Kshitij

Kshitij
Type	Student run Non-Profit Organization
Founded	2004 (2004)
Place	(several), Kharagpur, India
Institute	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Major events	Robotix
Prize money	60 Lakhs
Slogan	The True Spirit of Youth
Website	ktj.in

Kshitij is the annual techno-management fest of IIT Kharagpur,one of the India’s premier technical institutions.^[1][2] Started in the year 2004, the idea of Kshitij was conceived with the aim to provide the technically inclined youth a national-level platform, where their talent and expertise would be recognized and duly rewarded.^[3] Having grown exponentially since its nascent years, Kshitij receives overwhelming participation from the student community all over the world.^[4][5] The official website of Kshitij, ktj.in, is in fact the largest student run website, receiving 8 million clicks in its 2012 edition.^[6][7]

Kshitij organizes a wide range of events encompassing every genre of technology and management with the aim to infuse a scientific and rational temperament in the young minds.^[8] World renowned organizations like ACM, IEEE, ASME, ASHRAE and IMechE certify numerous events of the fest. To address the issues plaguing our present society, Kshitij also undertakes social initiatives in association with the foremost NGOs of the country.^[9] Workshops are conducted at several locations all over the country, to help the participants gain hand-on experience and enhance their technical skills. Culminating in a four day extravaganza, Kshitij also organizes many inspiring guest lectures, exhibitions and megashows.^[10][11]

Kshitij 2013 was held from 1 to 4 February 2013,that saw a total participation of over 65,000 and an amount of Rs 60 lac was offered as prize money.^[12] Kshitij 2014 will be held from 31 January to 3 February 2014.^[13]

History and Growth

Initially named Ideon, Kshitij started in its present form in 2004. 260 participants from outside the campus took part in the first edition of the fest. In 2005, this figure increased to 1400, including participants from abroad as well. Since then, Kshitij has grown to become Asia’s largest techno-management fest. Kshitij 2012 witnessed a participation of 50,000 students from all over the world and the prize money amounted to 60 lacs. This year Kshitij will celebrate 10 years of its making.^[14]

Certifications

Many of the events in Kshitij 2013 have certifications from various organisations and institutions. These are:

• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM): ACM, the world’s largest and oldest scientific and educational computing society, which develops resources that advance computing as a science and profession, certifies Overnite ACM ICPC Multi Provincial Programming Contest. The society serves as a membership of computing professionals and students in many countries in all areas of industry, academia, and government thus uniting the world's computer educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue and address the field's challenges.
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) : The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE certifies the event Eureka in Kshitij.
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE): ASHRAE certifies Kryotech, an event to design the complete HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system for the industry.
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME): ASME, a professional body known for setting codes and standards for mechanical devices, certifies the Kshitij event ASME Student Design Competition. Through this event, ASME provides a platform for budding technocrats to touch the horizons in the field of robotic design and intelligent automation.
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) : The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) certifies the events Laws of Motion and Nightshift. The association of IMechE with these events aims at improving the world through engineering and nurturing new talents, helping them build their careers and take on the challenges that, when solved, will make a difference to all.
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) : The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers.[1] AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers. AIChE provided certification for the event Chemquest of Kshitij 2014

Flagship Events

Laws of Motion : This aircraft design event certified by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers IMechE is one of the most famous events of Kshitij, which receives participation from students all over the country.

Eureka : An IEEE certified technical paper presentation event.

Overnite : The ACM ICPC Multi-provincial programming contest is certified by ACM, world’s largest and most prestigious scientific and educational computing society.

ASME SDE : Student Design Exposition is an open hardware modelling competition certified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

B-Plan : This event gives aspiring entrepreneurs a wonderful opportunity to present an executive summary of their business idea before angel investors and venture capitalists. Offering impressive incubation prize money, B-Plan has helped many students to kick-start their dream business.

Embetronix : It is an embedded electronics circuit design competition spread over two rounds.

Nightshift : An adaptation of the popular Discovery Channel show, Junkyard Wars, this event is also certified by IMechE.

IDP : It is Kshitij’s very own Industrial Design Problem competition. Conducted in association with reputed industrial organizations, it gives participants a chance to give solutions to real time problems faced by industries, though in their scaled down version.

The Verdict: The national-level Moot Court competition of Kshitij, it is conducted in association with the Indian Bar Association.

Robotix Events

There is a complete genre called Robotix,^[15] which has many events based on amateur robotics.The events for Kshitij 2014 are:

Geo-Aware: a warzone will be created through simulation and participants will have to design robots that can navigate hostile terrain and identify hidden enemies and their arms.

Tremors: Robots have to negotiate through quake-hit areas and conduct rescue operations for the event named Tremors.

Canyon Rush: Canyon Rush will artificially create a likeness of the Grand Canyon and trekkers trapped in different places whom the student-manned robots will have to rescue.

Inspiral-On:Competitors will have to create robots that will be able to move through oil pipes and gas lines and detect leakages.

Guest lectures

Each year, Kshitij invites illustrious dignitaries from all over the world to share their valuable insights. The guests for Kshitij 2014 include :

Nawazuddin Siddiqui  : Highly acclaimed Indian movie actor

Shazia Ilmi  : Indian politician and social activist

Jonathan Forman  : Nobel Peace-prize winner

Amitabha Ghosh  : Planetary Geologist at NASA and leader of the Mars Rover Mission

Roel Verteegal  : Inventor of Paper-tab

Rajiv Malhotra  : Indian - American multimillionaire, author, philanthropist, researcher and public speaker

Dougal Jerram  : Consultant geologist, earth scientist, adventurer, science outreach presenter and philanthropist

Workshops

In keeping with its vision of fostering the spirit of science and technology among the students, Kshitij organises elucidatory workshops both during the festival and in the days prior to the festival. These workshops help the participants in keeping up with the recent developments in the technical and corporate world, from the very experts in the field. Being highly informative and interesting the workshops are known to attract enthusiastic participation from students. The workshops are organised in association with reputed organisations and are conducted free of cost.

During the fest, interactive workshops are conducted in Kharagpur on a wide variety of topics. These workshops are presented by the experts in the respective fields, giving the participants a unique opportunity to develop an insight and gain hands- on experience.

The Kshitij Team organises a series of external workshops in various cities prior to the festival. These workshops aimed at reaching out to the student fraternity all over the country, provide a platform for the participants to identify, exchange, plan and elaborate emerging ideas and high-quality research.

Exhibitions

To introduce the youth to the latest advances in technology and to give them a glimpse of the changing times, several intriguing exhibitions are showcased during the fest. The exhibitions of the past have been a huge success among the participants, motivating them to think beyond boundaries.

Tech4Fun

For the recreation of the participants after participating in the various events, Kshitij hosts light, fun-filled activities like:

• TechQuila: The energetic stage amidst the Arena
• Snappit: Photography event

References

External links

• Official website
• Kshitij on Facebook
• Technology Student's Gymkhana
• Robotix2011
• Kshitij on Twitter
• Kshitij 2013 teaser
• Kshitij 2011 Teaser
• Kshitij 2010 Documentary
• Acro Dunking, Kshitij 2011, IIT Kharagpur