Prof Indranath Sengupta, Professor of Mathematics at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), has been selected for the National Teachers’ Award 2023 by the Ministry of Education for his dedication and contribution to higher education and enriching the lives of his students. Hon’ble President of India Smt Droupadi Murmu shall confer the National Teachers’ Awards 2023 on September 05, 2023, on the occasion of National Teachers’ Day, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
A firm believer in his main teaching philosophy to be accessible to the maximum number of students inside and outside the class, Prof Indranath Sengupta has taught numerous students during his more than two-decade-long journey of teaching, and many of them are now faculty members in reputed institutions in India. He has also participated in and organised several outreach activities to encourage learning and reach out to the larger community of students and teachers of schools and colleges. In his own words, “I teach students how to ask good questions”. He spends hours in the company of students, answering their queries and helping them to overcome their academic inhibitions.
Sharing his thoughts on receiving the highest national honour for teaching, Prof Indranath Sengupta said, “I am deeply humbled. Such a prestigious award for faculty members of the Higher Education Institutions will encourage more teachers to take up teaching along with their research. There has to be a perfect balance of research and teaching for every teacher in order to create a future generation of academicians who would be well-trained.”
Prof Indranath Sengupta did his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Mathematics at Jadavpur University and PhD from IISc Bengaluru. He was a faculty at the Jadavpur University for 13 years. He has also served at the University of Missouri Columbia, USA, as a visiting faculty in 2007 and taught at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Education and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math, during 2008-2010. Prof Sengupta joined IITGN in 2014 and currently Heads the Department of Mathematics at the Institute.
Prof Sengupta has received several grants and fellowships from India and abroad for research activities, including the BOYSCAST fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India in 2003-04 to visit the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, and Ayudas Para La Estancia de Investigadores de Otras, University of Valladolid, Spain, in 2009. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Teachers Award 2022 for his teaching contributions.