CHENNAI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan celebrated Pongal on Wednesday with the staff, faculty and students of Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras).
Pradhan was accorded a traditional Tamil cultural welcome, featuring folk art forms such as parai, madattam, mayilattam and poi kaal kuthirai, and also an elaborate kolam.
On the sidelines of the function, he announced that India would be hosting the prestigious AI Impact Summit next month under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “All the stakeholders including educationists are preparing the digital sphere in India,” he added. “The summit will serve as a platform to strengthen the country’s role in AI innovation and its research activities. The new year marks a fresh focus on integrating AI into the country’s education system.”
Pradhan also stated that he had chaired a governing council review meeting on school education to advanced research. “The discussion focused on a new curriculum that will be adopted for global needs. There will be a paradigm shift in the curriculum preparation,” he opined.
Mother tongue will be given priority in all the schools and higher educational institutions across the country. PhD progress will also be monitored
Dharmendra Pradhan
Stating that IIT-M would get a centre of excellence in AI soon, Pradhan explained how different parts of the country celebrate the harvest year. “Pongal – the festival of harvest, sustainability, and agriculture has different names. In Assam and northeast, it’s called Bihu. In Punjab, it’s Lohri, and in Gujarat and Maharashtra, it is known as Uttarayan. In the eastern parts, it’s known as Makar Sankranti,” he said.
Prof V Kamakoti, director, IIT-M, said the highlight of the programme was the “Minister’s preparation of Pongal pot, symbolising gratitude to nature and the farming community”. Pradhan also took part in uriyadithal, a traditional activity, engaging closely with students, staff and campus residents. Following this, he distributed Pongal kits to members of the campus community.