Kanpur: In a blend of nostalgia and reconnection, renowned space sector leader and IIT-Kanpur alumnus Pawan Goenka, chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), will return to his alma mater as the chief guest for the institute’s 59th convocation on July 15.Around 3,100 students will be conferred degrees during the convocation ceremony, marking the culmination of their academic journey at the premier institute.Goenka earned his BTech in mechanical engineering from IIT-Kanpur and PhD from Cornell University, US. Under Goenka’s leadership, IN-SPACe has been at the forefront of implementing space reforms in India, facilitating private sector participation to boost the space economy and create a self-reliant, sustainable ecosystem. He was instrumental in shaping the Indian Space Policy 2023. He also played a key role in liberalizing the FDI policy for the space sector. Goenka received the Distinguished Alumni Award from IIT Kanpur in 2004 and was also conferred with the Doctor of Science (honoris causa) in 2015.According to the institute, the graduating students will be eligible to receive blockchain-based digital degree certificates through the services provided by C3iHub. Digital certificates will be issued to students who have paid the convocation fee and cleared all outstanding dues by 12 noon on July 6.In continuation with the IIT-K administration’s dress code, male students will wear a cream-coloured kurta with white pyjama, while female students will don a cream-coloured kurta with white churidar or leggings along with the formal footwear. Manindra Agrawal, director, IIT-K, will preside over the ceremony.A full-scale rehearsal of the convocation ceremony will be held in the auditorium on July 14.Last year, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Sanjay Malhotra returned to his alma mater IIT-K on June 23 to present degrees to graduating students during the 58th convocation ceremony. Malhotra completed his BTech in computer science from the IIT-K in 1989.
