IIT Kharagpur Alumnus donates Rs 52 lakh for Classical and Folk Arts Academy at the institution

A donation of Rs. 52 Lakh has been made to the institutes' Academy of Classical and Folk Arts at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur by a US-based alumnus of the institution. This donation will be used for building a music auditorium with a digitally enhances the learning environment. According to an official from the institution, the academy will conduct workshops on classical and folk arts and also engage teaching fellows.

The alumnus, Mukund Padmanabhan who donated Rs. 52 Lakh for the academy of Classical and Folk Arts completed his B.Tech in electronics and electrical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1987. He runs the Guru Krupa Foundation which is a New York-based charity that supports social, educational and cultural activities.

Speaking about the academy he says that it is required to develop and excel in a modern scientific approach to make practical progress and advance knowledge about the world. Traditional art and culture are also very important as it defines the history and represents the roots of our society, he said. He also added that the new forms academy o classical and fold arts at IIT Kharagpur represents a very creative experiment.

Plans to set up a digital classroom for the music training in a proscenium setting as distance mode teaching-learning with acoustically appropriate interiors have been made at the new Academy of Classical and Folk Arts. Two teaching positions are also being created in order to provide training on classical music and arts on a regular basis.

The academy will offer training in music, fine arts and performing arts and will also create national and international outreach programmes for the dissemination and collaborative research on science and technology along with interventions in the Indian classical music and classical arts. The academy will also be a centre for teaching-learning resources for Indian classical music and other classical arts.

The Dean, Alumni Affairs, Subrata Chattopadhyay said that with the institution providing the required space for the academy the institution is thankful to the alumnus Mukund who has come forward to patronize the initiative which in turn go a long way in preserving the core fundamentals of the traditional art forms.

Also Read: HRD Ministry appointed panel claims to submit report on JNU fee hike amid reports of EC members being disregarded