After setting up its first overseas campus in Mauritius, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is now looking to expand its footprints abroad and is considering the possibility of setting up more foreign campuses.

IIT Delhi which is spreading Indian education abroad is also the national coordinator of the 'Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ph.D. Student Programme'. India's Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said, "The ASEAN Ph.D programme is an initiative of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi which was announced in 2018 in the presence of ASEAN leaders during the Republic Day celebrations."

Nishank spoke at the 51st convocation ceremony of IIT Delhi on Saturday and said, "All IIT institutions are not only institutes of national importance but provide a global platform representing our country."

During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, IIT Delhi launched the cheapest Covid-19 testing kit. Apart from this, the premier engineering institute has many other research activities related to Covid-19 being carried out by the researchers of the institute in collaboration with industry, international partnerships and government agencies.

IIT Delhi has performed exceptionally well in the field of research and education. It is ranked 47th in the world in 'Engineering and Technology' as per 'QS World University Rankings' and among the top 200 institutions in the world in 'Overall Rankings'.

Nishank said, "These world rankings prove that IIT Delhi is doing a commendable job in the fields of engineering and technology."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief guest on the occasion. Dr. R. Chirambaram, Chairman of the Board of Governors, IIT Delhi, Director Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao along with the honorary degree receiving students and their guardians as well as former IIT alumni also joined the programme through video conferencing.

Explaining the provisions of the new National Education Policy (NEP), Nishank said, "The National Education Policy also suggests higher educational institutions to improve their rankings. IIT Delhi is moving at a rapid pace in this direction. Whether it is education, research or innovation, IIT Delhi has started seven new academic departments and schools in the last 3 years. Nearly 13 centres of excellence have been started in various thematic areas."

"I am confident that not only you but the students currently studying in this institute will contribute to the initiative of nation building. In terms of human capital we are one of the largest countries in the world. So we should work towards fulfilling Prime Minister Modi's dream of becoming a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024 and this is possible only when we focus on converting our knowledge into wealth," Nishank added while praising all the students who received their degrees at the convocation ceremony.

(IANS)