National Engineers Day 2024 Celebrations by INAE Headquarters – Online Distinguished Lectures focused on the theme “Engineering Innovations in Medicine: Pioneering Advances at the Intersection of Technology and Healthcare”.

National Engineers Day is celebrated all over the nation on 15^th September every year to honour the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr M Visvesvaraya and to highlight the pivotal role of engineering and technology in national development. To commemorate this occasion, Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) celebrated National Engineers Day on 15^th September 2024 (Sunday) morning in virtual mode. The online event comprising distinguished lectures focused on the theme “Engineering Innovations in Medicine: Pioneering Advances at the Intersection of Technology and Healthcare”. The celebration commenced with a Welcome Address by Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE, who emphasized the importance of engineering innovations in transforming healthcare. Following this, Dr SK Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), President, National Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chief Guest of the event delivered the Opening Remarks. His insightful talk, particularly on Personalized Medicine, addressed key topics such as “Polygenic Risk Assessment DT4H, HGP2” and “Organ Regeneration Banking,” inspiring attendees with the potential of these advanced medical technologies.

Thereafter, Prof Suman Chakraborty, FNAE, Institute Chair Professor, Sir JC Bose National Fellow, Former Dean R&D and Head, School of Medical Science & Technology, IIT Kharagpur made a presentation on “Community Transformation via Democratized Diagnostic Technologies for the Underserved.” He showcased his innovative development of ultra-low-cost diagnostic technologies aimed at enhancing disease detection in resource-limited settings. His work includes nucleic acid-based rapid tests and smartphone-based screenings, which empower community health workers and marginalized women, fostering socio-economic transformation and promoting gender parity. Prof Rohit Srivastava, FNAE, Himanshu Patel Chair Professor in Applied Biosciences and Former Head of Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay then spoke on “Affordable Healthcare Technologies for India”. He shared insights from his research on biosensors and point-of-care diagnostic technologies designed for rural and maternal healthcare. Prof Srivastava highlighted four commercialized devices: the SYNC Bluetooth integrated glucometer for diabetes management, UChek for routine urine analysis, ToucHb for non-invasive haemoglobin detection, and CareMother, a smartphone platform connecting doctors and pregnant women to monitor high-risk pregnancies in rural areas.

The session was concluded with closing remarks and expression of gratitude to all speakers and participants, reiterating the significance of engineering in advancing healthcare solutions. The event successfully brought together leading experts to discuss the transformative impact of engineering innovations in the healthcare sector. The insights shared during the session underscored the importance of collaboration between engineering and medical fields to address healthcare challenges in India, particularly for underserved populations. National Engineers Day 2024 was a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the commitment of engineers to enhance the quality of life through technology. The event was well attended online and appreciated by all participants and delegates.

National Technology Day Celebrations by INAE – Panel Discussion on “AI/ML: Imperatives, Opportunities and Threats” held on 11^th May 2024 (Saturday) in virtual mode.

To commemorate the National Technology Day a Panel Discussion on “AI/ML: Imperatives, Opportunities and Threats” was held on 11^th May 2024 (Saturday) in virtual mode. The following Panelists participated viz Dr Manish Gupta, Director, Google Research India, Bengaluru; Dr Anand Deshpande, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Persistent Systems, Pune; Dr Rohini Srivathsa, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft India and South Asia; Mr R. Chandrashekhar, Former Secretary, Department of  IT and Dept of Telecom; Former President, NASSCOM, Chairperson, Centre for Digital Future; Dr Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, Vice Chairperson, Centre for The Digital Future (CDF) & Founding Dean of Indian School of Public Policy, Economics, Law & Economics, Policy Praxis Lab and  Prof Vineeth N Balasubramanian, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Hyderabad . Prof. Indranil Manna, President, INAE and Vice-Chancellor, BIT, Mesra delivered the Welcome Address.  The event was moderated by Prof. UB Desai, Vice-President, INAE, Professor Emeritus and Former Director, IIT Hyderabad. The event was well attended and appreciated by the participants and delegates.

38^th INAE Foundation Day Celebrations held on April 22, 2024 at New Delhi

Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) was founded on 20^th April 1987 to promote excellence in Engineering and Technology (E&T) in the country. INAE celebrates this landmark as its Foundation Day each year to rededicate itself to the professed goals. Accordingly, INAE celebrated its 38^th Foundation Day on 22^nd April 2024 in virtual/hybrid mode. Dr. Anil Kakodkar, FNAE, Chancellor, HBNI, Mumbai; Former President, INAE, and Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy Mumbai was the Chief Guest at the said INAE Function. The celebrations commenced with the delivering of the Welcome Address by Prof. Indranil Manna, President, INAE and Vice Chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi wherein he highlighted the importance of the occasion and gave an overview of the major activities and achievements of the Academy during the last one year. This was followed by the Address by Vice-Presidents of INAE viz Prof. UB Desai, FNAE, Professor Emeritus, IIT Hyderabad, Former Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad; Prof. Sivaji Chakravorti, FNAE, Professor, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata and former Director, NIT Calicut and Mr. JD Patil, FNAE, Member of Executive Committee of Management & Advisor (Defence & Smart Technologies) to L&T Chairman & MD, Larsen & Toubro Limited – Defense, Mumbai who touched upon the important milestones in their concerned areas of responsibilities.

Former Presidents Dr BN Suresh and Dr Sanak Mishra also addressed the online audience with pertinent ideas on the way forward. The Address by Chief Guest, Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chancellor, HBNI, Mumbai; Former President, INAE; and Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy was enlightening and informative. He elucidated that the Academy has made its presence felt on the national/international domain and is making strides on the road to fiscal and functional autonomy in line with directives and concerted efforts are ongoing to see that the Academy continues to make a mark in promoting the growth and cause of engineering and technology by furtherance of meaningful activities in line with the objectives. The function was a grand success.

National Science Day 2024 Talk by Prof Uday B Desai, Vice President INAE and Former Director IIT Hyderabad on “Innovations, Entrepreneurship and Creating an Ecosystem” was held on February 28, 2024 in virtual mode. This talk took a 40,000 feet view of how innovations and development in technology are shaping the future of society. The talk also delved into how innovations have historically evolved and what it takes to create an innovations ecosystem. It explored the current evolution of innovations through technologies like artificial intelligence, cyber physical systems, smart mobility, 6G communication, and some more. Then a brief mention of about how an innovative ecosystem can spur deep tech entrepreneurship was made. By and large the talk revolved around digital technologies, which are all pervasive and will remain so for the foreseeable future.