IIT Ropar to Award MTech in Defence Technology to Indian Army Officers

IIT Ropar will award MTech degrees in Defence Technology to Indian Army officers under a new agreement signed with the Army Air Defence College in Gopalpur. The arrangement will provide formal postgraduate accreditation to officers enrolled in the Long Air Defence Course while expanding opportunities for academic mentoring, research and access to institute facilities.

The Memorandum of Agreement was signed by IIT Ropar Director Professor Rajeev Ahuja and Lieutenant General Amit Rao, Commandant of the Army Air Defence College. The agreement builds on an earlier academic and research cooperation pact signed in December 2022 between the Army Training Command, Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), and IIT Ropar.

Under the new arrangement, officers undertaking the Long Air Defence Course will be able to receive MTech accreditation through IIT Ropar's Defence Technology programme. The initiative is intended to strengthen the technical and research capabilities of Army personnel involved in air defence and related areas.

As part of the collaboration, IIT Ropar faculty members will be nominated as mentors for the officers. They will guide participants through dissertations and research projects, helping them develop technical expertise and undertake academic work relevant to defence requirements.

The officers will also be able to use IIT Ropar's laboratories and other infrastructure, subject to the institute's prior approval. In addition, they will have access to seminars and lectures conducted by the institute's faculty through both online and offline modes.

The two institutions have also agreed to collaborate on developing technological knowledge in areas of mutual interest. This is expected to broaden the scope of their existing academic and research partnership.

IIT Ropar Director Professor Rajeev Ahuja said the agreement strengthens the institute's ongoing engagement with the Indian Army and enables its faculty and infrastructure to contribute directly to the technical education of defence personnel. He also expressed an intention to expand the collaboration in the coming years.

Lieutenant General Surinder Singh Mahal, Managing Director of the IIT Ropar Defence Research and Innovation Foundation, and Brigadier Rohit Das were also present during the signing ceremony.

IIT Ropar has been working with the Indian Army on academic and research initiatives since the 2022 agreement. Its Defence Research and Innovation Foundation has played an important role in developing and advancing the partnership.

The latest agreement brings together formal postgraduate education, faculty mentoring, research support and access to advanced academic infrastructure. It marks another step in strengthening cooperation between IIT Ropar and the Indian Army in defence technology and technical education.