<p>IIT Bombay awarded degrees to 192 students at the interim session of its 58th Convocation on February 28, 2020.Total degrees awarded to the students were 211, which include - 152 PhD, 19 Dual Degrees (M.Tech/ M.Sc + PhD), 2 B.Des degrees, 1 B.Tech and 18 E-MBA degrees. The joint E-MBA degrees are in association with Washington University in St. Louis (WUStL). These were conferred by Prof. Mahendra Gupta, Former Dean of Olin Business School.</p><p>The degrees were presented to those graduating students who have completed all the requirements during the period from August 2019 to January 2020 and have requested for the degree to be awarded earlier than the 58th Convocation in August. Dr. Lalit S. Kanodia, Chairman, Datamatics Global Services Limited was the Chief Guest for the interim convocation function.</p><p>There is a steady increase observed in the number of PhD students at IIT Bombay. While there were 771 PhD students on roll in the academic year 2001-02, the number increased to 3171 in 2018-19. <span style="font-size: 13.008px;">The number of PhD students at the Institute has increased to 3310 in 2019-20.</span></p><p>While addressing the graduating students, Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay said, “It is a journey for many of the students who have spent last few years at the Institute. At the end of the journey, you have been presented with a degree you truly deserve. The students should relish this special moment that IIT Bombay has to offer. At IIT Bombay, we always aim at the pursuit of happiness and knowledge. IIT Bombay has given the best experience to the students. What the students receive today is a degree but what will stay with the students forever is the knowledge they gain while studying in IIT. The learning will guide the students in their future life.”</p><p>He added, “IIT Bombay is a preferred destination across India for undergraduate, postgraduate and masters students. We are thankful to the students to choose this institute. Our job in the institute is to produce manpower that will serve the nation across the sectors.”</p><p>Congratulating the graduates, the chief guest of the event Dr. Lalit S. Kanodia said, “IIT students need their knowledge and education to find solutions for issues such as power shortage, coals & oil, inadequate supply of fresh water and climate change. It is important for our country to create future opportunity whereby the citizens can contribute on the basis of what they know.</p><p>Prof. Mahendra Gupta, Former Dean of Olin Business School said, “IIT Bombay is one of the most important international partners of Washington University in St. Louis and this partnership has resulted in many different research projects and programs including E-MBA degree programme. The convocation ceremony is an important moment to celebrate for the graduates and faculties of the joint programs. The graduating students have learned from their high achieving classmates and they have connected with the senior faculties of both the world-class institutes".</p><p>He added, “The graduating students are now ready and well-equipped to be leaders". Apart from the students and faculty members of the Institute, the ceremony was attended by the families and friends of the students.</p>