The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur organised its 59th Convocation on July 15, 2026, awarding degrees to 3,104 graduates across undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and executive education programmes. According to the institute’s official convocation programme, Academic Section notifications and award lists, the ceremony recognised academic achievement while highlighting research, innovation and technology-enabled academic practices.
As one of India’s leading technical institutions, IIT Kanpur’s annual convocation reflects broader developments in higher education, including interdisciplinary learning, research excellence and the adoption of secure digital academic credentials. The 2026 ceremony also continued the institute’s blockchain-based digital degree initiative for eligible graduates who completed the prescribed formalities.
Last Updated: July 15, 2026
Reporting Period: IIT Kanpur 59th Convocation (Academic Session 2025–26)
Official Source Context: Information is compiled from IIT Kanpur’s Convocation Programme, Academic Section Notification No. A/59th Convocation/2026/IITK/01 (dated June 15, 2026), official award lists and institute announcements available as of July 15, 2026. Source Retrieval Date: July 15, 2026.
Convocation Overview
Graduate Statistics
According to IIT Kanpur’s official records for the 59th Convocation, the institute awarded degrees to graduates from undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education programmes.
|
Particulars |
Figures |
|
Total Graduates |
3,104 |
|
Undergraduate Graduates |
1,247 |
|
Postgraduate Graduates |
1,325 |
|
eMasters Graduates |
532 |
Degree Distribution
|
Programme |
Degrees Awarded |
|
BTech |
852 |
|
MTech |
502 |
|
PhD |
390 |
|
BS |
212 |
|
MSc (2-Year) |
186 |
|
Dual Degree |
107 |
|
MS (By Research) |
66 |
|
MBA |
59 |
|
MTech-PhD |
53 |
|
PGPEX-VLFM |
40 |
|
MDes |
36 |
|
Double Major |
35 |
|
MS-PD |
28 |
|
MS (By Research)-PhD |
4 |
|
MDes-PhD |
1 |
|
eMasters |
492 |
Ceremony and Key Addresses
The ceremony was presided over by Jayant Patil, Officiating Chairperson of the Board of Governors, and Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur. The chief guest, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Padma Shri awardee and an IIT Kanpur alumnus, addressed the graduating class.
Dr. Goenka encouraged graduates to remain resilient, embrace challenging opportunities, continue learning throughout their careers, build trust with colleagues and make decisions guided by conviction. Referring to life as a “long engineering project,” he highlighted the importance of adaptability and long-term contribution to national development.
Jayant Patil observed that graduation marks the beginning of a new phase of learning and professional responsibility. Prof. Agrawal noted that while artificial intelligence is transforming knowledge creation, human judgement, ethical decision-making and the ability to frame meaningful questions remain essential.
Academic Awards
Major Institutional Honours
The institute recognised outstanding academic performance through several prestigious awards.
|
Award |
Recipient |
|
President’s Gold Medal |
Sagar K. V. (Computer Science and Engineering) |
|
Director’s Gold Medal (BS) |
Aditya V. (Statistics and Data Science) |
|
Director’s Gold Medal (Dual Degree) |
Ritwik Shankar (Aerospace Engineering) |
|
Ratan Swarup Memorial Prize |
Dhruv Budhedeo (Aerospace Engineering) |
In addition to these honours, the IIT Kanpur Senate approved awards across departments for research, innovation, software development, manufacturing, doctoral excellence and teaching contributions.
Convocation Schedule
Confirmed and Historical Timeline
|
Timeline |
Status |
Details |
|
June 15, 2026 |
Historical |
Academic Section notification issued |
|
July 14, 2026 |
Historical |
Mandatory rehearsal and distribution of invitation cards, food coupons and stoles |
|
July 15, 2026 |
Confirmed |
Main convocation ceremony, medal presentation and addresses |
|
July 15, 2026 |
Confirmed |
Department-wise degree distribution during Session II |
Dress Code and Academic Stoles
Graduates attended the ceremony in accordance with the institute’s prescribed dress code. Male participants wore cream-coloured Nehru-style kurtas with white pyjamas, while female participants wore cream-coloured kurtas with white churidars or leggings, or cream-coloured sarees. Formal footwear was mandatory.
Academic stoles were colour-coded by programme.
|
Stole Colour |
Programme |
|
Brown |
BTech, BS, BASc |
|
Blue |
MTech |
|
Cyan |
PhD and Integrated Doctoral Programmes |
|
Green |
MS (By Research), MDes |
|
Purple |
MBA, MS-PD |
|
Magenta |
MSc |
|
Black |
Dual Degree, Double Major |
|
Golden |
eMasters |
Blockchain-Based Digital Degrees
Under the institute’s notified procedure, graduates who completed the prescribed convocation requirements, paid the applicable fee and obtained institute clearance within the notified timeline became eligible for blockchain-based digital degree certificates. Developed by IIT Kanpur’s C3iHub, these credentials are designed to enable secure verification and sharing of academic records while reducing the risk of document tampering.
The initiative reflects the wider adoption of secure digital credential systems in Indian higher education and supports reliable verification by employers and educational institutions.
Reader Safety Advisory
Readers should rely only on official IIT Kanpur communications for information related to convocation, degree certificates and digital credential services. Avoid responding to unsolicited calls, emails or messages requesting payment, personal documents or login credentials. IIT Kanpur does not authorise third-party agents to issue degrees or accelerate certificate processing. Never share OTPs, passwords or banking information, and verify any communication through the institute’s official website before taking action.
Editorial Disclaimer
This article is based on IIT Kanpur’s official convocation programme, Academic Section notifications and institute announcements available as of July 15, 2026. Information may be revised through subsequent notifications or administrative updates. Readers are advised to verify the latest information through official IIT Kanpur communications, which will take precedence in the event of any revision or discrepancy.