SMVDU professor Dr. Pankaj Biswas presented ‘Mentor of the Year’ award by IIT Bombay

Jammu, Aug 05: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra, proudly announced a prestigious national recognition for Dr. Pankaj Biswas, a faculty member at the School of Physics. Dr. Biswas has been conferred the Mentor of the Year Award under the Community Impact category of the FOSSEE Project by IIT Bombay, supported by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.A statement issued here said that the award highlights Dr. Biswas’s outstanding dedication and transformative mentorship in promoting the use of Free/Libre and Open Source Software for Education (FOSSEE). His guidance has significantly shaped the academic contributions of numerous student participants involved in the initiative at IIT Bombay. FOSSEE, an ambitious project led by IIT Bombay, aims to promote open-source tools in academia and research, reducing dependency on proprietary software and enhancing accessibility for students and institutions across India.Dr. Biswas expressed heartfelt gratitude to IIT Bombay and the Ministry of Education for this national honour. He dedicated the award to his students, collaborators, and the wider SMVDU community, acknowledging their vital role in achieving this milestone. The recognition not only brings pride to SMVDU but also underscores the university’s growing contribution to national-level educational innovation and open-source advocacy.