The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), known as one of the greenest and most sustainable educational campuses in the country, organised a ‘Seminar on Campus Development: Reflection and Future Direction’ on June 27, 2022, to celebrate the dedicated engagement and significant involvement of various stakeholders in completion and operationalisation of its phase 1 projects and reflect on the future development.
Prof Sudhir K Jain, Founding Director of IITGN and incumbent Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University; Prof Amit Prashant, Officiating Director, IITGN; and other stakeholders of IITGN campus development, including members of the Building and Works Committee, architects, CPWD engineers, contractors, and faculty, staff and students of the Institute, graced the occasion and reflected on the memorable and collaborative journey of building the IITGN campus.
Prof Gaurav Srivastava, Dean, Campus Development, welcomed all the guests, gave the context of this seminar, and showcased a short film on various well-thought features, buildings, and facilities of phase 1 of the campus development at IITGN.
Addressing the gathering, Prof Sudhir K Jain reminisced the process and unusual collaboration shown by all the stakeholders in building the IITGN campus. He said, “IITGN has done a tremendous job in the development of the campus, be it in terms of design, cost or quality, all because of the guiding principles that were followed, including building a good team, having transparency, an ethical ecosystem, open dialogue, conviction and courage, hard work, and most importantly, extraordinary collaboration and cooperation among various stakeholders. This spirit and good intentions that everyone worked with to create a good project have made the IITGN campus one of the most admired educational campuses in the country. I am sure that if these principles are applied in any projects, the results will be outstanding.”
Following Prof Jain’s address, Prof Harish P M, former Dean of Campus Development, IITGN; members of the Building and Works Committee of the Institute; Shri Manu Mittal from CPWD; Shri P K Chopra, Registrar of IITGN; Shri L P Srivastava, Advisor of IWD at IITGN; and other stakeholders also shared anecdotes from various stages of IITGN campus development.
Many of them also shared their deep admiration for the Institute’s commitment to the welfare of the campus construction workers, even during the most challenging time of the Covid Pandemic.
Concluding the event, Prof Amit Prashant called for continuing the extraordinary collaboration and keeping up the momentum to set new benchmarks in the campus development. He said, “IITGN has showcased how the collective efforts by a large and heterogeneous team can create extraordinary projects. The Institute has done a path-breaking work in campus development in the past ten years under the leadership of Professor Jain, and some of our practices are now followed by many institutions and architects. It is now our collective responsibility to maintain the beauty of the campus. Let us continue this journey with our shared vision to take this institute to newer heights.”
The campus of IITGN has received widespread appreciation and several national-level accolades owing to the meticulous planning and execution of various construction projects, including a 5-star GRIHA LD rating, HUDCO Design Awards 2015, YES Bank Natural Capital Award 2018 under the Eco Campus category, One District One Green Champion Award 2020-21, and second prize in the National Water Award 2020 (in the category of ‘Best Institution/Resident Welfare Association/Religious Organisation for Campus Usage’), among others.
Most recently, the Institute has won the ‘AESA Award 2022’ in the non-residential institutional category for its ‘Central Arcade’ building.
The Institute takes pride in being a zero-discharge campus and having Jal Mandaps for rainwater harvesting, a comprehensive solid waste management system, biogas plant, solar panels above the parking areas and buildings, solar water heaters, water-less urinals, central water treatment plant, passive cooling and natural ventilation technologies, making extensive use of natural light, using LED light fixtures and motion sensors for reduction of power consumption, protecting the green cover of the campus, and preserving the ecosystem.
The Institute had also transplanted 75 neem trees using advanced hydraulic machines to avoid cutting them during the campus construction (out of which 56 have survived and are now in full bloom). Many of the old trees on campus have been kept intact through careful siting and design modifications in the construction of the buildings.
Nearly 15,000 trees of native varieties were planted on the campus during the construction process from 2013-2016. Some of the land pockets were developed as green pockets in 2016-17 by planting about 750 fruit-bearing trees such as Chikoo, Pomegranate, Guava, Custard Apple, Lemon etc.
IITGN has recently commissioned its new Sports Complex, which is equipped with several world-class facilities for various indoor and outdoor sports/activities, including Badminton Courts, Squash Courts, Table Tennis, Olympic Size Swimming Pool, Volleyball Court, Basketball Court, Yoga Hall, Gym, Climbing Wall, Football Ground, Cricket Ground, Athletic Track, and so on.
These facilities would help students and the community practise and attain professionalism in their respective games while ensuring their fitness and wellness.
The IIT Gandhinagar Research Park allows industries and start-ups to set up their research offices at the park to carry out R&D activities and take advantage of the talent and expertise available on campus.
They get access to the Institute’s state-of-the-art laboratories, high-end equipment and other resources as well. The entire ecosystem further fosters a strong connection between industry and academia.