PM in Kanpur today for IIT convocation & Metro launch

This will be the first physical convocation ceremony at the institute in two years after last year’s online event. IIT-Kanpur said in a press release that Tuesday’ event would be the first convocation ceremony in India to be held in a bio-bubble. The college arranged for RT-PCR tests of all the attendees on Monday. Before the gates are thrown open, all attendees will have to undergo Rapid Antigen Tests.

IIT-Kanpur said 1,723 students would receive their degrees, and 80 prizes and medals would be awarded. Twenty-one students will receive the Outstanding PhD Thesis Award.

Later in the day, Modi will inaugurate a nine-km section of the Kanpur Metro Rail between IIT-Kanpur and Moti Jheel, and the Bina-Panki multiproduct pipeline project. The prime minister will inspect the Metro project and ride a train from the IIT station to Geeta Nagar. The planned length of the Metro is 32 km and it is being built for more than Rs 11,000 crore. Modi will also address a public meeting at the Nirala Nagar railway ground.

Meanwhile, the government said the capacity of the 356-km Bina-Panki multiproduct pipeline is around 3.45 million metric tonnes a year. Extending from the Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh to Panki in Kanpur, the project has been built for over Rs 1,500 crore. According to the government, it will help the region access petroleum products from the Bina refinery.