C-DAC and AICTE Collaborate to Develop High Performance Computing Ecosystem

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of key officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to establish a robust ecosystem for human resource development in High Performance Computing (HPC) and related fields. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of key officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Key Objectives and Activities

The MoA outlines several key initiatives aimed at enhancing HPC education and capacity building:

1. Master Trainer Programs: These programs aim to train master trainers who will then educate faculty members in HPC and related technologies, ensuring a multiplier effect in knowledge dissemination.

2. Quality Improvement Programs: Specialized training sessions will be conducted to improve the subject expertise of faculties from non-Computer Science streams in HPC and allied technologies.

3. Courses on SWAYAM: HPC courses will be offered on the Ministry of Education’s SWAYAM platform, providing free online learning opportunities to students nationwide.

4. Industry-Aligned Courses: Development of HPC-related courses that meet the current and emerging needs of the HPC industry, ensuring relevance and applicability.

5. C-DAC Learning Platforms: Provision of HPC learning platforms like PARAM Shavak and PARAM Vidya to AICTE-nominated institutes to facilitate practical learning experiences.

Impact on Human Resource Development

This partnership is expected to drive sustainable human resource development in HPC and allied technologies, fostering innovation and meeting the evolving needs of both industry and academia.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, highlighted the broad reach of HPC manpower development under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), which will now extend to engineering colleges across India. Prof. T. G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE, emphasized that this collaboration marks a significant step towards creating a robust ecosystem for HPC education in India, aligning with the National Supercomputing Mission and the vision of NEP 2020.

Advancing HPC through the National Supercomputing Mission

The development of HPC-aware manpower is a key deliverable of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), a flagship program aimed at building HPC capacity in India. This collaboration between C-DAC and AICTE aims to proliferate HPC education across AICTE-affiliated colleges, significantly enhancing the technical workforce’s capabilities.

Expected Outcomes

Training Programs: Approximately 2,500 faculty members from around 1,000 engineering colleges will be trained through 50 Faculty Development Programs (FDPs). These trained faculty will then educate approximately 50,000 students.

Awareness Programs: Awareness programs introducing HPC will be conducted in 1,000 colleges, potentially reaching 100,000 students.

Hands-On Experience: Installation of 50 PARAM Shavak units in AICTE-affiliated institutions will provide students with practical experience in using supercomputers.

This MoA between C-DAC and AICTE represents a concerted effort to elevate HPC education and capacity building, ensuring that India's technical education system remains at the forefront of global advancements in computing technology.