Kanpur: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has been at the forefront in dealing with COVID-19 pandemic since its outbreak. The premier institute was in the news recently for developing an indigenous ventilator, which costs less than half the price of the imported ones.
According to the Director Dr Abhay Karandikar, these ventilators are being used in at least 500 hospitals, across India.
The IIT-K has now incubated a start-up to manufacture N95 mask on the campus. “Every day, IITK produces 25,000 masks,” Karandikar told EdexLive. The director added that research is on to help the country manage this health crisis in a better way.
Karandikar also spoke of the institute’s 53rd convocation held on October 21. “This is the first time that a convocation is being held virtually here. This was a difficult choice. We would have liked to have the students on campus. But we can’t delay it further. Students are looking for their degrees for jobs and higher education,” he was quoted.
The director informed that around 600 research scholars are now back on campus. “By December, we are expecting 1000 students to be on campus. We have 7500 students, but now, we are only getting those whose research is getting affected. It is purely voluntary. Once they come, they have to quarantine in a designated hostel,” he said.
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