Do you know Virendra Kumar Tewari was appointed as the director of IIT Kharagpur just hours before his retirement, despite exceeding the age limit?
Yes, he was appointed on 31 December 2019, surpassing the preferred age limit of 60 at the age of 65.
Virendra Kumar Tewari Age, Biography
Virendra Kumar Tewari Age, Biography
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Hometown: Rasra, Uttar Pradesh
Age: 70 Years
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Retired Professor, Agricultural Engineer |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 10" (178 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt and Pepper |
| Career | |
| Awards | • Jawahar Lal Nehru Award (1986) • NRDC Republic Day Invention Award (1987) • ISAE R. K. Jain Memorial Award (1994) • ISAE Commendation Medal (1996) • ISAE Fellow Award (2006) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 1 January 1955 (Saturday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 70 Years |
| Birthplace | Rasra, Uttar Pradesh |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Rasra, Uttar Pradesh |
| College/University | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur |
| Educational Qualification(s) | • Bachelor of Technology • Masters of Technology • PhD |
| Controversies | • Criticized for his son's admission to IIT In 2010, sources revealed that a discretionary quota was allowed for children of the faculty members to get admission at IIT without clearing the JEE entrance exam. His son was among them who was admitted through this quota. Later, the quota was abolished. check sources The Print • Controversy Regarding Appointment as Director On 31 December 2019, he was appointed as the director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur hours before his retirement was scheduled. He surpassed the Union Ministry of Education's preferred age limit of 60 for the position at the age of 65. Concerns were raised as he was from agricultural and food engineering background and not from core engineering discipline. Despite such factors, he was appointed over other candidates such as the then IIT Kharagpur director Partha Chakrabarti and the professor of computational materials science at Uppsala University Rajeev Ahuja. check sources ThePrint • Accused for the Death of Engineering Students In 2022, a 23 year old mechanical engineering student was found dead at the institute who belonged from Assam's Tinsukia district. The student's parents were informed by the police officers that the cause of his death was suicide. Thereafter, the institute's fact finding report showed the Calcutta High Court that he suffered from mental health issues. Later, an activist Dheeraj Singh received a response from RTI that approximately 115 students have committed suicide since 2005, and among them 13 were from IIT Kharagpur. These incidents led to massive protests against Tewari for his resignation. check sources The Print • Allegations of Nepotism and Arbitrary Faculty Appointments In September 2024, the IIT Kharagpur's Teacher Association (IITTA) accused Tewari of Nepotism and arbitary faculty recruitment practices in a letter to the Union Ministry of Education. They requested for a successor who had strong academic record and inclusive governance. The administration responded by issuing show-cause notices to IITTA office bearers and after that they failed to respond within seven days, and launched a disciplinary action. Later, 86 faculty members who signed the petition received similar notices and three department heads were replaced. This action from the administration led to chaos among the faculty members and later they went on for protests and silent marches on campus. They demanded for a withdrawal of the show-cause notices and to bring back the department heads. Thereafter, the IITTA approached institute's board of governors to remove the notices and restore the administrative positions. check sources The Print • Accused of being unapproachable administrator The faculty members during his tenure has accused him of being unapproachable and he doesn't involve in meaningful dialogue when they face issues. He was also accused of favoritism in administrative appointments and a lack of transperency in decision making processes. Faculty members have described him as someone who focuses on himself during meetings. check sources The Print |
| Social Media | |
| Family | |
| Children | Son- 1 |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Virendra Kumar Tewari
In October 1982, he started working as a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
In 2005, he published the books Power Machinery Systems and Ergonomics, Safety and Health and Food and Bio Process Engineering.
In January 2020, he started working as the director at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
His research interest is in precision agriculture which involves the use of advanced technologies to optimize crop yields and economic returns and minimise environmental impact.
Some of his selected patents are mechanical loading-unloading and uniform spreading system for tea leaf on withering trough and Integrated Composite Anthropometer.
In June 2020, during Tewari’s administration at IIT Kharagpur, he prohibited faculty members from interacting with the media. According to sources, he made this decision because a few employees were causing embarrassment to the institute by communicating with the media.
In April 2024, he announced that students if found drinking on or off campus would have to pay fines. A first-time offender needs to pay a fine of Rs 5,000, and a second-time offender a fine of Rs 10,000.
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References/Sources
Do You Know?
Do you know Virendra Kumar Tewari was criticized for his son's admission to IIT without clearing the JEE entrance exam?
Yes, his son was admitted through a discretionary quota for children of faculty members, which was later abolished.
Do you know Virendra Kumar Tewari prohibited IIT Kharagpur faculty from interacting with the media in 2020?
Yes, he made this decision after some employees caused embarrassment to the institute by communicating with the media.
Do you know Virendra Kumar Tewari introduced strict fines for students drinking on or off campus?
Yes, in April 2024, he announced fines of Rs 5,000 for first-time offenders and Rs 10,000 for repeat offenders.
Do you know Virendra Kumar Tewari has a research interest in precision agriculture?
Yes, his work focuses on using advanced technologies to optimize crop yields and reduce environmental impact.