US-based alumnus donates Rs 52 lakh for IIT KGP’s Classical and Folk Arts Academy

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A US-based alumnus has donated Rs 52 lakh for IIT Kharagpur’s Academy of Classical and Folk Arts, an official said. The funding is towards building a music auditorium with a ‘digitally enhanced learning environment’, conducting workshops on classical and folk arts and engaging teaching fellows, an IIT Kharagpur statement said on Tuesday.

Mukund Padmanabhan, who had completed his BTech in electronics and electrical engineering from IIT Kharagpur in 1987, has donated Rs 52 lakh for the Academy of Classical and Folk Arts of the institute.

Padmanabhan runs Guru Krupa Foundation, a New York-based charity that supports social, educational and cultural initiatives.

Talking about the Academy Mukund said, “Developing and excelling in a modern scientific approach to all things is required to make practical progress and advance our knowledge about the world we live in.”

“However, traditional art and culture are also very important as it defines our history and represents our roots.

From my point of view, the newly formed Academy of Classical and Folk Arts at IIT KGP represents a very creative experiment,” he said.

Plans have been drawn to set up a digital classroom for music training in proscenium setting as distance mode teaching-learning with acoustically appropriate interiors.

Two teaching positions are also being created for providing training on classical music and arts on a regular basis, the statement said.

The Academy will offer training in music, fine arts and the performing arts.

Additionally, it will create national and international outreach programmes for dissemination and collaborative research on science and technology interventions in Indian classical music and other classical arts.

The academy will also be a hub to create teaching-learning resources for Indian classical music and other classical arts.

“While the institute will provide the required space we are thankful to Mukund who has come forward to patronise this initiative. This will go a long way in preserving the core fundamentals of the traditional art form,” Dean, Alumni Affairs, Subrata Chattopadhyay said.