IIT- Kanpur celebrates 59th Convocation, awards degrees to 3,104 Graduates

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) celebrated its 59th Convocation Ceremony, marking an important milestone in the academic journey of 3,104 graduating students from a diverse range of disciplines.

The graduating cohort comprised 1,325 postgraduate students, 1,247 undergraduate students, and 532 students from the eMasters outreach degree programmes.

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The ceremony was graced by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Department of Space, Government of India, a distinguished IIT Kanpur alumnus and Padma Shri awardee, as the Chief Guest. It was presided over by Shri Jayant Patil, Officiating Chairperson of the Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur, along with Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur.

Held in two sessions, the convocation began with a grand gathering at the Main Auditorium, where outstanding students received institute medals and awards, including the President’s Gold Medal and the Director’s Gold Medals, in the presence of the institute’s leadership and the Chief Guest.

The second session, conducted across various lecture halls, involved the formal conferring of degrees under the leadership of the Chairperson of the Senate Postgraduate Committee (SPGC) and the Chairperson of the Senate Undergraduate Committee (SUGC). The two-session format ensured that every graduating student participated in the celebration.

Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairperson of IN-SPACe, Department of Space, Government of India, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and Padma Shri awardee, has been instrumental in shaping India’s space sector reforms and promoting greater private sector participation in the country’s space ecosystem. Addressing the graduating students, he said:

“I have learnt that life is not a 100-metre sprint won in the first few metres. It is a long engineering project, full of failed prototypes and design iterations, where the first version of anything is rarely the final one. Growth, more often than not, begins with discomfort. If I were to leave you with five lessons, they would be these: never give up, take big bets, trust people, never believe you are too old to learn something new, and always listen to your heart. Our Hon’ble Prime Minister has set the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. It is a national mission to turn growth into inclusion, talent into leadership, and possibilities into achievement. It will happen precisely when you are at the very peak of your career and influence. So leave this hall with a single thought. Fifty years from now, when you look back, you will ask yourself one question: What legacy did I leave behind? My hope is that your answer will be simple: ‘I helped build Viksit Bharat.'”

Jayant Patil, Officiating Chairperson of the Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur, said: “This is your day. Behind each degree lie years of hard work, late nights, setbacks, and everything you have done to complete your journey here. I congratulate you, your families, and everyone who has supported you every step of the way. As you step out into the world, remember that you carry the pedigree and legacy of IIT Kanpur wherever you go. Your education does not end today; it begins today. Carry forward the values of integrity, innovation, and lifelong learning. Give back to the society that invested in you, and use your talent to build the India we all aspire to see. On behalf of the Board of Governors, I congratulate the Class of 2026 and wish you every success as you move forward with confidence.”

Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, addressing the graduates, said: “Over the past 61 years, IIT Kanpur has graduated generations of students. While every generation faces different opportunities and challenges, the values that shape meaningful lives remain timeless. Hold firmly to integrity, honesty, resilience, humility, and respect. These values will shape your decisions long after technical knowledge has changed. Today, while machines can retrieve information, summarise knowledge, and generate solutions in seconds, the true value of human intelligence lies in asking the right questions, exercising sound judgment, connecting ideas across disciplines, making ethical choices, and understanding the human consequences of technology. Keep learning, adapt to change, and build new skills throughout your life.”

This year’s graduating cohort comprised 390 PhD recipients, 53 MTech-PhD (Joint Degree) graduates, one MDes-PhD (Joint Degree) graduate, four MS (by Research)-PhD (Joint Degree) graduates, 502 MTech graduates, 852 BTech graduates, 212 BS graduates, 186 MSc (2-year) graduates, 59 MBA graduates, 36 MDes graduates, 66 MS (by Research) graduates, 40 PGPEX-VLFM graduates, 35 Double Major graduates, 107 Dual Degree graduates, 28 MS-PD graduates, and 492 students from the eMasters programme. The graduating class reflected IIT Kanpur’s continued commitment to excellence across a broad spectrum of academic programmes and its emphasis on multidisciplinary education.

During the ceremony, IIT Kanpur recognised exceptional academic achievement and all-round excellence by presenting its prestigious institute medals and awards. The President’s Gold Medal was conferred upon Sagar K. V. (Computer Science and Engineering), while the Director’s Gold Medal was awarded to Aditya V. (BS, Statistics and Data Science) and Ritwik Shankar (BT-MT, Aerospace Engineering). Other distinguished honours included the Ratan Swarup Memorial Prize, presented to Dhruv Budhedeo (BTech, Aerospace Engineering), along with Academic Excellence Awards across various academic programmes and other institute medals recognising outstanding achievements in academics, research, leadership, and overall contribution to the institute.

Continuing the institute’s tradition, graduating students attended the ceremony in the recommended convocation attire, with male students dressed in cream-coloured kurtas paired with white pyjamas, and female students wearing cream-coloured kurtas with white churidars or leggings, or cream-coloured sarees, complemented by formal footwear. As students stepped forward to receive their degrees, they carried with them not only the legacy of one of India’s foremost institutions but also the responsibility to contribute meaningfully to society through knowledge, integrity, and leadership.