Kanpur: On March 6, 2010, Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) celebrated its 50 years of existence. On the occasion, President Pratibha Patil buried a 'Time Capsule' on IIT-K campus and also unveiled a nanosatellite developed by the institute. The capsule, which is made of a special metal, contains pen-drives, chips, images and several other documents related to the landmark achievements of IIT-K. Mrs Patil applauded the nanosatellite Jugnu's development team, and mentioned that it projects the complex nature of tasks that the students there were equipped to handle.
In her speech, Mrs Patil congratulated IIT-K students and faculty, and said that the institute has come a long way in its 50 years of its existence, and also called upon the institute's students and faculty members to develop such devices that can harness energy in efficient ways with minimal negative impact on the environment. She also added that IIT-K had made an impact on technical education within the country, while its students through their innovations, have played an important role in India, as well as around the world.
Jugnu, which is developed by a team of 50 IIT students, would help in collection of information related to floods, drought and other natural calamities. Further, according to IIT-K officials, Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO), after conducting a series of tests, will launch the nanosatellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
