The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati director TG Sitharam has been appointed as the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Prof Sitharam will take over from Jagadesh Kumar, who was holding interim charge of the AICTE chairman post since last year. Kumar who is also the UGC chairman took over the post from Anil Sahasrabuddhe, who was released from the post on September 1, 2021. He will serve as the council head for three years or before he turns 65 years, whichever is earlier.
“All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Act, 1987, the Central Government hereby appoints, Prof TG Sitharam, Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, as Chairman, AICTE in Level-l7 of the pay Matrix, on deputation basis, for a period of three years we.f. the date of assumption of charge, or till attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earliest,” reads the official notice, reported a leading news agency.
Prof Sitharam took over as the director of Guwahati on July 1, 2019. Prior to that, he was a professor at the department of civil engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore and formerly a chair professor in energy and mechanical sciences at the institute. He served at IISc for around 27 years.
He was also a visiting professor at Dalhousie University, Canada, Yamaguchi University, Japan, Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM), Dhanbad, and William Mong fellow at University of Hongkong, Hongkong. He was the vice president of Indian Society for Earthquake Technology (ISET) and Vice President of Indian Society of Earthquake Science (ISES).
Prof Sithram completed his Bachelors of Engineering (BE) in civil engineering from Govt BDT College of Engineering, Davanagere, Mysore University. He studied master of science in geotechnical engineering from IISc and PhD from University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. He completed his post doctoral research at center for earth sciences and engineering, University of Texas at Austin in 1994.
