- The initiative aims to empower divyangjans by providing accessible and assistive aids such as artificial limbs, walkers, crutches, hand sticks, and support for disability certificates, among other services
- The Indo-Lanka collaboration in prosthetic empowerment is just beginning and it will only grow in the coming years: Prof K Chelvakumar, Visiting Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN
- In addition to offering free assistive aids to divyangjans, a workshop on Prosthetics Technology will be held on March 8-9, 2025, at the IITGN campus
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
GANDHINAGAR, MAR 7
The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) in partnership with the Spark Minda Foundation, the CSR arm of the Minda Group, is hosting a comprehensive ‘Camp for Empowerment of People with Disabilities’ and a workshop on prosthetics technology from March 5-9, 2025. The initiative aims to empower divyangjans by providing accessible and assistive aids such as artificial limbs, walkers, crutches, hand sticks, and support for disability certificates, among other services.
The event was inaugurated on March 5, 2025, by Praveen Karn, Head Group, Sustainability & CSR, Spark Minda Group, Prof S P Mehrotra, Visiting Professor, Materials Engineering and Dean, External Relations, IITGN; Nirmal Jha, Advisor, Institutional Advancement and Research Park, IITGN; K Chelvakumar, Visiting Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN; K S Murthy, Head, Marketing and Development, IITGN Research Park, Dr Riya Pancholi, Assistant Professor, Ganpat University, and Prof Vineet Vashista, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN, at the IITGN campus.
In his address, Praveen Karn, Head Group, Sustainability & CSR, Spark Minda Group, highlighted that this event stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Spark Minda Group and IITGN several months ago, aimed at making prosthetic legs more comfortable and easier to use. “Luckily, with the help of IITGN, we also got in touch with officials from Sri Lanka, and I am proud to announce that 20 divyangjans from Sri Lanka will be joining us at the camp tomorrow. We heartfully welcome them, and hope to organise a similar camp there as well.”
Prof S P Mehrotra, Visiting Professor, Materials Engineering and Dean, External Relations, IITGN, congratulated the Spark Minda Foundation, and welcomed all the attendees. “It is IITGN’s privilege to host a camp of this nature.” noted Prof Mehrotra. Adding to his words, Prof K Chelvakumar, Visiting Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN, whose association with the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, played a pivotal role in establishing communication between the Spark Minda Foundation and the Sri Lankan citizens, stated: “The Indo-Lanka collaboration in prosthetic empowerment is just beginning and it will only grow in the coming years. I am very grateful to my colleagues at IITGN for introducing me to the Spark Minda Foundation. I hope they have a footprint in Sri Lanka soon.”
Prof Vineet Vashista, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN, foregrounded the significance of this initiative and stressed upon the importance of hosting such events in an academic space. “As a professor, my work has typically been confined to the laboratory. This initiative has injected new energy into our research efforts, and it has brought us closer to the community. The next five days will be a pivotal learning experience for all of us here.” remarked Prof Vasishta. Interestingly, one of his ongoing projects at the Human-Centered Robotics Lab, IITGN, focusses on improving the existing prosthetic foot and knee joints, opening new avenues for prosthetics and healthcare.
In addition to offering free assistive aids to divyangjans, a workshop on Prosthetics Technology will be held on March 8-9, 2025, at the IITGN campus. It will explore the latest advancements in prosthetics technology with insights from leading academic and industry experts in India.
