IITGN Concludes the Camp for Empowerment of People with Disabilities and Workshop on Prosthetics Technology

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) successfully hosted the closing ceremony of the Saksham Camp for Empowerment of People with Disabilities on March 9, 2025. The event, held in partnership with the Spark Minda Foundation, provided critical assistance to more than 500 divyangjans. The initiative offered aids such as artificial limbs, walkers, crutches, walking sticks, and support for disability certificates, among other services.

In his inaugural address, Mr Praveen Karn, Head Group, Sustainability & CSR, Spark Minda Group, traced the impactful journey of this camp, which has served more than 20,000 divyangjans over the last decade. His introductory speech was followed by the felicitation of Mr Mandar S Gadgil, Head Purchase, Suzuki Motors, Gujarat.  Mr Gadgil commended the initiative, stating, “Using technology to restore what was once lost to an individual is truly commendable. I hope others take inspiration from this initiative, and serve as many people as possible.” 

Prof Pratik Mutha, Jibaben Patel Chair Associate Professor, Biological Sciences and Engineering (Jointly with Cognitive and Brain Sciences department), Dean, Institutional Advancement, and Chairman, Investment Committee, IITGN, congratulated the Spark Minda foundation for its efforts and emphasised the significance of hosting such events at an academic campus.  “It is essential to sensitise students to the real-world challenges of society. Events like these align with the ethos of IITGN, and we are honoured to have been part of this meaningful initiative.” noted Prof Mutha. 

Prof Vineet Vashista, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, IITGN, who has been involved in research focussed on enhancing the comfort of prosthetic legs and knee joints, added, “The past five days have been incredibly rewarding. This experience has deepened our understanding of the intersection between science and society. We hope to host this camp again, and see our research translate into application soon.”

Ms Sarika Minda, Chairperson of the Spark Minda Foundation, delivered the closing remarks, underscoring the significance of such camps in fostering independence for divyangjans. The event also featured speeches by Pathik Mehta, Microsign Products Ltd, and Amit Srivastava, Co-Founder and CEO, InfyU Labs.

In addition to the five-day camp, a workshop on prosthetics technology was held on March 8-9, 2025. It brought together industry experts, doctors, therapists, and researchers from leading institutions such as Tezpur University, AIIPMR Mumbai, ALIMCO, Instalimb India Pvt Ltd, and others. The workshop facilitated collaboration and knowledge exchange, focussing on the current state of prosthetics in India, while identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the field.

As part of the workshop, Mr Narottam Sahoo, Advisor and Member Secretary of GUJCOST, emphasised the importance of translating research into tangible societal benefits, urging researchers to take their work from “journal to zameen.” Mr Lukesh Kumar Bhuya from AIIPMR Mumbai discussed the key challenges faced by individuals in rural areas, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to ensure that technological advancements have clinical relevance.