution among the 170,000 startups across India. This accomplishment underscores the institute’s pioneering role in innovation and entrepreneurship.He urged students and researchers to focus on Himalayan studies, disaster management, and the economic potential of Himalayan regions, such as the fragrant economy. Dr Singh also emphasized that strong coordination between education and industry enables students not only to access employment opportunities but also to promote a culture of innovation and startups.In his address, he added that emerging fields such as biotechnology, space, nuclear energy, and Himalayan resources, encouraging students to advance in research and entrepreneurship. He gave a clear message ,that establishing innovation driven enterprises is not only a path to personal success but also an opportunity to contribute to societal and national development.He told the institute that its future role could be significant in the biotechnology sector, as this decade and the next are expected to witness a biotechnology revolution, and the institute has sufficient infrastructure to support it. “The economy is going to shift from manufacturing to other sectors. The shift would be towards regenerative processes, recycling processes, genetic processes, etc., and for this, we are among the few in the world with a large, dedicated biotechnology policy focused on employment, the environment, and the economy,” they said.On this occasion, former student and ex-bureaucrat Dr Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, BVR Reddy, chairman of the institute’s board of governors; and Prof KK Pant, director of the institute, addressed the gathering.Five undergraduates were awarded medals for their exceptional performance. Vansh Saini (BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering) received the President’s Gold Medal for achieving the highest CGPA. Hardik Sahni (BTech Electrical Engineering) was awarded the Director’s Gold Medal for his outstanding all-round performance among undergraduate students. Shreya Mittal (BTech Civil Engineering) received the President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal for her excellent contributions in academics and social service among UG and PG students. Balaga Pavan Sai (BTech Computer Science) was awarded the Institute Silver Medal, and Anvadya Khare (BTech Computer Science) received the Institute Bronze Medal for their respective CGPA performance.
