Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 8 : Assam's Raj Bhavan and IIT, Guwahati signed a MoA (Memorandum of Association) in presence of Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at an event held at Raj Bhavan in Guwahati on Wednesday.
The Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor of Assam Meenakshi Sundaram and IIT Guwahati Director, Prof. Devendra Jalihal signed the agreement to forge a partnership with IIT Guwahati for transforming the functioning of Raj Bhavan both qualitatively and quantitatively.
As a part of the MoU, IIT Guwahati will become a knowledge partner cum consultant and resource support agency to develop the Gyan Kalyan Project.
It is the first project of its kind in the country wherein the digital transformation of the functioning of a Raj Bhavan is being undertaken.
The Gyan Kalyan Project is proposed to act as an enabler towards digital transformation of the functioning of Raj Bhavan and promote efficiency in public service delivery.
The project will incorporate latest digital and information technology tools, following 360-degree security guidelines and data protection measures.
This project also aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Raj Bhavan's operations to support the Assam Governor. This also includes a wide range of constitutional responsibilities, namely legislative, executive, and judicial functions, statutory functions, ad-hoc functions, and discretionary functions, etc.
The project will utilise IIT Guwahati's expertise to develop a digital governance framework for Raj Bhavan, comprising the Chancellor's Portal, the Governor's Office Portal, Departments and Institutions, visits of the Assam Governor, Public Engagement (Public grievances, petitions and memoranda from public), matters related to 6th Schedule areas, initiatives of the Governor etc.
Earlier on May 1, IIT Guwahati's research team announce the development of a novel, multi-functional aerogel with significant potential to address some of today's most pressing environmental challenges, including wastewater treatment, industrial pollution, and oil-water separation.
Led by Prof. P. K. Giri, Department of Physics and Centre for Nanotechnology, IIT Guwahati, the study introduces a cutting-edge material engineered to tackle industrial waste in multiple ways. Aerogels are ultra-lightweight, highly porous materials with a large surface area and exceptional adsorption properties, making them ideal for a wide range of environmental and industrial applications.