IIT Ropar to award MTech in Defence Technology to Indian Army officers

IIT-Ropar and the Army Air Defence College have signed an agreement to award MTech degrees in Defence Technology to Indian Army officers. The pact formalises postgraduate accreditation while expanding research mentoring and access to institute facilities.

In Short

• IIT-Ropar will grant MTech Defence Technology degrees to Indian Army officers
• The programme covers officers enrolled in the Long Air Defence Course
• Army Air Defence College signed the agreement with IIT-Ropar on Thursday

IIT Ropar will award MTech degrees in Defence Technology to officers of the Indian Army under a Memorandum of Agreement signed with the Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur. The arrangement will allow officers on the Long Air Defence Course to receive formal accreditation through the MTech programme at the institute.

The agreement was signed by IIT-Ropar Director Prof Rajeev Ahuja and Lt Gen Amit Rao, Commandant, Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur, according to an official statement issued on Thursday. It builds on the Memorandum of Understanding for academic and research cooperation signed in December 2022 between Army Training Command, Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), and IIT-Ropar.

FACULTIES TO BE NOMINATED AS MENTORS

Under the agreement, faculty members from IIT-Ropar will be nominated as mentors to guide the officers in their dissertations and research projects. The officers will also be given access to the institute's laboratories and infrastructure, subject to prior approval, and will attend seminars and lectures by IIT-Ropar faculty in both online and offline modes.

The two institutions have also agreed to jointly develop technological knowledge in areas of mutual interest, further strengthening their academic and research partnership. Speaking on the occasion, Prof Ahuja said, "This agreement is a significant step in our continuing engagement with the Indian Army. Our faculty and infrastructure are now directly contributing to the technical education of officers who serve on the frontlines of our national defence. We look forward to deepening this collaboration in the years ahead."

Lt Gen Surinder Singh Mahal, Managing Director of the IIT-Ropar Defence Research and Innovation Foundation, and Brigadier Rohit Das were also present on the occasion. IIT-Ropar said it has been working closely with the Indian Army on academic and research cooperation since the 2022 MoU, with its Defence Research and Innovation Foundation playing a central role in taking the partnership forward.

The agreement marks the next step in the partnership between IIT-Ropar and the Indian Army, linking academic mentoring, research support and formal postgraduate accreditation for officers under the Defence Technology programme.

(With inputs from PTI)

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